My PCB Prototype Board

[bitfogav]

Hi everyone!

I have been working on this project for the last few days, and have just got round to making my own PCB's. I wanted to make a board that gave me access to all the data pins and to use a LCD display. So I designed a schematics using Diptrace and then created my own PCB layout and made it onto some copper clad.

I decided to use a 40pin microcontroller, 20mhz crystal, 8 leds and 8 buttons, LCD display which can be detached from the board.
Heres some pictures:


pcb layout-

pcb.jpg (134.56 KiB) Viewed 17879 times

pcb board-

back pcb.JPG (69.57 KiB) Viewed 17879 times

proto board-

front prot b.JPG (54.18 KiB) Viewed 17879 times

Heres a video: (video not quite the right way up but you get the idea)

[brad]

Wow man, I can't believe how perfect that completed board came out! Did you use the press n peel paper?

I have made boards myself but they don't seem to come out as perfect as your pic here...

[bitfogav]

Wow man, I can't believe how perfect that completed board came out! Did you use the press n peel paper?

I have made boards myself but they don't seem to come out as perfect as your pic here...

Yeah for this I used press and peel, i just set my iron on max and held it on it until you could see the print through the press and peel paper!, I also use a piece of paper between the press and peel paper and the iron, so the iron is not in direct contact with the press and peel paper!

I tried the UV light way but I think i mixed up the cemicals wrong and the Pre-Sensitised film all came off!! hehe! oops!

[odessa]

Thats a fantastic board Gav ! , Im working on a similar one using a GLCD at the moment.

If when you tried using photoresist all the film came off it sounds like you didn't develop it for long enough...you should get a really clear image of the tracks on the board.

I really like the way you have layed out and routed that board btw ... top job !!

[brad]

Gota love diptrace! The best darn PCB program out there!

[sdudley]

Excellent job! Forget doing my own, I'll just send you the schematics for my projects.

Stacy

[bitfogav]

Thats a fantastic board Gav ! , Im working on a similar one using a GLCD at the moment.

I look forward to seeing your board Jay!

If when you tried using photoresist all the film came off it sounds like you didn't developer it for long enough...you should get a really clear image of the tracks on the board.

Yeah I tried using photoresist film but when I put it into the developer for 5-10 sec I saw the outline for the traces, went to take the board out of the developer and half of the
traces dissapeared, the developer turned black! and so not sure if the mix was too strong? I guess its a case of trial and error? Ill have to give it ago again, maybe on a smaller project lol.

I really like the way you have layed out and routed that board btw ... top job !! .

Thanks Jay!

[bitfogav]

Excellent job! Forget doing my own, I'll just send you the schematics for my projects.

Stacy

Thanks Stacy nice to see you back

[bitfogav]

Gota love diptrace! The best darn PCB program out there!

Yeah Brad I thought about purchasing DipTrace Non-Profit version (1000 pin limit - 4 layers).

Has for this Project Board I used just over 200 pin connections and the limit for the free version is 300 pins, Imagine if I used a double sided board, im sure Ill be reaching the limit of the free version!

I would like to say though that I made all the traces and connections myself, and didnt use the Auto-Trace functions that you get with Diptrace.

[sdudley]

Thanks Stacy nice to see you back

Nice to be back... I miss you silly guys!

Stacy

[brad]

Well it's hard not to miss us

[sdudley]

Hey guys,

Brad convinced me to move from Eagle to DipTrace (so I did). I am having trouble saving my schematics to an image.

I see you guys posting images of PCB layout's so I know it can be done there (I have yet to open the PCB editor), but how about in the schematic editor?

What am I missing here?

Thanks,

Stacy

[bitfogav]

Hey Stacy,

Well if your using diptrace schematics then the way I would convert my schematics to a image is by clicking on the preview button:

111.jpg (21.25 KiB) Viewed 17822 times

Then click on the save button, this will save the schematics as an image:

222.jpg (18.74 KiB) Viewed 17822 times

Then you should get a box pop up like this to save the image:

333.jpg (14.72 KiB) Viewed 17822 times

There is probably an easier way than this but this is the way I found.

[sdudley]

Thanks bitfogav.

I also posted the question on the DipTrace forums and was given the same answer. Just not as well done as yours!

[brad]

Nice one bitfogav!