PCB Design
December 2018
After finalising projects on vero or protoboard for years, I figured improving my PCB design skills was something I should look into. I started with a classic circuit the astable multivibrator. The first test was to see if I could etch my design at home which ended up working perfectly.
The etched board with components and jumpers soldered on not the most glamorous solution.
The schematic and board were designed in eagle and exported as a pdf. I used the heat toner transfer method with a laser printer and some pcb transfer paper. The design was reversed in software and transferred to the copper with a clothes iron.
I made a quick case for the pcb in Fusion360 and slotted it in. I left a gap so the screw terminals were still accessible and named the terminals on the front plate
the next step was to see how it compares to a professionally made pcb I changed the board file to be double sided, added a logo on the back silkscreen and sent my files off.
After a few weeks my pcb's arrived and the looked fantastic.
I made a new case in Fusion 360 to look neater with no cutout for the screw terminals, but the top is a snug press fit allowing connecting/disconnecting wires. Over all this was a much more neater, hassle free and professional approach than etching my own at home but none the less the diy route is a useful skill to have.
