Creating custom PC Boards

[channelmaniac]

Is anyone interested in doing this?

 

I just pulled the trigger on 30 circuit boards for a Colecovision A/V mod based off of this circuit. The board came out to a hair over 1" by a hair under 1" in size and was laid out by using the EAGLE Layout Editor 5.2.0. It was trial and error to get the schmatic laid out and then the board laid out correctly. We'll find out in 3 weeks how the boards turn out.

 

I was thinking that if there were some hardware junkies out here that either have or wanted to create custom boards we could get a discussion going. I've learned a few things on the software and could offer some limited pointers on getting started and would like to learn more from folks that have used it more than I have.

 

The EAGLE software is freeware for non-commercial use. Since I'm commercial, I need to go pay for it. And why not... it's a good tool and seems to be worth it. You can download it from www.cadsoft.com if you want to give it a try.

 

RJ

Edited September 9, 2008 by channelmaniac

[+5-11under]

I used FreePCB (http://www.freepcb.com/) for my ColecoVision cartridges. It's likely not as powerful as Eagle, but for me, it was easier to get started in creating a layout. There's no schematic editor, so it's probably more suitable for smaller projects.

 

Where's the cheapest place to get PCBs made for fairly small double-sided boards in quantities of 2-20?

 

Thanks,

5-11under

[channelmaniac]

Dunno the cheapest. I was pointed to batchpcb.com.

 

We'll see how it all turns out in a couple of weeks.

[BigO]

I've laid out a few PCB's on glass with Chart-Pak tape and used the mask to expose photo-sensitive boards and etched them, cut apart and drilled them. While educational, that wasn't my idea of fun. CAD design and someone else etching the boards is more interesting at this point.

 

Anyway, I still have quite a bit of development to do before I reach the PCB stage of either of my two active projects, but I think I'll download Eagle and check it out.

 

Please keep us posted on your experience with batchpcb.com.

[BigO]

Slightly off topic:

Have any of you ever prototyped a PCB by cutting away the copper with a CNC mill? Something I thought about, but found it to be very tedious to write the code by hand, not having access to any CAM software. Anything that AutoCAD could help with? It's an old Bridgeport mill...don't recall which BOSS version off the top of my head.

[channelmaniac]

I haven't, so no idea. It sounds like it would be a bitch to troubleshoot for shorted traces though. If you were off by 1 ten thousands of an inch you'd have a whisker shorting you out.

 

I'll keep you posted on using batchpcb.com.

[channelmaniac]

I haven't, so no idea. It sounds like it would be a bitch to troubleshoot for shorted traces though. If you were off by 1 ten thousands of an inch you'd have a whisker shorting you out.

 

I'll keep you posted on using batchpcb.com.

 

I thought they'd send out an email or some kind of notification... but nope. I checked the website today and WOOHOO! It shows a tracking number and FedEx says I will have it tomorrow.

[a8maestro]

Hi,

 

I make a lot of pcbs for various projects.

 

For the more commercial stuff(boards aimed at the hobbyists to assemble themselves), I use Expresspcb. I find its features are more inline with the needs of very small commercial and hobbyist stuff(boards larger than 2 x 3 inches). There are a few features lacking, but it works very well. The fact that you can create all of the custom parts you want is fantastic. The three major orders I sent in came back as outstanding.

 

For simple prototyping, items that will need very few boards made, and tiny boards, I do them myself. Mostly with an object based graphics program. I iron on the reversed image using PNP Blue. One tiny board, 3/4" by 1.25" would have cost around $edit in 100 qty to have made. Doing them myself in batches of 20, they are about 85 cents.

 

EDIT:(14oct)I used the pcb program to re-compute the board cost, it is actually $2.90 each, batch of 50.

 

 

Double sided boards will always be harder to make.

 

Rick D.

Edited October 15, 2008 by a8maestro

[channelmaniac]

FedEx lost the package, but luckily the house on the next cul-de-sac over was the recipient and he brought it over that night.

 

They look great but I haven't had a chance to assemble one an mod a Colecovision to see how well the layout works.

 

I'll check ExpressPCB to see how their rates are as I need to build a couple of bigger items. $4 per board at 3/4 x 1 1/4 is expensive. BatchPCB.com is $2.50 per square inch. Perhaps you can change the layout a bit to shrink it? On the CV A/V board I laid the resistors out upright to shrink it down to less than a square inch.

 

Also, have you ever done surface mount boards through them? I'm wondering if an A/V mod for a 2600 can be built using SMT parts to where it can fit in the TIA socket. Just unplug the TIA, plug in the mod board, then plug the TIA into it.

 

I haven't had time to tinker but may install Eagle on my work laptop just so I can play around with that idea while out at a friend's ranch this weekend doing some hog hunting.

 

RJ

Edited October 14, 2008 by channelmaniac

[a8maestro]

I ran the board thru the program again, came out to about $2.90 ea in 50 lot. (double sided, solder mask, silkscreen, 10 day)

 

Everything on it is a smd device, except the db25 connector.

 

 

The boards I have had made are thru hole. Because they go into user assembled kits. Future projects include having smd boards made.

 

 

Rick.

Edited October 15, 2008 by a8maestro

[Atariman]

Ah, sweet! I just came across this thread and right when I was pondering doing a little PCB layout of my own. There are a few Atari pinball related projects I've had in mind along these lines and I'm thinking about restarting my little NES->Famicom project sometime in the near future (and would eventually need PCBs for that as well)

 

I never realized that Eagle was free for non-commercial use! Nifty!

[channelmaniac]

Ah, sweet! I just came across this thread and right when I was pondering doing a little PCB layout of my own. There are a few Atari pinball related projects I've had in mind along these lines and I'm thinking about restarting my little NES->Famicom project sometime in the near future (and would eventually need PCBs for that as well)

 

I never realized that Eagle was free for non-commercial use! Nifty!

 

Yup!

 

Even if you are using it for commercial use, it's pretty dang cheap too!

[klokwrkblu]

I used FreePCB (http://www.freepcb.com/) for my ColecoVision cartridges. It's likely not as powerful as Eagle, but for me, it was easier to get started in creating a layout. There's no schematic editor, so it's probably more suitable for smaller projects.

 

Where's the cheapest place to get PCBs made for fairly small double-sided boards in quantities of 2-20?

 

Thanks,

5-11under

 

 

 

I found FreePCB awkward ad frustrating to use. Is there one that works the same way as you should use photoshop or something more graphical?

[channelmaniac]

I used FreePCB (http://www.freepcb.com/) for my ColecoVision cartridges. It's likely not as powerful as Eagle, but for me, it was easier to get started in creating a layout. There's no schematic editor, so it's probably more suitable for smaller projects.

 

Where's the cheapest place to get PCBs made for fairly small double-sided boards in quantities of 2-20?

 

Thanks,

5-11under

 

 

 

I found FreePCB awkward ad frustrating to use. Is there one that works the same way as you should use photoshop or something more graphical?

 

Try Eagle. It took a bit to figure out what to use for a simple empty solder hole to connect wires to on the layout screen but once I got the hang of it, it was easy.

[circuitboardstogo]

I used FreePCB (http://www.freepcb.com/) for my ColecoVision cartridges. It's likely not as powerful as Eagle, but for me, it was easier to get started in creating a layout. There's no schematic editor, so it's probably more suitable for smaller projects.

 

Where's the cheapest place to get PCBs made for fairly small double-sided boards in quantities of 2-20?

 

Thanks,

5-11under

 

 

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[+Elliot]

double-sided boards

 

Circuit Boards To Go (http://www.circuitboardstogo.com)

• $1.99 to $2.40 per square inch
  
• Most orders shipped out in 1 or 2 days
  
• no set up fees
  
• 1 board or 10 boards
  
• flat rate shipping $4.99
  

 

 

Looky looky, a google crawling spammer that can't read.

[supercat]

Looky looky, a google crawling spammer that can't read.

 

Unless someone is on an amazingly tight budget, I see no reason to make single-sided boards. Double-sided with plated through-holes are the way to go. I'd also recommend solder mask, though some cheap proto services don't support it.