Difference between revisions of "Techniques"

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(Software Design Tool - silkscreen info.)
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(Some of this information in this table came from the [http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbcads.htm list of software design tools at the Massmind]).
 
(Some of this information in this table came from the [http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbcads.htm list of software design tools at the Massmind]).
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 +
A [http://sourceforge.net/search/?type_of_search=soft&words=schematic SourceForge search for "schematic"] lists dozens of tools.
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Other than the ones already listed above, what tools in that list are useful for open circuits?
  
 
Is there any way to objectively compare these tools?
 
Is there any way to objectively compare these tools?

Revision as of 11:20, 22 July 2008

There are a wide variety of techniques used in electronics.


Printed circuit board design/fabrication

Overview

Software Design

See Software Design Tools below.

Step by Step by using Software Design Tool

  • Format and shape of PCB are conformed.
  • Via size and location are conformed.
  • Fixed location item are placed on suitable place.
  • A one-first PCB silk layout is made.
  • All item get enough clearance between them.
  • All vias get enough size to install them components.
  • Make sure no wrong footprint is created.
  • PCB is drew.
  • silkscreen adding the following:
    • version no.
    • organization name
    • board name
  • Netlist is ran and got a no error result.
  • DRC is ran and got a no error result.
  • Location of item is reasonable.
  • All items are put on to a hard copy of PCB.
  • Overall is checked.

And then the Gerbers are sent to a PCB Manufacturers.

Manual Design

Somepeople do this with layout on clear film or by directly drawing on a circuit board, of even by scratching, grinding.... For now let them google this.

Homebrew fabrication

Commercial PCB fabrication

Circuit construction (Prototyping - Other than custom PCB)

["Construction Ideas"] has nice photographs of the above circuit construction techniques.

Soldering techniques

(Have you seen this CNC solder paste/pick n place ?)

Hardware tools

A directory of hardware tools that you may find useful.

Software design tools

Some people still build circuits without ever using any software tools. For complicated circuits, software design tools can save a lot of time.

Here we list "suites" that combine schematic capture, component editor for the components used in schematic capture, circuit simulation, PCB layout, autorouter, and footprint editor for the footprints used in PCB layout. (Is there another place for listing stand-alone tools such as a switching power supply "wizard" and a RF analysis tool?)

Quite often people mix-and-match tools -- using a schematic capture from one suite to generate pretty schematics and a netlist, then importing the netlist a third party Specctra autorouter, then importing the result into a PCB layout program from another suite for the final manual clean-up and design rule checking.

In no particular order:

Name Platform License AutoRouter Comments
Liquid PCB Linux, Win32 GPL no Liquid PCB wiki at SourceForge Liquid PCB is a computer aided design application for designing printed circuit boards. You are not restricted to straight tracks and 45º angles, you can draw tracks any way you like. The tracks will move and bend as required to maintain your design rules. It is open source, and still in the Alpha stage.
gEDA Linux, *BSD Free, OSS autorouter gEDA wiki includes schematic and PCB for makeing gerbers etc...
McCAD EDS Lite MacOSX, Win32 Free demo max 200 pin autorouter Free demo version available for download, 200 pin limit
McCAD EDS SE MacOSX, Win32 "free"? autorouter Free with book, "Apple I Replica Creation". Supports 750 pins, 11"x17" sheet size, 6-8 data layers. <tangent>(any useful tips in this book for those who want to build a CPU from scratch?) <reply>No, there are not. The book is more entry-level. - Tom Owad</reply></tangent>
FreePCB Win32 GPL can use FreeRoute PCB Design Software
TinyCAD Win32 LGPL n/a Schematic Drawing Software
KiCad BSD, Linux, MacOSX, Win32 GPL autorouter http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/ EDA suite ; KiCad wiki
Express SCH/PCB Win32 Free use crippleware ? ExpressPCB's propietatary free schematic capture & PCB layout designer locking you to use ExpressPCB for manufacture explicitly. Manufacture in 3 business days of two boards for ~100 USD.
Protel DXP Win32 autorouter independent Protel users FAQ
Eagle Eagle Links Win32, Linux Free use crippleware ( Russ Hensel says>> ) I have been kicking around as a hobbyist for a while and Eagle seems to be the main hobbyist circuit/pcb cad program. It supports schematics and board layout with an auto-router. The free version can easily support 2 dual op amps with wide traces and a one sided board. There is quite a lot of info on the Internet and many projects supply eagle files. There is also a $125 non profit version supporting larger boards. It then gets expensive. Eagle is not really easy to learn: cut for it would be copy in almost any other program. It probably deserves a page or more of its own. ( << end RH )
http://cadsoft.de/
Eagle tutorial from Sparkfun
Eagle tutorial (makezine)
DipTrace Crippleware 250-pin Freeware or Purchase more advanced versions
WinQcad Crippleware Demo with max 499 pins available for download
Rimu Schematic and Rimu PCB Win32 Payware Schematic & PCB design for MS-Windows
SuperCAD and SuperPCB Win32 Mental Automation schematic & PCB for MS-Windows
autotraxeda.com AUTOTraxEDA needs MS-NT, won't work on MS-W98/ME. User forums have shown a certain lack of satisfaction with the program.
holophase.com/dleval Win32 Crippleware Circad's DOS version is free for non-commercial use.
geda.seul.org BSD, Linux, MacOSX, Win32 GPL autorouter xNIX Electronic Design Automation project has Schematic capture with PCB CAD.
vutrax.co.uk/pricing Win32 autorouter Vutrax for MS-Windows. Free for under 256 component pins.
interactiv.com Electronic Workbench, 400 USD for 500 pins. Includes schematic capture and simulation, virtual instruments and PCB layout. Said to be stable.
Harry Eaton's PCB BSD?, Linux?, MacOSX?, Win32 GPL autorouter PCB design program which can work under any POSIX compliant operating system like Linux (or BSD under API compability layer). Have Gerber and PostScript output options.
labcenter.co.uk They have a lite version "PIC bundle" ~149 USD includes schematic + simulation + pcb layout. You can write pic code for your pic schematic design and simulate. Even multi-pic, keypad, lcd display. Right now it can only simulate PIC16x83, PIC16x84 (lite version limited to 1k program code). Working on more pic modules. Will not produce Gerber or Excellion drill files. Only dxf, bmp, hpgl, tiff output (not sufficient!).
ivex.com Payware Winboard PCB Layout, now calcentron.com.
illuminated.com.au Linux, Win32, DOS Draftcad, Schematic Capture and PCB Design
winqcad.com Win32, Linux+Wine MicroCad

(Some of this information in this table came from the list of software design tools at the Massmind).

A SourceForge search for "schematic" lists dozens of tools. Other than the ones already listed above, what tools in that list are useful for open circuits?

Is there any way to objectively compare these tools? How well did they do at the PCB Top Gun contest ?

PC-Microcontroller Communications

Discussion of the various methods to connect a microcontroller or embedded system to a PC.

Embedded System Programming and Testing

To add to the confusion programming in embedded system can mean a person writing a program or a device called a programmer "burning" a program into a chip. This section is for the "burning" meaning of programming.

  • Many systems use JTAG for programming and testing. (Such as Atmel AVR embedded systems]).
  • Other systems use some other kind of in-circuit programming.
  • Some people use bootloaders to make re-programming a little quicker.

-- not sure that this next one is not misplaced ? -- We're talking about "programming and testing" ? What else do you use to test op-amp circuits?

Humans writing a program almost always do it in a language. Here is a section that discusses some of these languages: Programming Languages

Enclosure

  • The Earth Signal should short to whole metal Case
  • Digital/Analog GND should separate to this Earth Signal, and should connect a Y-cap. to filter the noise between them.
  • Attention: do not place near between Earth Signal and Digital/Analog GND, otherwise some spark come out, and affect your whole system.

Further Reading

Environmental Issues

see better for the environment.

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