This instructable outlines the process of creating a printed circuit board (PCB) from scratch. It begins with creating or finding a circuit diagram, which can be found online or created by hand. The circuit schematic design is then drawn using a preferred PCB design software. The PCB layout is then prepared using Gerber files and sent to a prototype manufacturer.
There are three basic methods for making a PCB: iron on glossy paper method, circuit by hand on PCB, and laser cutting edge etching. To create a PCB, one must first choose a processor or other components for the board. Then, a printout of the circuit board layout is taken using a laser printer. The copper plate for the circuit board is cut, and the PCB print is transferred onto it.
The PCB is then printed using a software tool such as Eagle or KiCAD. The toner is ensured to be compatible with the chosen software. The schematic diagram is then drawn into the chosen software, such as EasyEDA.
The process of creating a PCB from scratch involves several steps, including taking a printout of the circuit board layout, cutting the copper plate for the circuit board, and transferring the PCB print onto the copper plate. The PCB is then printed on a special transfer paper using a laser printer.
In conclusion, creating a PCB from scratch is a rewarding and cost-effective process that requires careful planning and preparation. By following these steps, you can create a fully optimized PCB that meets your specific needs and requirements.
📹 PCB Creation for Beginners – Start to finish tutorial in 10 minutes
Can I learn PCB design on my own?
To become a PCB designer, one must learn to use CAD tools. Open-source software is suitable for early learners, but professional settings require more powerful tools. Altium Education offers free licenses and training resources for advanced industry-level courses like CID or PCE-EDU. The future of electronic design is bright, with the need to design current and evolving technologies like IoT. However, the pool of experienced designers and manufacturing personnel is shrinking as many designers approach retirement age.
If you have a passion for creating things and making them work, laying out printed circuit board designs may be what you are looking for. Altium Designer® is the industry’s most popular PCB design software application, designed for PCB engineers and designers to create world-class designs. The software helps with all aspects of design and offers training to help you hit the ground running.
In summary, the future of PCB design is promising, with the need for skilled designers and the increasing demand for IoT-based electronics. Altium Designer® is a popular choice for those interested in this career.
Is learning PCB worth it?
The technology industry is increasingly utilizing printed circuit boards (PCBs) in various products such as IoT, EVs, drones, and AI-powered devices. Despite advancements in technology, the fundamentals of electronics and electrical engineering remain unchanged. Learning PCB design is crucial for professional success and growth. Altium PCB Design is an excellent tool for designing PCBs for projects, allowing users to convert their breadboard circuits into finished products or prototypes. Best wishes for success and growth in the field.
What is the rule of thumb for PCB layout?
To simplify assembly and inspection of electronic components, it is recommended to divide components into rows and columns, orienting them uniformly. Polarized components, such as electrolytic and tantalum capacitors or diodes, should be oriented in the same direction, indicating their polarity on the silkscreen. A good rule of thumb is to keep a space of at least 40mil between components and the edge of the PCB.
Avoid placing components in close proximity to through-hole terminals on the solder side. Surface mount components should be placed on the same side of the board, while through-hole components should be placed on the top side for simplified assembly.
Is PCB design easy to learn?
The acquisition of proficiency in printed circuit board (PCB) design is a process that necessitates a substantial investment of time, effort, and dedication. It is recommended that one first master the fundamentals of electronics and then progress to the design of printed circuit boards. It is essential to gain familiarity with the software tools utilized in the field and to engage in regular practice in order to enhance one’s abilities. These recommendations can facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills at a faster rate, ultimately leading to the attainment of proficiency in the field of printed circuit board (PCB) design.
Is it hard to design your own PCB?
Designing your own printed circuit board (PCB) is an affordable and effective way to create a proof of concept or a high-quality finish. PCBs offer advantages such as mass production, consistency, increased component and circuit density, and the ability to add your own logo. Signal traces can be run closer together and around the board, making them more reliable. Additionally, you can add features like copper-pour for ground plane creation or reduce interference around components.
A finished PCB gives your project credibility and makes it easier to present a finished and tidy circuit board. PCB Creator, a free software program provided by Bay Area Circuits, is a popular choice for creating schematics and PCBs.
Is PCB layout hard?
The acquisition of proficiency in printed circuit board (PCB) design is a process that necessitates a substantial investment of time, effort, and dedication. It is recommended that one first master the fundamentals of electronics and then progress to the design of printed circuit boards. It is essential to gain familiarity with the software tools utilized in the field and to engage in regular practice in order to enhance one’s abilities. These recommendations can facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills at a faster rate, ultimately leading to the attainment of proficiency in the field of printed circuit board (PCB) design.
Is PCB design worth learning?
Learning PCB design offers a comprehensive understanding of the entire design process, from schematic capture to layout design. This hands-on experience helps professionals gain industry-standard design tools and techniques. The advantages of learning PCB design include career growth, efficiency, and quality. It provides versatility in job roles, cost and time efficiency benefits, improved product performance and reliability, and the acquisition of industry-relevant skills.
In today’s technology-driven world, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design plays a crucial role in the development of electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and medical devices. This article explores these advantages from both commercial and employment perspectives.
How do I organize my PCB layout?
To ensure smooth PCB layouts, follow these 8 techniques:
- Verify the schematic before starting the layout.
- Group components by function to avoid noise interference and manage return paths.
- Place components away from heat-dissipating areas and board-to-wire connectors near the edge for easy access and organization.
- Standardize component placement by providing complete and detailed documentation to the manufacturer, including assembly drawings, Gerber files, and board information in standardized file formats.
In summary, these techniques help ensure smooth PCB layouts.
Is PCB design difficult?
PCB design is increasingly challenging due to the limitations imposed by physics on signal propagation, heat dissipation, and component interaction in electronic devices. Mastering the balance between complexity, cost, and integration is crucial for creating electronic marvels. Tools that enable constraint management and simulation of scenarios help navigate the landscape of modern PCB design. Ralph, Product Manager for High-speed Design Systems at the Zuken EMC Technology Center, has 30 years of experience in Electronics and EDA, and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He is also involved in European Funding project and standardization activities.
📹 DIY PCBs At Home (Single Sided Presensitized)
Learn to fabricate Single Sided PCBs at home! Prototype PCB fabrication is one of the essential skills you must learn in …
Please wear latex gloves and wear protective goggles when dealing with these chemicals. For this article, I ran out of gloves at the moment due to the massive shortage of medical supplies due to the COVID19 pandemic. Lye (developing solution) can be corrosive to human tissue, for this project, the concentration of lye is quite low. I washed my hands thoroughly after getting exposed to it. Ferric Chloride on the other hand barely has an effect to human skin, but it does leave a stain on everything when not immediately rinsed with water. Stay safe fam!
Brings back memories. Back in 1985, we technicians were making our own boards for all sorts of stuff. One of my pet projects was making a PAY TV decoder. I designed it so that it decoded the article line by line rather than the standard frame by frame method. Thus there was no need for a PLL ( phase-locked loop) circuit. It was powered by 12 vdc, and it only pulled about 12 mA, and the board was only 1.5 inch by 4.5 inch. So you just installed it inside your TV converter by tapping the converter’s 12 vdc power line, and then cut the article connection that connected the RF demodulator to the RF modulator, and then feed these wires to the tiny decoder board. And that was it. You now had a PAY TV decoder. It decoded all the PAY websites, and did so instantly, since there was no PLL delay. Meanwhile, the engineers used the standard method that required tons of IC’s and other components, and it therefore pulled plenty of current, so it needed its own power supply, and of course it needed its own box as well. That costs money. Mine, only had three IC’s, MC4013, MC14538, and an LM393, plus a few transistors, diodes, etc. So making just one, cost about $5.00 total. Those days were fun indeed.
Overall a good tutorial. Just 3 remarks. 1) There is a easier/better way to cut PCB material that also works with glass-fiber and double sided material. Score BOTH sides 2 to 4 times with the sharp side of your blade, then snap. 2) Temperature is important for development and etching. Do both “au bain marie” in a tub of hot water, to get around 30C – 40C. You may find you get better results and the chemicals can literally last years. Years? yes. My etching machine holds about 2 liters Ferric Chloride. The same Ferric Chloride has been in there for over 10 years and was used to etch almost 2 square meters worth of double sided PCB material. I add Hydrochloric acid to compensate for evaporation and keep the solution active, even though there is now a lot of copper in there. 3) Please be safe, pure Ferric Chloride only stains HOWEVER the Copper Ferric Chloride mixture you get after etching is rather poisonous.
One tip is to leave as much copper on the board as possible, and only etch the spaces between the traces. Usually there is an option in the PCB software like “create ground plane”. First, this reduces the amount of etching required significantly, extending the life of your solution. Second, you will have more uniform etching, since there are no areas that get exposed to bare etchant for a long time. Third, you’ll have a ground plane to help reduce interference and make your trace impedance more consistent (important for high frequency or timing sensitive applications).
This is my preferred method of building PCBs too. I use transparent sticker paper instead of the paper and oil. It’s too messy 🙂 The transparent sheets are think and stick to the PCB thereby reducing the gap between the film and the PCB. The lines are more defined with this and I was able to get clearances as low as 0.3mm and track widths of 0.25mm with this.
You should swap the paper with a Overhead Transparent sheet, then the PCB traces will not have all the inperfections that your resulting PCB has. (pixelation and small holes.) Print the pattern Mirrord, so the printed side is turned with the printed side against the Photo-resist dirrectly to reduce bluring of the edges of the traces.
Thank you! This was very helpful. Did everything as suggested. Printed my designed circuit on A4 plain paper with laser printer. Did some testings to find the right recipe for my conditions and I found that paint on paper are tend to blur after contacting with cooking oil, so I used spray varnish to protect my paper circuit before applying cooking oil. This worked perfectly.
Personally I recommend spraying the PCB with a solder-through lacquer, especially if it’s not being used immediately. In the longer run, it helps prevent corrosion. Alternatively spray the track side (on single sided PCBs) after installing components and making sure any flux is cleaned off. I also score both sides of the board before snapping (and I use the sharp side of the blade). I’ve also been able to snap-break glass fibre boards that way. Also, I’d recommend using tungsten carbide bits for drilling PCBs as the standard hss types tend to blunt very quickly, especially with glass fibre.That can matter for accuracy when drills become dull.
It is best to use an inkjet printer (HP is best I have found) with inkjet transparencies for the artwork. This will significantly improve your line edges. (Laser printers don’t have the black density necessary for this process.) Also, a much higher power UV lamp lets you finish the exposure in less than a minute, which also helps reduce undercut. (I use a 400 watt mercury vapor street light with the outer envelope removed) With this procedure I regularly do 15 mil traces with no breaks and clean edges.
Wait, what if you used a resin based 3d printer, that uses uv backlight.. and put your pattern on the lcd…. ? Best case scenario you just upload your PCB design into your machine turn it on for an hour and it works, worst case scenario the Fidelity of the exposure gives you individual pixels on your board… I’m kind of leaning towards the latter but still be interesting to try
My goal is to identify the functions of the devices in a given circuit diagram? Or spoken more general. How can I lean this general skill? When do I see a random circuit diagram that I can recognize the devices and their functions? What is the best strategy to acquire this skill? Do you know good information recourses specially designated to acquire this skill? I do not want to handcraft things on my own and I do not want to study at a university to acquire a bachelor’s degree in electrotechnology. I just want to be able to read more or less the circuit diagram. Thank you in advance
Ferric chloride etching can be significantly sped up (3-4 minutes) by heating the solution. I usually put it in a cooking glass container on the stove and heat it on the lowest setting, while agitating the solution and board with a stick. Toner transfer can yield same results and much cheaper. I made quite a few SMD boards with close traces (QFP32) and even one double sided board (even though I admit the alignment was tricky and got it on the second try).
Awesome tutorial! However I would suggest that people not think of lye as “a mild soap.” It becomes soap when it dissolves lipids and proteins. If it feels soapy guess where those lipids came from? Also keep the solution in HDPE plastic (number 2) or glass preferably, and never anything aluminum. You might not even notice that you’ve burned yourself with it for several hours.
Anyone working with lye aka sodium hydroxide should have some household vinegar nearby and handy. If youve seen Fight Club when tyler kisses ed nortens hand and dumps lye onto that hand giving him a chemical burn. He tells norton if he runs his hand under water itll just make it worse or he can have vinegar and neutralize the lye. Yup sometimes movies are helpful
Both of the etchants you listed are harmful, and neither of them are safe for skin contact. If you’re worried about the harzzards involved with those solutions, you might try vinegar, salt, and hydrogen peroxide solution (50% vinegar 50% hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) by volume, and use normal table salt for a catelist, it’s much easier to neutralize (just add baking soda) much more environmentally safe, and safer for handling. Etching times are slightly longer.
double sided works well too, just tape the topside acrylic transparency to the underside by one edge, fit a double sided PCB inside and expose. remember to have the printed side closest to the copper, then theres less or no diffraction errors from the light box. use the pads to align both layers then tape. as long as tph pads are big enough to allow for slight misalignment, should be golden. we used this method for small scale commercial prototyping late 90s, the benefit is you can make a prototype PCB in hours. from CAD to construction. using a proper PCB production company takes a day or two, depending if theres a local one.
So, admittedly, this is pretty cool. How about the pricing? If I buy the chemicals, boards, etc., and manufacture a board (I don’t know in what quantities these chemicals are sold or what they cost), can it compete with major providers like PCBway, RayPCB, or JlcPCB in terms of price? Or am I paying a significant amount extra just for the ‘Do it Yourself’ aspect?
Thank you, liked and subscribed. I’ve done my fair bit of PCBs with the various DIY methods. But to me it no longer makes sense (unless you do it for the fun of it). You can get double sided with solder mask and silks for just a few tens of EURs from China in about week, even cheaper when they are on sale. Just do a CAD design and upload the gerbers and a week later DHL brings a professional quality PCB or five on your doorstep. Considering all the things you need produce a single sided PCB at home and the effort involved it is faster and cheaper to get a board professionally made. I’m not saying one should not do DIY PCB, but if speed, price and quality are the only concerns, go for JLCPCB or PCB-Express or some such China outfit.
Are you sure there isn’t some hydroquinone in with that lye? A caustic developer using those two chemicals (hydroquinone is a developing agent, and the lye a super-potent accelerator, used to provide either black or clear image, with no “shades of gray” between them, i.e. Kodalith). Photo-sensitive PCB has been available since at least the early 1960s, but that’s as far back as my memory goes on this, so it may have been available prior to that. I have no experience with it, though — I used a “resist pen” (IIRC a paint tube with a ball point) for my (relatively crude, but this was pre-IC era, let alone pre-LSI era!) work. So, I can’t really say what was used in the developers.
Great explainer! If you use a small sponge to wipe the board while in solution, you will cut etching time to 5 min – covered In solution, small bubbles form on the surface of the board excluding enchant. you can agitate or blow air bubbles with a fish tank air pump, they don’t help. the sponge method uses probably 1/4 of the etchant you’re using because you don’t cover the board, you just keep dipping it and sponging it off, and you have much finer control of the process. Ferric chloride has no VOCs, Does not combust and is used in water sanitation plants as a chelator., lie goes down the drain every day, so you can be sure the etchant does no harm to the environment.
What I want is the same on the screen as what I can do on paper by hand. A Black screen, grid of white dots at 0.1 inch spaced. A selection of pads I can visually see to drag and drop. NO pull down lists of component types I dont understand what I have to select. NO scimatic drawing or net lists beforehand. Manual track drawing with NO CAD type assignment of features, What I see is what will print out. Only 2 layers. I used to have this at college called Boardmaker on the PC 386 in DOS. It fitted on a single floppy disc. Boardmaker 2 needed a dongle, now obsolete. People who are dyslexic or have other problems where they just want to get on and draw what they need directly on the screen from an all visual pallet. now have no viable options. More people than you think need a less advanced option. I can design a PCB using pencil rubbing transfers faster than I can with any software available today. I do not have the time to figure out how to use anyones complicated program, I just want to get on and draw what I need. Bring back Boardmaker 1
I found the contrast ratio between traces and oiled paper is not sufficient to produce good quality PCBs, I am amazed at the quality you appear to be achieving, are you using laser printer paper?. The poor contrast ratio make it tricky to select the correct development time. I have used transparent film and an inkjet HP printer to print photo masters, but even this is not perfect, as the ink is slightly transparent to UV.Both methods suffer from the granulation in the ink density I am told that Cannon and Epson printers work better, but it is more to do with the chemistry of the ink they use than the printer. The latest models use an ink chemistry that is not as good for this application than the older models. The clue is if the printers are specified to be able to write on cell film as well as paper. A feature that is now more difficult to find. Unlike the HP printers, the Cannon and Epson ink jet printers suffer from potential blocked print heads that brick the printer, if not used regularly. In the case of the early HP printers, the print head is part of the ink cartridge, and thus do not suffer from this problem. Laser ink is carbon based and is opaque to UV, but examination under a microscope shows the ink coverage is not solid, but a fine speckled surface with tiny holes between the black particles. I always use the max print density, but double passing of the print medium is not possible, due to obtaining good alignment between passes. I have been looking for a flatbed printer that would allow the resist ink to be printed directly on the bare PCB.
You should make one on piggy backing ps4 ram chips woth a flex cable that you can sandwich the ram chips together on one end dual headed front and back or side by side whatever is easier then the other end of the flex cable solder to the ps4 ram slot on the motherboard…. Maybe it will work like the og xbox?
Great content and explanation, very effective, thanks a lot. Any suggestion or recommendation to do at home those carbon contacts on pcb suitable for those flexible push buttons? I thought drawing some traces closer to be recovered with carbon (graphite or some sort) to use as contact area for buttons but no idea how to do this last step. Any suggestion is welcomed. Keep the good work!
Sir i tried using inkjet and acetate and works fine..problem is when developing it, the uv paint melts easily..what is the mixture of water to developer do you suggest? I ruined almost 60% of the boards I made due to this melting issue.. also what is the timer and Uv light distance do you suggest?farther or nearer to source?
Ok. I did try this. Took a few attempts but got it working. Here’s my advice: I use a 4x8W UV lamps exposure unit at a distance of about 10 cm. It takes 10 minutes (anywhere between 8 and 12) to get proper exposure I oiled the paper separately, dried it off and then put it on the board. Way less messy to clean up later, it only takes some water and a drop of dish soap I used 6g of sodium hydroxide in half a liter (500mL) of water and it worked very well by leaving it in there a bit, agitating it with a brush. I think it got saturated though, as I needed to redo the solution midway. Maybe a liter would be the better choice I used a 1:1 ratio of ferric chloride and hot water to etch. This saves some time and cuts costs of etching I got very good results using 0.762mm traces, perfect definition this way. I think I could go down to 0.254mm if I wanted to, the results were that good Overall this was a great article to learn basics, I just needed to perfect my method
One thing worth noting: the way they make soap is by mixing lye with some sort of oil. If, when you’re done, you put a tablespoon or so of veggie oil into your leftover solution, it’ll help neutralize it further. Make sure you put the oil in after you’re done, and also you totally don’t need to do this, only if you’re super paranoid (it’s me, i’m super paranoid)
hello from Alberta Canada Eh It would be nice if you included A part diagram on the opposite side so you know where to place the components like a schematice. If you decide to do this and upgrade or add this to your article please let me know. Otherwise was really great perusal and learning how to do this! George
excellent vid man / will try this as looks relatively easy, I’m getting into guitar pedal building, have built a few kits and saved a few hundred euro’s so far,hope to design a overdrive and use this process as seems the easiest to ptotype boards . so thanks, hope the overdrive be as good this idea.
I managed to make .008 inch (0.2032mm) traces pretty reliably with similar technique, except I sprayed Positive 20 photoresist on polished FR4 PCB, using inkjet printer with the color cartridge filled with all black ink, set to high resolution photo and and photo paper settings, but I actually used normal paper instead of photo paper. 😀 That was achieved with my old HP Deskjet F2480 printer, and regular 80g/m2 paper, and cooking oil to make it transparent, as you mentioned. Now I bought a new pigment based (HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 3775) inkjet printer, and high quality 90g/m2 Xerox Colotech+ paper, which has smooth surface, and it actually gets more transparent when the oil is applied. I bet it’s gonna be even more reliable once I perfect the method, although the old printer really soaked the paper with ink making it really black, this new one, does not even at high resolution photo settings although it looks even blacker then with the old printer, it’s kinda transparent black(which is not good)… I’m thinking if I can’t make it work with the new pigment ink, I’m gonna experiment with mixing pigment based, and dye based ink to get the blackness I need to achieve even though it may ruin the cartridge.
I’ve been doing this for years (thanks for the baby oil trick). I use shears to cut the PCB, and I think the sand paper is not even an alternative for photoresin removal. Since a few years back, I am using online PCB services… they are relatively quick and I can have a few PCB done for very little money.
Interesting method with the paper and baby oil. I would just use a transparency, but whatever works for you. I personally use toner transfer paper, and it works very well when you don’t have a ground plane, however very difficult when you have a ground plan and photo resist is probably best. Also for the young players, you can buy photoresist solution to add to regular copper. When etching, I bought a cheapo stir plate/heater combo which works great. Heating the FeCl to about 100-110F makes the etching process go a lot faster. I also wear a respirator (not just a “mask”) as FeCl tends to produce irritating fumes when heated a bit. Note, for drilling he says “8mm” when of course, it’s 0.8mm. If you have a drill press, use that, otherwise you’re going to really go through the breaking of drill bits.
Nice tips, but please, do not prepare chemical solutions in bottles which looks like regular drinking water. Its super dangerous. My schoolmate almost died because similar issue. And wear gloves for taking it out from solution – especially its important when you teaching others and making tutorials. Those habits should be good from the start.
Watching this I noticed countless things that would make the process better. But then I realized that you are showing the most basic and simple way. One thing that I have learned about cutting the PCB is that a good heavy duty pair of scissors does the job surprisingly well. You might be worried about ruining the scissors. If you are you can buy a cheap pair just for the job.Thicker PCB would be a challenge for scissors but the thin ones like you made are not a problem.
to be frank, nowadays almost all hobbyists go for breadboard, use several meters of flimsy patch cables, and then the ‘built’ contraption finally looks like a bush and not an electronic project.. and the worst part is when they let this temporary protototype be the final solution… aww . 😟😭 I have seen breadboard implementations built into frames, enclosures as final… it hurts… so it is really good to see that you created this thorough educational article on how it is PROPERLY done! 👍
Did you really suggest that NaOH is “just like soap”? It’s a component in soap yes, but so are the oils. When I pour NaOH crystals into a plastic bottle of water as you showed, I get an exothermic reaction and a powerful lye solution that will easily ‘melt’ the plastic bottle. So .. I’m guessing you weren’t referring to NaOH .. but then .. what DID you use?
There is a third way of removing the etch resist left on the board, a strong base will strip it just fine without all the acetone vapours. And since I already mix my own developer (using drain cleaner (the NaHO kind)) it is readily available to me. Just be careful with the solution as it more concentrated than the development solution
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Good article, many people dont know this method. But i have one suggestion. If you want better resulst aspecially with thin traces try to use transparent foil for inject printer. I use this methode for several years and results are much better than plain paper. If you use transparent foil you need to reduce UV expositure time. In my case max 2 minutes will work. I use nail polis UV light.
Double sided pcb making article much needed. I have tried number of times to make double sided pcb but I always face 2 problems. 1. The top holes does not match with the bottom ones. 2. I always need the pth feature but there is no way i can get pcb rivets of less than 1 mm and that too cheap. Please consider my problem
Hi so I want to make something for my gf and idk what to use can you help? Basically if you’ve used a Bluetooth speaker there’s an Audrino or something and a rechargeable battery. I want something like that but not for music just a little thing that can have an led and be rechargeable. Oh and to mention a switch to turn it in and off.