The topic of HOME BREW PCBs is a very broad
stroke? of expense and techniques .
I learned a lot from home brewing electronics and
got as far as learning how to make the GERBER files
that we send off to the fabrication houses to
mail order 50 PCBs for $50.
But
sticking to HOME brewing.......
as a ham radio operator I always tried to make
certain that I did not scare off the kids.... parents....? by
demanding
they invest in expensive toys for the hobby of
ham radio.
Sure... some parents CAN blow a wad on the hobby
but way too many kids I met while doing the Mr Wizard types of
science of radio shows for the kids in
the Franklin Institute Science Museum.... for two
years.....?????????? way too many kids were pretty much screwed
out of an education that actually exposed them
to the hobby of electronics. Their school STEM
and STEAM programs were woefully limited to crap science.
I remember one particular program that I thought
was absolutely mind blowing where they spent $50 on
???? computer interfaces to
play bananas as piano tones.
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
I learned that a $3.50 ARDUINO can be set up to
be a capacitive sensor and I could accomplish the same banana
touch and tones.
Example ARDUINO instructions below.
So... back to HOME BREW PCBs....????? I always
tried to figure out how to get the most done with the least cost
to the parents
so we could inspire the children and they
actually have a chance their parents would blow a few bucks on
ham radio electronics and DIY tinkering projects.
Printing PCBs is a great way to show newbies they
don't have to be investing a lot into the hobby to have some
great results.
We had a big push for Manhatten crazy glue pads?
and ISLANDER donuts drilled with a tile saw and MUPPET .. and
etc......
but it really did boil down do nothing beats
etching a batch of PCBs on the kitchen table and hand them out
like playing cards.
?
#include <CapacitiveSensor.h>
/*
?* CapitiveSense Library Demo Sketch * Paul Badger 2008
?* Uses a high value resistor e.g. 10M between send pin and
receive pin
?* Resistor effects sensitivity, experiment with values, 50K -
50M. Larger resistor values yield larger sensor values.
?* Receive pin is the sensor pin - try different amounts of
foil/metal on this pin
?*/
//## 10M resistor between pins 4 & 2, pin 2 is sensor pin,
add a wire and or foil if desired
//## pin 4 can be shared across multiple sensors?
//## additional capacitors..... 100pF from sensor to ground and?
20 to 400 pf in parallel with body capctnc
CapacitiveSensor?? cs4a2 = CapacitiveSensor(4,2);
void setup()???????????????????
{
?? cs4a2.set_CS_AutocaL_Millis(0xFFFFFFFF);???? // turn off
autocalibrate on channel 1 - just as an example
?? Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop()???????????????????
{
??? long start = millis();
??? long total1 =? cs4a2.capacitiveSensor(30);
???
??? Serial.print(millis() - start);??????? // check on
performance in milliseconds
??? Serial.print("\t");??????????????????? // tab character for
debug windown spacing
??? Serial.println(total1);??????????????? // print sensor
output 3
??? delay(10);???????????????????????????? // arbitrary delay to
limit data to serial port
}
On 07/25/2020 10:59 PM, Harvey White
wrote:
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Rob and I do boards differently.? Some of the designs I did
were 100 pin chips with 0.65 or 0.5 mm pin spacing, toner
transfer.? You'll need a very good drill/drill press, a good
laminator, a decent laser printer, and a PCB design program.?
This because the boards are complex enough to need them.?
Complexity of the boards is an important factor.? I used a
mixture of SMD and through hole, with 0805 and 1206 parts,
depending.? It very very much depend on what you want to do and
how much effort you want to put into it.? Home processes have
limitations.? Some people have done plated through holes, and I
admire their dedication.? It became easier for me to have boards
made.?
That doesn't mean that making your own boards is a waste of
time.? Just, to me, that past a certain level of complexity,
type of part and so on, it makes more sense to have someone else
make the boards.? You're still designing them, then.
and I do agree, the main question is "what do you want to
make?"
all the questions devolve from there.
Harvey
On 7/25/2020 10:40 PM, Rob via
groups.io wrote:
YES
I agree with Harvey slamming out the BIG list of
questions......
To Davethetechman .......
It really starts with you answering the ONE question of WHAT
you want to make.
You can? HOME BREW PCBS with a very bare minimum of technical
software, expensive chemicals, and specialty equipment
OR
go can go full throttle with all sorts of professional
expenditures because your target PCB is for something with
extremely tiny SMD ships with 144 pins.
Do you want to use THROUGH HOLE PART or SMD?
If THROUGH HOLE then you can manually draw a schematic on
copper clad board with a permanent marker and 10 minutes later
etch a PCB.
If SMD then you can do the same but have to have a good eye
and steady hand.
And then
there's all sorts of CAD programmer to help you... but you
may not need CAD.
I have made more than 100 PCBs and I have not yet used ANY
EAGLE or any other CAD program.
Rob
On 07/25/2020 09:30 PM, Harvey
White wrote:
Nope.? Don't do videos.
Now questions:
1) designing what?? Digital?? Analog?? RF??
2) what level of complexity?? Do you need 1 layer, 2 layer,
or 4 layer boards?
3) do you intend to produce these boards yourself? (it
makes a difference in how you design them).
4) how big are they (can make a difference in either
cost/who makes it or design/what program you use)?
5) what program do you use?
6) have you any experience with PC board design?
7) what level of hardware debug do you want to put into the
boards (test points?? test pads?? logic analyzer breakouts??
ground posts?)
8) what kind of facilities do you have to make PC boards?
9) have you done any of this before?
10) what level (roughly) in electronics design are you
comfortable with?? beginner?? what?
All of these things have a bearing on *how* you design
something, what design you come up with, how many copies
you'll need before you get one that works (know that
one.....), and whether or not you can make the board
yourself.
I know this may sound
complicated, but answers to some of these help others to
gauge where you are in experience, and what you need to know
(IMHO, of course).
For me: (roughly)
1) designing:? Digital,? Analog.? Have done 100 pin
flatpacks. (self built), do 144 pin flatpacks when someone
else builds them).
2) I do double sided, plated through holes, silk screen,
but that's not me making them.? Have done toner transfer,
10 mil trace, 10 mil spacing, double sided, wire stitch
top and bottom layers, tin/lead plated boards.
3) do you intend to produce these boards yourself? (it
makes a difference in how you design them).
4) no bigger than 100 cm * 100 cm because of the board
house limitations for cheap?
5) EAGLE 7.7, hobby (6 x 4 inch) license, can't sell the
boards.?
6) by this time?? a fair amount, can always learn more
7) logic analyzer breakouts for digital, pin headers for
some signals, some test pads, ground connectors, monitor
leds
8) used to make double sided boards, not plated through,
designs got too complicated for me to make
9) lots
10) not beginner in digital, some analog, power supply
Other people will have different opinions.
Harvey
On 7/12/2020 12:59 AM,
davethetechman via groups.io wrote:
Hi, does anyone have any personal videos of designing with their own personal tips and hacks?
Recently new to this.
Thanks
?
