replies interleaved.
On 11/12/2020 11:03 AM, Dave wrote:
Thanks for the info Harvey.
On 11/11/2020 6:23 PM, Harvey White wrote:
The answer is a qualified yes.? Most circuits use top and bottom parts with vias as needed.
Great. Even though SMT uses less space and I could do multiple paths on one side, I see the other side a waste of space.
The other side does not become a waste of space with more complicated circuits.? Nor, if you're doing high frequency digital stuff, is the idea of a ground plane on the back a bad idea.? I *really* use both sides of the board.? If what you're doing is simple enough, then you can successfully route the board using one side only.
However, you need to consider that the two circuits are going to be less than 1/16 of an inch apart, and then consider crosstalk between the two circuits.? If you were doing a 4 layer board, the ground and power planes would tend to act like ground planes, and you'd have less problems.? You don't, though.
You are correct as this will not affect me.
The PC board makers don't know, and don't care what you do.? All they care is if (according to their rules) they can manufacture the board.? Shorts?? Overlapping ground planes?? bad labels? reversed connectors?? They don't know, and frankly, they don't care. Cheating for the manufacturers is that the there are two different designs on the? same board, separate (I think) and not connected any way to each other.? (or, I bet, two designs separated by a snap off, if they can do that).
You can make boards , like you say, that are panelized but in my case that costs more and in not needed.
I used SeeedStudio fabrication, which goes from EAGLE (they provide a CAM batch job to go to gerbers) almost directly.? Their price is 4.90 for any size HASL board, silk screened both sides, plated through holes up to 100 mm by 100 mm.? By designing the circuit with separate inputs and outputs (sides as appropriate), having a common ground pour, the circuits are essentially the same circuit I'd think, as far as they're concerned.? So for panelization, definitely no penalty.
Since you don't use both sides, then I'd do a ground pour on both sides, and that of course, would weld both circuits together. It's the same thing as a construction variant, where you either install a part or not.? They won't care.
How would that weld the two circuits together unless I ad a via? Will a thru hole for mounting it to a standoff act as a via?
Ground is ground, VCC is VCC, if they're the same it makes your layout easier, perhaps.
Now, if you have a small circuit board, say you can fit more than one on a 100 mm by 100 mm board, you can duplicate the pattern (in EAGLE, one way is to close the board, then copy and paste the board pattern).? Go completely across the board with lines on the milling layer, and you can have multiple designs (same design) on the same produced plate.
I have done that with design spark in the past but cut the paper to laminate it to my pcb copper boards (single sided). But now after paying only $18 ( $36 with shipping as I paid for speedier method ) for 200 of my first batch of small simple pcb's, I am going to have them made from now on.
I can understand that one.? Sadly, the designs I do tend to be a bit more complex.
Got more LED strips to substitute for backlights than I care to think about.? LED (1206) and resistor (0805) on the other. About nine LEDS on a side.? Length determined by the 100 mm cheapie limit.
I am going to start with 1206 resistors.
Decent enough, then, as I found, 0805 make for more parts on the board where needed.
Harvey
Thanks,
Dave
Harvey
On 11/11/2020 6:07 PM, Dave wrote:
I was thinking...my next pcb will be simple but will be all SMT components for my first time. I was curious if it is ok to put one circuit on one side of the 2 sided boards, and another on the other side? They would be 2 simple, yet different circuits. Is that something that has been done before? Is that kosher with the pcb makers that will make the board? Or is that cheating? In the end it would be a choice of what side to use by me and only one side would ever be used.
Thanks,
Dave
