Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 6:36 pm
You have 2 choices: DIY or pay someone to do it for you!
For the DIY method, you will need some PCB design S/W (free), access to a laser printer or photocopier, some "Press'n'Peel" film from Maplin (?15) or another method of transferring the toner (glossy photo paper, ohp film - search the web for various suggestions), some ferric chloride to do the etching, some plastic trays/dishes/tanks to do the etching in, and some old clothes because ferric chloride stains everything.
You can just use a permanent pen to draw the tracks onto the board, but this method only really works for large through-hole parts. It's certainly no good for surface-mount parts on a 0.5mm pitch!
You can also use a UV-sensitive solder resist and a light box with a track pattern printed onto OHP film, but this requires a UV light box. I think Peter Waller uses this method.
You also need some copper-clad board from Maplin, Farnell etc. Single-sided boards are dead easy to make, double sided gets a bit tricky ensuring correct registration of the two layers. I tend to use one side as a ground plane and the other side for tracks. Anything that's too difficult to route I use wire links.
I use the Press'n'Peel method which has worked very well for me for quite a while now.
You can now buy small quantities of prototype PCBs quite cheaply from a variety of suppliers. Try www.pcb-pool.com, www.pcbexpress.com, or www.pcb-train.com
I've not tried any of them, but I think Chris has used one for his SmartAnt boards. Costs are around ?30 for a 100x100mm or 160x100mm board. Some companies will let you fit multiple boards into their standard size, so if your board is only 50x50mm you will get 4 or 6 for the standard ?30 charge. Read the T & C's closely!
For the DIY method, you will need some PCB design S/W (free), access to a laser printer or photocopier, some "Press'n'Peel" film from Maplin (?15) or another method of transferring the toner (glossy photo paper, ohp film - search the web for various suggestions), some ferric chloride to do the etching, some plastic trays/dishes/tanks to do the etching in, and some old clothes because ferric chloride stains everything.
You can just use a permanent pen to draw the tracks onto the board, but this method only really works for large through-hole parts. It's certainly no good for surface-mount parts on a 0.5mm pitch!
You can also use a UV-sensitive solder resist and a light box with a track pattern printed onto OHP film, but this requires a UV light box. I think Peter Waller uses this method.
You also need some copper-clad board from Maplin, Farnell etc. Single-sided boards are dead easy to make, double sided gets a bit tricky ensuring correct registration of the two layers. I tend to use one side as a ground plane and the other side for tracks. Anything that's too difficult to route I use wire links.
I use the Press'n'Peel method which has worked very well for me for quite a while now.
You can now buy small quantities of prototype PCBs quite cheaply from a variety of suppliers. Try www.pcb-pool.com, www.pcbexpress.com, or www.pcb-train.com
I've not tried any of them, but I think Chris has used one for his SmartAnt boards. Costs are around ?30 for a 100x100mm or 160x100mm board. Some companies will let you fit multiple boards into their standard size, so if your board is only 50x50mm you will get 4 or 6 for the standard ?30 charge. Read the T & C's closely!