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Making Printed Circuit Boards 8(PCB layout masks)

Making your own PCB layout masksThere are a number of ways you can use to produce your own photo-exposure masks and layouts. Typically you want to draft out the layout on paper first before committing it to the final mask. Be sure to take into consideration RF paths and good grounding. There are...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:07 AM by KD8BIG | 1 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 7( Photo Resist Masking)

Photo Resist MaskingThis is probably the best way I know for making nice looking PCBs. Unfortunately, the technology behind it is rather obscure for many people entering the hobby and remains a mystery for others. Thus I will try to demystify the process here, with some luck. Contrary to the...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:07 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 6(Using Etch-Resist Pens)

Using Etch-Resist PensYou can actually draw the desired tracks or patterns onto the copper clad board with etch resist ink. Get a normal copper clad board that has been cut down to size, washed and dried completely. Do not soak the board in the water for too long or the water may damage the...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:06 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 5(Masking the PCB)

Masking the PCBAs was mentioned in the basic theory section, there must be a way of controlling which parts get etched and which parts of the board don't. I also briefly mentioned a number of methods. Here I will highlight two of the methods most relevant to us home brewers. Direct penning...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:06 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 4(Drilling of Holes)

Drilling of HolesThe drilling of holes is typically the last stage of the PCB fabrication process so this may seem a little anachronistic. Nevertheless, this is the last common step of the various methods of PCB fabrication so I thought it'd be good to cover it now.Clearly, you will need to...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:05 AM by KD8BIG | 1 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 3(Etching Process)

The Etching ProcessThe next most important component you require is the etching solution. As of now, very few shops will sell Ferric Chloride crystals to unlicensed buyers and Sodium Persulphate is not publicly available. There is a good reason for this but it means a lot of inconvenience for the...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:05 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 2(The Copper Clad Board)

The Copper Clad BoardBoards suitable for etching can easily be obtained from parts suppliers and come in a number of varieties. Typically, there are two major types of board materials that are used for the base board, fiber-glass (glass-epoxy) and phenolic paper. Fiber-glass boards tend to be...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:04 AM by KD8BIG | 1 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards 1(Basic Theory)

Basic TheoryThe whole idea of making a printed circuit board is really a chemical process of removing copper from the circuit board at the right places, in order to leave behind tracks suitable for carrying current as required by the circuit in question. Boards can be bought which come with...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:04 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

Making Printed Circuit Boards (Introduction)

IntroductionSince the beginning of my electronics construction hobby, I've just about built circuits in every possible way I could think of. I still remember my early days when I actually had germanium transistors screwed down on a block of wood. That was before I acquired my first soldering...

Published on 10/5/2011, 6:03 AM by KD8BIG | 0 comment(s)

Tags: Eletronics

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