From 137e53ad314058da3a498995e6bc459f9567e595 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Xavi Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2023 20:59:31 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] Added babysteps post --- .../babysteps_into_kicad.md | 59 ++----------------- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 55 deletions(-) diff --git a/xavishobbies/content/electronics_science_more/babysteps_into_kicad.md b/xavishobbies/content/electronics_science_more/babysteps_into_kicad.md index 1cbfd88..5919287 100644 --- a/xavishobbies/content/electronics_science_more/babysteps_into_kicad.md +++ b/xavishobbies/content/electronics_science_more/babysteps_into_kicad.md @@ -6,61 +6,10 @@ categories: ["Top_of_the_Stack"] tags: --- -This week I spent a good amount of time getting much more familiar with [KiCAD](https://www.kicad.org/) which, as they say on their website, is a *electronics design suite*. Basically **[in dumb guy language]**, its just a bunch of programs that help with the design of *PCBs* or *printed circuit boards* **[you know, the green boards that you find inside stuff, like [this](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/PCB_design.jpg)]**. +There is a saying that there is no *more permanent* solution than a *temporary* one. That couldn't be more true than when looking at my electronics projects. They are always some half baked idea that makes it's way onto a *breadboard* which, if I liked it enough, possibly gets put onto protoboard **[if its lucky]**. However nothing has ever *quite* made it to being put on it's own *PCB* **[printed circuit board. you know. the green boards that you find inside stuff. like [this](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/PCB_design.jpg)]**. I *have* tinkered around a bit with designing one in the past, but it never was able to graduate from living on my harddrive. This week I took some steps to change that. -The goal at the moment is to *design* and *fabricate* a *PCB* completely in house. This means coming up with a purpose **[what? you don't just start a project despite not really having a purpose for doing it?]**, designing the circuit, laying it out on a board, and then actually yanking that design into reality. - -Just a quick rundown - -- create a design in *KiCAD*, both the schematic layout and the PCB layout -- - - -Overview -- Learning KiCAD -- Design a PCB - - What purpose - - Start with hard -- Fabricate the PCB - - Toner transfer method - - Some chemistry - - Safety is important -Kicad - - The Schematic Workflow - - Knowing design - - Use other software? - -XCircuit and NGSPICE - - Endgoal get schematic - - Recreate schematic in KiCAD - - Think all the same if schematic is had - - What are power flags? - - Make sure nets are all labled for easy layout design - - Check things with the ERC - - Add Comments just like in Programming - - Associate the PCB footprints with components - - The PCB Workflow - - Create the shape and size - - Does everything fit? - - Are the components reasonable - - Place and Route - - Put footprints with user and routing in mind - - Route, Most time consuming I think - - Add annotations to the board with silkscreen - - Check stuff with DRC - -Fabrication -- Toner transfer method -- Print Cu layer on magazine -- Place on Cuclad sheet. Acetone on back to tranfer. then dry -- wipe with water -- put in etchent - now is Feric Chloride -- wipe with water -- put uv ink on -- put transparent screen with solder points covered -- smoosh uv ink. put in uv oven -- take out of oven and remove transparent -- wipe of uv ink. dots should go everthing else stays -- do the same uv ink process for silk screen -- invert text. print smoosh, uv oven, wipe off all the rest +I spent a good amount of time this week getting a lot more familiar with [KiCAD,](https://www.kicad.org/) an *electronics design suite*, doing quite a bit of research into fabricating a board *in house* **[or in shed in my case]**, and ordering everything that I needed to get started. +If you would assume that most PCBs aren't made in some guy's garage, you'd be right **[at least i hope not]**, most would be made in some fabrication facility that pump out tons of product in giant pallets **[well, maybe not in the last three years]**. Even hobbyists, like myself, can outsource a design to a [board house](https://www.eevblog.com/wiki/index.php?title=PCB_Manufacturers) for fabrication and I think most people would argue that this would be the way to go. *Board houses* have pretty quick turn around time **[one to two weeks]** and you get a really professional looking board. However, I am both sloppy and impatient meaning that *A.* there's a chance I made a mistake on the design which means it won't work after a two week wait or *B.* even if it does work, there's a huge chance I forgot why I made the thing in the first place. Finding a workflow to make them in house would mitigate both these problems and if I end up with something I really like I can send it to a *board house* after I go through finding all the bugs **[well... maybe just the bugs that make the thing not work at all]**. +The plan is to design something simple and use the toner transfer method to get the design onto a copper clad board. I'll go into the whole process in a later post but seeing that I am already a day late I'll throw this up and write up the outline for Monday's post **[we'll see if I don't get distracted]**.