PCB's

[Paul Perry]

At 06:22 PM 4/07/97 +0200, you wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>another question!
>
>Finally I've decided that I want to make my own PCBs all by myself. What
>kind of methods are there, what do you guys use, what kind of equipment
>should I buy, etc... advice please! I can laser-print my own pcb-designs to
>paper or sheets!

I have tried many PCB layout programs - up to the $3000 Protel - and i have
to say that for someone like me making single sided (or, reluctlantly,
double) by FAR the simplest & easiest is PIA from Germany. this is shareware
- the unreg version does not save - but for a small board you can get it out
& finished and printed in one sitting. There is plenty of advice in the
relevant electronic FAQs but a lot of advice is from people who do this
stuff all day & further take a macho pride in doing things the hard
way.....this PIA (PCB developers Personal Assistant) really is the
'volksPCB' program. BTW, I registered mine & don't regret it..

another point is that autorouting sucks, as such, but with PIA i use it more
as a drawing aid & give it the chance to come up with inspired or weird
routs....the key is to link & route the key earth & power lines first, then
add more and link in a thoughtful fashion.....most budget PCB progs won't
autoroute on a single side, believe it or not. (probably becausethere is a
very simple, and shite, strategy  for doing 2 sided)

paul perry