[sdiy] pcb design sucks.

[Tony Clark]

> Double sided boards are bad enough but you have lots of ways to do
> things and you can get very compact. Be prepared to pay $300 or so for
> 10 boards commercially made (the only way).

   Or pay around half that for double-sided plated thru-hole boards.  No 
need to pay extra for soldermask or silk-screening if you're doing it for 
yourself.
   Most PCB houses charge you the same for doing single or double-sided 
boards.  So the only benefit to doing single sided is for DIY etched 
boards.
   I too, avoid doing between-pin traces and other wierd-ness.  There's 
other tricks to saving board space, namely going SMT.  :)  But I realize 
that's a bit beyond most everyone on the list.
   Anyhoo, PCB design is an artwork.  Until they can make an 
autoplacement/router that can actually route boards even half-way 
decently, then I may say otherwise.  I route everything by hand.  It 
helps to have a high-end program, but regardless, it's a lot of mental 
exercise.

   Cheers,

   Tony

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