[sdiy] pcb design sucks.

[Scott Bernardi]

I must be masochistic. I kind of enjoy designing PCB's. I do most of
mine double sided, hand routed. Of course, I've never done anything as
big as the ASM-1, and I've had my share of failures (usually more in the
manufacture than the design, but I've made some big boo boos too. Like
getting the power supply pins reversed on an LM339 quad comparator -
didn't pass the smoke test. I was able to salvage that board by cutting
traces and soldering jumper wires). But I've managed to turn out a fair
number of usable boards. 

Jim Patchell wrote:
> 
> Magnus Danielson wrote:
> 
> > From: "Nils Pipenbrinck" <np at inverse-entertainment.de>
> > Subject: [sdiy] pcb design sucks.
> > Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 16:18:11 +0200
> >
> > > Either it's just me, or doing pcbs for synthmodules is a pain in the a**. I
> > > already did a lot of pcb's for my old projects - digital toys and simple
> > > transistor amplifiers.. Nothing with dual power supply (so it was a always a
> > > easy job).
> > >
> > > I tell you, I tried 4 times do do a "good" single-sided pcb for the asm-1
> > > vcf, and I always failed to do so. (with "good" I mean: as few jumpers as
> > > possible, and wires thick enough so that they don't suck if the
> > > exposure is not perfect, no wires between ic-pins and other stuff I can't
> > > solder..).
> > >
> > > I think lot of you already did a pcb for the asm-1 vcf, could someone please
> > > send me an image of it? I'm not lazy, but I would love to see how someone
> > > with more practice (and skill!) did it.
> >
> > Do you now know why the ASM-1 PCB is double sided? ;o)
> >
> > Single-sided PCB layout is an artform of its own.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Magnus
> 
>     Plus, it might be considered masochistic. (Hope I spelt that correctly...).
> If you are going to be etching the boards yourself, I can fully understand why you
> would want to do a single sided board, but, if you are going to send out the board
> (to a PCB house), then you are not really saving anything.  The process most
> houses use these days does not differentiate between single and double sided.
> 
>     -Jim

-- 
Scott Bernardi
sbernardi at home.net