[sdiy] Taking a Step towards - - --((FUTURE-PREDICTIONS))-- - -

[Paul Maddox]

Glen,

> I guess I'm focusing a lot on things like high-density SMD stuff with
> hundreds of leads per chip, BGA's, and circuit boards with several layers.

its not difficult, with modern PCB software to do this with ease..

> I'll admit that there are certainly some types of digital circuitry that
is
> pretty goof-proof to fabricate. Unfortunately, that is mostly the older,
> and simpler stuff.

I dunno, I can hand solder a 128pin TQFP package quicker than I can solder a
40 pin DIL package.
Most stuff you get in BGA is available in TQFP or similar, for example,
whilst you can't get the 1million gate Xilinx FPGA in tqfp (just think of
the number of IO pins) you can get the 300Kgate ones in TQFP.

> It just seems that all the really cool digital circuitry is hard for a DIY
> person to work with. If I'm wrong, that would be great.  :)

It depends on what you mean by really cool, and what you mean by hard.
If its something you want to do enough, you'll find a way around any
problems, thats human nature..

Paul