Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Mycroft2152 <mycroft2152@...> wrote:
(snip)
> The critism of the layout, is just normal 'artsy'
> comments. PCB layouts are definitely more of an art
> than a science, and everyone has a different opinion
> of what looks best.
(snip)

When I look for beauty or uglyness in a PCB design, I try to visualize
the fields surrounding the traces and heat generated in them. Traces
carrying high currents generate large magnetic fields that can affect
other traces or components. The current also produces voltage drop
and heat in those traces. Traces carrying currents with a high rate
or change generate voltages in nearby conductors and components,
produce inductiove voltage drops, and bud off photons. Traces that
carry high voltage create electric fields and push leakage currents.
Traces with voltage that has a high rate of change, capacitively
couple to nearby traces and bud off photons. Sensitive nodes in the
circuit get unwanted signals from the above nodes and paths.

A beautiful board can have all these things happening, but still
functions well because the layout limits the unwanted effects.