Homebrew PCBs

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Stefan Trethan

>for this thers is some photoresist-like soldermask.
>you spray it on, then expose it, and develop it.

Cool... I'll have to look for this. Is this what the pros (boardhouses) use?

>how do you plan to apply your homemade epoxy mask without covering
>the pads?

Just carefully brush it on around them. Time consuming, but better than
solder bridges.

>I always check if there is a short if i run more than one trace under a
>1206 smd part.
>never found one, but i rarely use smaller parts so no experience there.

Mostly I've been having probs with some of the really small, weird stuff
like the ADXL202 accelerometer and ADXRS180 gyro. Standard dual-inline
surface mount stuff probably isn't as bad, but the ball-grid package of the
ADXRS180 is very short-prone, and the ADXL202's contacts run for some way
under the part and sloppy soldering can lead to excess solder wicking
underneath and causing bridges.

- Robert