Homebrew PCBs

I totally agree with connectors being through hole.  there is no 
comparison.  Put pads/solder on both sides for additional strength.

I mix smt on bottom and top.  It saves vias some times.  also, bottom 
side for bypass caps is totally natural - especially for a number of 
the larger TH PICs that have power and ground on adjacent pins.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Stefan Trethan 
<stefan_trethan@g...> wrote:
> 
> > With my home made single-sided SMT boards I put all the SMT stuff 
on the
> > bottom and through-hole components like connectors and wire links 
on the
> > top. It looks a bit strange but works OK.
> >
> > Leon
> >
> >
> 
> I do that too...
> 
> It's the method with the highest component density on single sided 
boards.
> you have all the throughhole components on top, and on the bottom 
you have 
> the smd
> stuff "between their pads".
> 
> Works very well and you get a lot of parts on a very small area. 
parts like
> connectors, potentiometers, power transistors, switches etc. are 
sometimes
> easier and better to do throughhole, while resistors, capacitors, 
small 
> transistors
> are easier and faster to do SMD.
> It's the same with ICs i only get/have throughhole. put them on top 
and 
> the external
> components needed nicely fit on the bottom layer.
> 
> Actually most of my boards look like that, because i do not like to 
bother 
> with two layers.
> I do not see any major disadvantage, and it seems quite common in 
the 
> industry too.
> 
> It allows you to still use your standard throughhole parts stock, 
but 
> saves a lot of work
> with drilling holes for all those resistors and capacitors.
> 
> I don't exactly know why you think it looks strange...
> 
> ST