Beautiful Circuits? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: SNGLinks
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 08:37:26 am
content: Should circuits be beautiful?http://www.boldport.com

author: DmitryL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 08:50:46 am
content: Quote from: SNGLinks on June 05, 2015, 08:37:26 amYes, as beautiful, as unicorns farting out rainbows..

author: dom0
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 08:58:53 am
content: Those partly look like hand-drawn PCBs, and partly look like crap.

author: rs20
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 09:12:36 am
content: Ugh, this is the definition of shallowness.

author: matseng
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 09:49:35 am
content: Does silk-art count as beautiful circuits as well? ^_^ I did this a few years ago just to test dithering of silk on a PCB....

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 09:55:32 am
content: I would say function over form, that doesn't mean it has to be ugly, but logically grouping circuits on a board, fighting many different fields for ideal performance (RF, Low Level Analog, Digital, Power ,EMI ,mechanical support, etc), making pretty curvy traces is not something that i think about while fighting all this stuff,Silkscreen, you can go as wild as you like,

author: Pjotr
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 10:23:01 am
content: Beautiful circuits show the maker masters his skills and knows what he is accomplishing in an efficient and elegant way. And when it comes to EE that is mastering "the art of electronics" as well. Fancy graphics is more the opposite and often hiding the lack of such skills

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 10:35:49 am
content: Tacky. Nowthiscircuit is rather beautiful:

author: matseng
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 10:42:08 am
content: So this then (but without the oh-so-expensive resin) ? I didn't want to spend like 500 bucks on one litre of resin.

author: Cliff Matthews
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 11:41:39 am
content: Quote from: SNGLinks on June 05, 2015, 08:37:26 amUgly website.. it fits current narcissistic trends.. (everyone, look at me!)and scrolling? It's like somebody's waiving their hands in front of my face!Now this is beautiful!!http://www.studio-22.com/marklevinson/532.htm

author: 128er
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 12:00:53 pm
content: Very nice projects.Don't forget this guy with his clocks:http://techno-logic-art.com/Or one of Jim Williams circuits:http://m.eet.com/media/1180890/thermoml.jpg

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 12:21:20 pm
content: I must admit that whilst I like the idea of the boldport ones, I don't care for the designs.I much prefer this:Quote from: bitwelder on May 19, 2015, 06:29:43 pm

author: Pjotr
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 12:47:11 pm
content: This has not much to do with "circuits" any more. Maybe changing the topic title to "Beautiful crafting"?

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 01:42:50 pm
content: Quote from: Cliff Matthews on June 05, 2015, 11:41:39 am+1. Form over function.As for the boards, nothing wrong with cute or artsy boards.

author: slurry
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 02:14:58 pm
content: And i thought i was "wild and crazy" when i design my boards,i like the designs and it boosts me into be even more creative!A big

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 02:30:12 pm
content: Not only do I adore the hand-routed look for this - I want that soldermask! I love that old-style transparent green that shows the copper color through it. Nobody seems to have that, though, it's all the new stuff that looks cheap and plasticky

author: krivx
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 02:52:29 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on June 05, 2015, 02:30:12 pmThe routing is all done by software, I believe the entire board is described in JSON. I've never done a board with PCBmodE but I'd like to, maybe for a simple circuit where the PCB will be seen.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 07:10:13 pm
content: Your circuit doesn't have to look beautiful but it's nice when it does. We're now in a similar position to the Medieval masons who carved inticate features into the stone even though they could be 100m up in the air and not visible from the ground. Your next circuit will be enclosed in a box and may never be seen, but there's nothing wrong with creating a nice surprise for the first geek to attack the case with a screwdriver.The most beautiful PCB I have ever seen was an Adobe Level II Postscript RIP, the board was massive, at least 40cm x 50cm and it had an amazing order to it that made it look like a small city. Now, a Motorola 68040 system with a 1 Gb hard drive would be dumped in the trash, but back then they were amazing.

author: eas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 10:01:34 pm
content: Quote from: rs20 on June 05, 2015, 09:12:36 amThe PCBs? Or is your comment self-refferential?I'm not at all qualified to comment on the electronics design. As for the aesthetics, I know what I like when I see it.I like some of what I see, but even among the things I don't really like, I see interesting ideas, attempts to make the most of the intrinsic properties of the materials.Also, as little as I know about electronics design, I know enough to appreciate the way some of these bridge form and function and can imagine other ways to do it.Don't forget too, many of the techniques used in modern electronics have their roots in reproduction of artwork. Etching and Lithography predates PCBs and printed circuits by centuries. Photolithography was already being commercialized by the mid 1800s, half a century before it was first applied to electronics.Quote from: rolycat on June 05, 2015, 10:35:49 amI like that one too. One could argue though that its more of a wank than any of the Boldport examples.

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2015, 10:48:09 pm
content: This home-made TDR head makes a striking image - the green components are SMD inductors.A beautiful BNC plug?Source: