which tool is best for learning PCB designing ?? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: manjunath
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 09:27:41 am
content: Hi all,I want to learn PCB design so can anyone please suggest which software is good and also provide some good tutorials link to learn design.Thank yo,

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 10:15:01 am
content: Do some searching in EEVblog and study the threads.Everybody wants "free" but they are not always the best.Some good packages have been cracked and are available on the net.Here's a thread to start with:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/which-eda-(schematicpcb)-package-do-you-use-(poll-discuss)/Get many old PCB's and study "how to" and "how not to" lay out a PCB.

author: ncoonrod14
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 02:40:03 pm
content: I just got into PCB design 6 months ago or so using Eagle and I used a combination of tutorials written by sparkfun and a book for about $25:http://goo.gl/uB25V8I learned a ton from those two and I'd say they taught me enough to design just about anything hobbyist related and I've picked up other skills along the way. The free version of Eagle is more than good enough for the majority of users and the software is pretty powerful. I may be biased, but I'd say Eagle is the way to go. Tons of support and it's a lousy $25 for some decent lessons using it.Free version of Eagle:http://www.cadsoftusa.com/download-eagle/freeware/

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 05:09:35 pm
content: learning pcb design has nothing to do with the tool.i learned PCb design using paper and pencil , later moved to black tape and rub-off mask templates.doing a single sided pcb layout, by hand on grid paper using a pencil gets you the spatial insight you need.it's all about component placement. what goes where , once the placement is good the routing is a piece of cake

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 05:32:53 pm
content: I agree 100% with free_electron, at least from the very beginning: get a milimetric paper (or, better yet,print a patternfrom the web) and start placing the components on top of it to get a good idea on the space they use.This gives you a much better feel about spacing, position and density when doing the layout placement of components.After a while, obviously, this becomes a lot more natural and you can eventually jump straight to the software tool.One of the better illustrations for this process is when we are learning to do basic arithmetic operations: at least everybody I knew/know started counting fingers/objects, and only in school they moved to numbers written in papers!

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 07:48:17 pm
content: Quote from: free_electron on August 05, 2014, 05:09:35 pmAll very true.But using the package print outputs achieves the same thing.Good for a final check where component density is high.And a set of calipers for real measurements.

author: Miles Teg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 08:58:35 pm
content: I respect the "paper first" approach but I should suggest also another one.Make your choice.Since I've learned PCB design on Orcad in class I didn't touch any PCB design for almost 12 years.And 2 years ago I restarted with Diptrace. As you an get it for free for learning on some decent PCB size with 2 layers.It still easy to use in the way of letting you draw Schematic and Layout in an intuitive way without complicated tool (here is the "paper approach" like).Diptrace comes with a decent tutorial that makes you follow a full simple PCB project.But Diptrace remains just a "tool". (free to you to start with Kicad or Eagle)For the Schematic and Layout science the good way for me is to follow recommendation of the chip you want to put in.Take a Battery charger chip from Ti like a BQ or a DSP or DAC chip and its manual will be full of advice on how to implement on schematic and how to route it.Same with the application notes going with such device and the schematic and layout of their evaluation boards.Here for me is the biggest source of "experience" I get (sadly because I cannot get experience from senior peoples in my company).All these "examples" will become good manners you will put on your other design.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 09:25:07 pm
content: Bit of an oddball, I don't think you can "learn" PCB design, I think you can only learn the tools that allow you to do PCB design, be that efficient or inefficient.PCB design consists of component placement, routing placements, good use of planes, vias, and calculating current carrying track widths etc.Clearances are one of the big issues as well as silk screen placement I have seen to be an issue from beginners, i.e. don't put silkscreen over the TH pads.I think you need to have an understanding of good thermal relief also, not to put via's too close to a pad, or in the pad unless absolutely necessary as it removes heat away from the joint and will cause solder flow issues.If you are designing for RF or high speed, make sure you take note of track lengths, and if you know the stackup of the PCB you can get a good feel for making impedance matched tracks.High voltage needs separation from low voltage as it can spike across onto the LV side and ruin your day.There are many considerations to laying out a PCB depending on what is on it and what it will be used for, and most can be collated and learned from the good people here and from Dave himself, I like to get myself a bit of a checklist going, and when I have got a chance take a look and see if I have kept to my own rules.

author: Dongulus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 09:56:41 pm
content: If you're starting from no experience, I would recommend going through Chris Gammell's "Getting to Blinky" tutorial series on YouTube. You can find them on his channel, Contextual Electronics. Chris has designed these tutorials for a course he teaches to walk newbies from schematic entry, to PCB routing, then finally manufacturing using KiCad. Personally, I don't really care for KiCad all that much (I just tried it out for a board I designed), but getting down the basic steps of board design has more of a curve than getting used to any software packages has.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2014, 10:48:43 pm
content: anther thing you need is a solid understanding of the schematic. what does what, current pathways, impedance nodes, critical signals , creating power distribution .