PCB Design Templates - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Mr J
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 02:14:46 am
content: Does anyone know where to get PCB design templates? I use to use one by Pickett Templates years ago like the one in this videohttps://youtu.be/mFLqILIYrWA, I forget what number template it was. Trying to teach my students old school PCB design by paper and light box to reverse image. Press and peel is my second option and I have a source for that ....thanks. Mr J.

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 03:28:19 am
content: Not quite what you are looking for, but may be of interesthttps://www.amazon.com/b/ref=dp_bc_5?ie=UTF8&node=490680011googling for "drafting templates pcb" gets you into the right search space thoughI found a few for logic design and PCB-ish layout, but nothing super perfectalthough the missile design one is still availablehttp://www.artstuff.net/Rapidesign-R316-Missile-Space-Electronic-Template_p_1040.html

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 03:34:25 am
content: Why not just use a free PCB tool like DipTrace and print the layout 1:1 onto your press and peel paper? The students would learn the ins and outs of a software package that they can use down the line for larger projects.I'm sorry I don't see the benifits in doing a paper layout.

author: Mr J
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 04:03:21 am
content: Yes we do plan on using Eagle Cad, Mutisim, Protel and Altium. Just wanted to go over the basics in one lesson with no computers, just pencil, paper and a sharpe and some etching acid, hands on work. Maybe do some photo resist with copy machine and transparency (this would also help explaining IC design) depending on time. Admin has assigned 68 hours for this courseHS age range from 13 to 18, some kids don't have PC's at home, but they do have mostly smart phones.

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 02:59:18 pm
content: Quote from: Mr J on July 16, 2016, 04:03:21 amThis tends to stick in the head more, I still remember laying out a 555 with letraset PCB tracks as a kid. What I did last month in Eagle? no idea...

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 03:33:33 pm
content: Quote from: Mr J on July 16, 2016, 04:03:21 amYes. A smartphone and a tablet is what most people have always really needed from a computer (the "common" folks who don't really work with the computer). it makes sense.Teaching eagle but not diptrace? i find that strange. It might be me but i always had more problem in doing this stuff with eagle (and i really like that i can export the design as a freaking bpm with selectable resolution straight out of the box, manipulate and print. using custom export files or annoying workarounds for pdfs like print screen and import to paint... no. but maybe things have changed lately)Anyway, good luck on your course, the video was really informative, i had never seen that kind of stuff, too young i suppose.Worst case scenario you say you already have a template, so why not scanyours and make a bunch of those with a laser cutter? if you used (for example) a white acrylic with black coating you could make all the writing too with the lightest engraving. beautiful result

author: Mr J
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 08:11:57 pm
content: cool I'll take a look at dip trace, I'm partial to protel myself. I haven't out grown it yet been using it since mid 80's and Tango for DOS before that. As for exporting Bit Maps of JPG I use Ubuntu 14, It's comes with a great screen shot tool and a great native PDF exporter as well. I use this all the time with instructions and schematics on my site. I wish I still had the template I used back then, but it's gone somewhere can't find it. I do have an Epilog Fusion M2 in at work to make copies. I think I might have to spin my own, not sure. I haven't used the cutter yet (brand new) awaiting vents to be installed.I like bitslice quoteThis tends to stick in the head more, I still remember laying out a 555 with letraset PCB tracks as a kid. What I did last month in Eagle? no idea...I too remember many layouts I did when I was in vocational school, we would copy them out of magazine articles or the back of heathkit manuals and build our own. We even used piano wire in the dremel to drill out the holes to cut costs. The piano wire was pretty much indestructible, unlike the carbide bits I use now.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2016, 09:50:45 pm
content: Thought I'd show you two types of output Diptrace provides:Dpitrace only outputs a bmp file. I used Photoshop to make the png to upload here.

author: altaic
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 17, 2016, 06:15:24 pm
content: I like the hands-on approach. Instead of looking for a template/stencil online, you could always design one up out of thin PCB and have a few dozen produced, a la Dave's µRuler (or whatever he calls it). Then you get exactly what you want, and the kids learn that the etching process can produce lots of things, not just electronics.