PCB Design Chat with Detlef & Rich : The Universal SMD & Through Hole Op Amp Tester V2

[@jorgerea939]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and experience. I hope Det will continue to join you in future videos. 🎓 Both of you are scholars.

[@chrishartley1210]

I've never made a PCB myself (etching or laser printing) but I remember from 30+ years ago, when I was designing the software and a colleague was designing the PCB, that he tried to minimise the number of vias. Even though they were professionally made I can't say whether or not they had plated through holes but it's a practice I've tried to follow now that I'm designing a few PCBs. I remember one small project where I initially had 17 vias where most of the components were SMD. By moving components around and swapping the pins on connectors I got it down to just a single via. I think one connector got changed a total of 4 times and ended up back in its original layout but each change allowed me to move another track. I got quite anal on that one and should definitely have left it when it was "good enough" but I had nothing better to do because of lockdown.

[@andymouse]

You used to be charged for via's over a certain amount and they soon add up !

[@harrygood4783]

I`ve never liked the track corners, always tried to make the serve bends around the board with arcs either a 45 degree or 90 degree, makes the it look sharper design, helps with spacing between pads, helps with track to track spacing, i don1t know if the standard EDA has it! i use the pro version which has a better fluid use and it may help reducing the amoint of vias used in the design.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

The design rules check DRC would have found this. Also try using a 0V flood on both sides as this will reduce the amount of copper needing to be removed. The program that created the layout should have a DRC built into it. You can't do a check on he gerbers.

[@andymouse]

Hear, Hear old bean !

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@andymouse Hi Mr Squeak.

[@andymouse]

@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist Howdy ! you embedded hobbyist you ! Squeak !!!!!!

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@andymouse Nice to see you out and about and hitting the comments. Mr Squeak.

[@andymouse]

@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist :)

[@ralphj4012]

An example of routing aberration (only my opinion), the highlighted track at 10:49 could, perhaps, have gone to the left of the SW4G pad. PCB tools need a final 'you cannot be serious' checker.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

If you don't feed the tracking requirements in to the program then your in the hands of the default settings. Your blaming the autoroute for your own problems, it will autoroute to the settings you provide if you have silly thin tracks then it will put more them between pins.

[@andymouse]

YEP !

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

Do you think we were a bit tongue in cheek about that during this video 😉

[@andymouse]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair :)

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair I used the autoroute on the sample design that Altium provided to show off their software and it could not complete the layout. It got left with 2 or3 tracks it could not route, if I had to route the circuit I'd have be left with about 200. Then I started working with pcb's all tracks were layed with tape and tracks on one side were joined to the other side by rivets, make me feel old. I'd suggest using kicad and slowly getting all the settings to match the pcb manufacturing requirements and DRC is place. Its amazing how many issues the drc finds with what looks like a good circuit layout. Also I'd recommend getting that tongue removed from your cheek 😜 🤣😂

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, love the coop between the 2 of you and still want to bild this diy wen all the bugg's are out

[@Dutch-linux]

make sure you make the pcb larger so the breadboard does not hang off of it !!!!

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

we mentioned we fixed this during the video

[@fritzfischer8084]

The fitting rule is: Garbage in, garbage out. Never use autorouter.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

If you don't use the program correctly then your just asking for trouble.

[@andymouse]

YEP !

[@Karthor.]

looks way better than the auto router crap lol

[@LetsgoBrandon0U812]

I got to start the video over.. Lol

[@LetsgoBrandon0U812]

For someone to self teach must be an alien! I’m 6 year interested 3 years learning how not to make it worse and troubleshooting components and learn what they do!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! God bless the USA!🇺🇸

[@andymouse]

Everything to do with you actually ! please make sure this rubbish isn't available for people to buy at PCB way. Spend a bit of spare time in the winter and learn how to design a PCB and I recommend you spend some time with Kicad. Why would you use an Autorouter for this ?? I bet you even sit and watch the autorouter do it LOL! Your PCB's will take a massive leap if you learn how to use copper pours properly and use a DRC ! The reason Det's looks so much better is because it IS !! Gerbers are the final step they aint there to fix the fundamentals.

[@LearnElectronicsRepair]

isn't the point we were making here. The actual PCB has copper pour (ground fill) on both sides we just hid that layer in this video so the tracks were more visible

[@andymouse]

@@LearnElectronicsRepair I was a bit harsh ! :)