Rather than paying for the Digi-Reels or Mini-Reels, just buy some extra parts on cut-tape to create a "leader" of sorts. One of my CM's recommends these additional amounts: "SMT components, not supplied on reels should be on one continuous strip of tape. Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes (0603, 0805, 1206, 2225, SOT, SOD, MELF - packages) require a minimum of 50 pcs and/or has to exceed the required quantity by 30 pcs. (Example: build req. 40 pcs - we will require 70 pcs - this meets our minimum required 50 pcs plus 30 pcs above build requirement) Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes (0201, 0402, minimelf, miniature packages) require a minimum of 100 pcs and/or has to exceed the required quantity by 50 pcs. (Example: build req. 80 - we will require 130 - this meets our minimum required 100 pcs plus 50 pcs above build requirement)" The other handy option is to buy your assembly "turnkey" (assy house buys the parts) rather than "consigned" (you supply the kit). They often can buy parts cheaper than I can, then I can ignore these matters.
8 years in, still fucking relevant. Hats off to you sir, much respect. I have learned a lot from this. The world will benefit if it has more people like you.
Thanks for providing this nice "peek" inside the manufacturing process, it was really informative and interesting for me as a programmer who happens to be somewhat interested in EE stuff.
Oh Boy, DAVE YOU ARE brilliant, and a great man! Big strong handshake, for a such nice personality, and for disclosure very useful information in such details, especially useful for novices and dummies! Love You channel! It's like treasure for me.
So much respect and admiration, because of your channel and excellent explanation, now im able to design PCBs for home automation and robotics. All my experience in the electronics comes from you and i owe you a ton ! i used to watch your channel daily for 5+ hrs and i never forget a part that i need to rewatch ! Thanks and best wishes always, hope we can pay you back one day as a humble gratitude.
this video has so many little tips that youd never think of until its too late, especially the first time around. like, making sure your copper doesnt touch the v-groove, because then it will be exposed when you break your boards apart.. great tips.. absolutely brilliant video.
Great video, coming from a PCB manufacturing, I loved the points you touched on panelization, i.e. the overall size, breakaway methods, rigidity of panel and basically everything else. GREAT VIDEO!!! keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I really appreciate you sharing industry standard & best practive type of information! It can seem daunting at time all the things that have to be taken into consideration. You layed out the information quite nicely!!!
Thanks for the knowledge and experience put together in this tutorial. Normally it would take about 2 weeks of talking to the PCB manufacturer to collect all these informations and clues. Thanks for saving my time. :)
Well I guess the 163 "thumbs down" folks must've obeyed his T-shirt, I guess... I can't imagine ANYONE down voting this. He is pouring his heart out on this teaching!
Dave, you're going on about stuff that I use every day, yet no one ever mentioned in college. Nice work! This is the kind of stuff that nobody puts in a book.
WOW! Thanks Dave! You've answered so many questions that I didn't even know I had! I knew I could find a video by you that would answer some of the specific questions I couldn't find elsewhere!
Dave, great video. Many thanks from me. I am young electronics hardware engineer and always looking for techniques and principles how to design a proper PCB. Recently I discovered your PCB design tutorial, also great job. I wish you best luck.
Wow! In geek terms that is way out there! Amazing how different things are when PCB design goes into the 'big boys' sandpit. Thanks again very much Dave for taking the time to do this, and the great insight into this very special area of design.
You don't need to automatically go to reels (or DigiReels). All you have to do is buy Cut Tape with 4-5" of extra length, the extra length becoming the leader. Done. Obviously for bypass caps and other parts, it makes sense to just buy a big reel, but otherwise I get tired of paying $7 for DigiReels.
I thought so. Would Digikey sell with 5-7" inch extra cut tape? I usually buy them in cut tapes but I always buy them extra assuming the assembler would lose some in peeling the tapes
Glad I stumbled on this video. I'm designing a very compact piece for small scale production (don't anticipate selling more than 150 or so in all), got together a parts list for all SMT components, but have been waffling back and forth between making my own PCBs with a UV cabinet or just having them produced for me by a manufacturer. Sounds like having a manufacturer do it will be the more economical way to go. Great video BTW
Awesome. Totally Awesome. As an engineering student, it's information like this that we never get in the classroom that I crave so much! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.
it’s a challenge for newbs to even get 1 board designed and working perfectly.. this was a great video to help people get to the next stage easily. explained so much.
Several of the other commenters have hit the nail on the head: this video (and your videos in general) are what make UA-cam actually worth using. I love cat videos as much as the next person but I especially love learning useful things from experts who share their knowledge and experience as effectively as you do! I don't think it's hyperbolic in the least to suggest that you're a great asset to humanity! Thank you very, very much! Inspiring, encouraging, helpful!
Great video Dave. This has helped me no end with some of my college assignments. Downloaded both parts, I will suggest to our lecturer that he shows them during a lesson. By far the most helpful channel on youtube.
Eurocircuits are amazing, they provide you with checks for many of these points when you submit your Gerber files - cheap too, if you use their pool service.
Great work. This sort of knowledge is invaluable and you can normally only learn it by doing it amongst some good electrical engineer mentors. A great way to create your BOM spreadsheet is to use the information that you've already provided in your CAD software e.g. Altium. If you use database libraries you can link the datasheet, manufacturer and supplier information to the part in the schematic. So when it comes time to make the BOM, all the information comes straight from the schematic!
The corner holes are normally, at least in my experience, the first holes ever drilled, as a pin is pressed into the holes to anchor the stack of pre-drilled boards to the CNC drilling machine bed, ready for drilling / routing. The next step is etching, before being brushed and cleaned, ready for silk screen printing of the mask and sent for component assembly / populate the PCB's. As far as I remember anyway, it was a while ago in an age where audio cassette tapes were the storage medium for CNC software / program....lol.
I work for a Circuit Board Company and panels with pre-drilling and secondary drilling for open hole circuit boards are better because the plating allows for the boards to be fully conductive were as surface plating could go wrong. Also the way we manufacture boards is way different then the way your showing.
Allot of good advice was given which applies only to very large quantities. One will typically ramp-up from the prototyping stage to small-quantities first; Say 25 to 50 units. To address this market, assembly houses are offering services which loosen allot of the rules mentioned; For instance, they may not require you to panelize unless your board is very small; Say under 1" square, They may also be flexible about parts being on cut tape or loose. KUDOS DAVE JONES !
This is interesting to me, and should be to a lot of people, who salvage components from old electronics and if, like me, you see if circuits can be improved - limited number of components can make a difference to audio circuits. Great!
I really enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from them. This video is no exception. I have designed a board and am looking at making 100 of them to start so this info was perfect for me. Thank you so much. Bill
17:58 There's a big cycle time reduction when you panelize. Manufacturing machines take time to load a board in, recognize, get ready to do it's thing. Then the actual thing it does can be relatively brief. By panelizing small designs, the equipment spends more time doing its thing and less time getting ready to do it's thing, per PCB.
Nice video! If I can make a request, something I've always wondered about is how to design a board so that it can be tested during manufacturing - what should be tested, how and where to place the test points etc.
Very useful video.....cant get these information even if I read a whole library :) Thank you very much for the huge effort to sharing your knowledge and life experiences with others around the world.
And I though Einstein was the smartest, but after watching this and others you have created, I was wrong. Thank you for all the effort you put into each tutorial you produce.
@ArtistEngineer e.g. you have an individual part for a "10K resistor 1% 0805" "1K resistor 1% 0805". So your BOM is EXACT and automatic. It takes a bit of setting up in the library but once you've got it done then you save LOADS of time doing your part ordering. Anyway, this is a simplified example and you probably already do this.
@EEVblog Can you please show how to design PCB using Altium from start to finish. Simple 4 layer PCB with surface mount and through hole and it has square or elliptical cut. You are great teacher and very experienced
I have to say I'm really impressed as to how informative this video was. I even found some points that I hadn't considered. I think we need more oxygen breathers like you mate. The world would be a much better place. Please note that I've +1'd this on Google, shared it on Facebook and favorited it to my UA-cam channel in hopes that it will reach a wider audience.
EEV I have a few royalty questions. I'm designing a PCB for the PCI express bus that will likely also use an AMD CPU on the AM3 socket. Do you know the best way of finding out a general idea of finding out if I have to pay royalties so I can make some design decisions accordingly?
sorry for the multiple comments but I'm basing a few arguments based on my previous work experience. small smd components not on deals are not hand soldered but instead placed manually during the inspection of the other components from the pick and place machine. then it all goes through the reflow oven.
@EEVblog Its good. I've used for a long time. Has some bugs but its still waaay better than the mentor stuff, and leaves kicad and eagle dead in the water.
I really didn't need to watch this, but it was interesting as hell. lol so i kept watching. you could have done an episode for "How it's Made" , with this one, Dave. Cheers
I just finished watching your video and I have to give you a lot of positive feedback. This was the most informative video I saw on this subject ever. Very well done. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. P.S. Nice T-shirt.
maybe you could get your lecturer to contact a contract assembly firm and see if they are willing to give some time to talk to the future designers. I work for a company that does contract manufacturing and we have had in the past had students for work experience but this is getting harder to accommodate these days. My advice to anyone designing a board is talk to a contract manufacturer as early as possible for advice. It will save you heaps in the long run.
Altium Designer looks really professional, and designed by an Australian company. I'd be interested in how it compares to more established packages such as PADs or Cadstar.
This was very informative and helpful. What are your thoughts, though, on selling PCB's as DIY kits/DIY boards? For this, I think it's safe to assume that through-hole would be the way to go for people who are learning and just starting out and what not. I've been deliberating between buying a CNC machine and learning to silk screen vs. sending my boards to a fab. What do you think?
what software is that from 40:00 onward? Any advice for a software making custom shaped smd pads (non rectangular). Have been using eagle but not able to do other complex shapes other than rectangular with roundness parameter.
@rainbowsalads (Viz circuit (schema)...pcb walkthroughs) AutoLISP training is universal enough, but so are the AutoDesk (etc.) certified trainers, often in with distributors and engineering service companies; just pick your coverage (e.g. as mentioned, 401 discretes, inline packages, connectors...) and/or read up at the fabricators' (CFM/OEM) sites and match up preflighting (so connectors don't hustle each other for space, RF emit overmuch, etc.)
That is outright, and is not bad. I got a trial on a 64 layer where I could move whole rows of tracks and lay in ground planes shields, etc. $36K! per YEAR! It beats the heck out of a R&R program which Rips up a design & Replaces it until it finds one it likes. Dip trace is free 2 sided through hole. My new CNC router can do drilling and an OK job of routing etching in the copper. I won't advocate using cracked versions of the program. It is one of the best ways to get your computer a virus!
i am a component lover also, i got tubes of stuff, n i am a designer and builder, well, i need to build more, nice video . thanks Thomas in Vancouver Canada
I notice you specify a soldermask swell of 1.5 mil around your pads. The two board houses I use regularly want 2.5 and 3 mil. This makes it impossible for me to do a QFN with 0.5mm pitch and still provide 5mil width soldermask between pads. What do you do in this situation? Thanks.
I can't express how much I appreciate the education you're providing me. Knowledge so good that I want to cry. Thanks for the wisdom!
I feel you bro. This guy knows how to spit wisdom
Ha ha! You have taught me more than some 4 credit courses in an ECE department. Thank you.
+Amir Hossein Bakhtiary For real
this comment was 4 years ago. How does it feel today? r u in the field?
16:52 - Panelization Start (Comment: oh!!! This is gold info, loved the advance one )
34:11 - Panelization Fiducial
36:50 - ENIG Finishing
37:50 - Why getting boards out of panels ( individual routed board )
39:45 - Getting things done in Altium ( or PCB project )
42:33 - Solder Mask expansion
44:33 - Gerber generation
47:18 - Pick and Place
Rather than paying for the Digi-Reels or Mini-Reels, just buy some extra parts on cut-tape to create a "leader" of sorts. One of my CM's recommends these additional amounts:
"SMT components, not supplied on reels should be on one continuous strip of tape. Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes (0603, 0805, 1206, 2225, SOT, SOD, MELF - packages) require a minimum of 50 pcs and/or has to exceed the required quantity by 30 pcs. (Example: build req. 40 pcs - we will require 70 pcs - this meets our minimum required 50 pcs plus 30 pcs above build requirement) Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes (0201, 0402, minimelf, miniature packages) require a minimum of 100 pcs and/or has to exceed the required quantity by 50 pcs. (Example: build req. 80 - we will require 130 - this meets our minimum required 100 pcs plus 50 pcs above build requirement)"
The other handy option is to buy your assembly "turnkey" (assy house buys the parts) rather than "consigned" (you supply the kit). They often can buy parts cheaper than I can, then I can ignore these matters.
8 years in, still fucking relevant. Hats off to you sir, much respect. I have learned a lot from this.
The world will benefit if it has more people like you.
Thanks for providing this nice "peek" inside the manufacturing process, it was really informative and interesting for me as a programmer who happens to be somewhat interested in EE stuff.
Loved the negative feedback T-Shirt!
Oh Boy, DAVE YOU ARE brilliant, and a great man! Big strong handshake, for a such nice personality, and for disclosure very useful information in such details, especially useful for novices and dummies! Love You channel! It's like treasure for me.
So much respect and admiration, because of your channel and excellent explanation, now im able to design PCBs for home automation and robotics.
All my experience in the electronics comes from you and i owe you a ton !
i used to watch your channel daily for 5+ hrs and i never forget a part that i need to rewatch !
Thanks and best wishes always, hope we can pay you back one day as a humble gratitude.
You are a gem, love the videos and the way you deliver these tutorials are perfect.
I didn't understand a word you said but I'm fairly confident this is what i was looking for.
this video has so many little tips that youd never think of until its too late, especially the first time around. like, making sure your copper doesnt touch the v-groove, because then it will be exposed when you break your boards apart.. great tips.. absolutely brilliant video.
This is such an old DigiKey site holy crap! How far they’ve come is amazing
Great video, coming from a PCB manufacturing, I loved the points you touched on panelization, i.e. the overall size, breakaway methods, rigidity of panel and basically everything else. GREAT VIDEO!!! keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
You are the main reason why i still come here, i also find your forum very helpful!
This is an astounding amount of drafting. As a professional residential architectural drafter, I am humbled.
I really appreciate you sharing industry standard & best practive type of information! It can seem daunting at time all the things that have to be taken into consideration. You layed out the information quite nicely!!!
Awww I love the Back to the Future Outatime car plate in the background!
Thanks for the knowledge and experience put together in this tutorial. Normally it would take about 2 weeks of talking to the PCB manufacturer to collect all these informations and clues. Thanks for saving my time. :)
This is one of the best blogs you have ever done - so educational
Well I guess the 163 "thumbs down" folks must've obeyed his T-shirt, I guess... I can't imagine ANYONE down voting this. He is pouring his heart out on this teaching!
I'm glad you're glad I asked.
I'm glad you're glad he's glad you asked.
Gladness overflow
Seriously though, this video series is awesome. Thanks!
I feel Rob-ed
I laughed too much at this
I will always be more glad than everyone else in this thread.
Dave, you're going on about stuff that I use every day, yet no one ever mentioned in college. Nice work! This is the kind of stuff that nobody puts in a book.
Great video! Thanks!
Typical tooling hole diameter: 4mm
Typical routing width: 2.4mm
Typical fiducial mark diameter: 1mm (both sides for top-bottom surface mounting)
WOW! Thanks Dave! You've answered so many questions that I didn't even know I had! I knew I could find a video by you that would answer some of the specific questions I couldn't find elsewhere!
Dave, great video. Many thanks from me. I am young electronics hardware engineer and always looking for techniques and principles how to design a proper PCB. Recently I discovered your PCB design tutorial, also great job. I wish you best luck.
This might have been the most useful and interesting video I've seen in youtube since its release.
Wow! In geek terms that is way out there!
Amazing how different things are when PCB design goes into the 'big boys' sandpit.
Thanks again very much Dave for taking the time to do this, and the great insight into this very special area of design.
You don't need to automatically go to reels (or DigiReels). All you have to do is buy Cut Tape with 4-5" of extra length, the extra length becoming the leader. Done.
Obviously for bypass caps and other parts, it makes sense to just buy a big reel, but otherwise I get tired of paying $7 for DigiReels.
I thought so. Would Digikey sell with 5-7" inch extra cut tape? I usually buy them in cut tapes but I always buy them extra assuming the assembler would lose some in peeling the tapes
@militantmindset Yes, but what's your point? No need to but it, use a cheaper package or a free package. gEDA and KiCad are both free and open source.
Glad I stumbled on this video. I'm designing a very compact piece for small scale production (don't anticipate selling more than 150 or so in all), got together a parts list for all SMT components, but have been waffling back and forth between making my own PCBs with a UV cabinet or just having them produced for me by a manufacturer. Sounds like having a manufacturer do it will be the more economical way to go.
Great video BTW
Awesome. Totally Awesome. As an engineering student, it's information like this that we never get in the classroom that I crave so much! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.
This is something that should be taught in many engineering degrees, that is normally thought as unimportant. Great video
Great! I thought this video was gold, I don't know where else anyone would go to find out this much useful information about the DFM process. cheers
You have taught me so much and saved me from many headaches and mistakes. I can't thank you enough.
it’s a challenge for newbs to even get 1 board designed and working perfectly.. this was a great video to help people get to the next stage easily. explained so much.
Several of the other commenters have hit the nail on the head: this video (and your videos in general) are what make UA-cam actually worth using. I love cat videos as much as the next person but I especially love learning useful things from experts who share their knowledge and experience as effectively as you do!
I don't think it's hyperbolic in the least to suggest that you're a great asset to humanity! Thank you very, very much! Inspiring, encouraging, helpful!
Thanks for this Dave - just managed to shave $5 off production using 0402 over 0603, and a VQFN-44 over a TQFP-44
hey, just wanted to let you know, i use your videos all the time and i really appreciate your tutorials
Great video Dave. This has helped me no end with some of my college assignments.
Downloaded both parts, I will suggest to our lecturer that he shows them during a lesson.
By far the most helpful channel on youtube.
@DanFrederiksen Afraid not. They are just a bare board PCB manufacturer.
Eurocircuits are amazing, they provide you with checks for many of these points when you submit your Gerber files - cheap too, if you use their pool service.
Great work. This sort of knowledge is invaluable and you can normally only learn it by doing it amongst some good electrical engineer mentors.
A great way to create your BOM spreadsheet is to use the information that you've already provided in your CAD software e.g. Altium.
If you use database libraries you can link the datasheet, manufacturer and supplier information to the part in the schematic. So when it comes time to make the BOM, all the information comes straight from the schematic!
The corner holes are normally, at least in my experience, the first holes ever drilled, as a pin is pressed into the holes to anchor the stack of pre-drilled boards to the CNC drilling machine bed, ready for drilling / routing. The next step is etching, before being brushed and cleaned, ready for silk screen printing of the mask and sent for component assembly / populate the PCB's. As far as I remember anyway, it was a while ago in an age where audio cassette tapes were the storage medium for CNC software / program....lol.
Many different PCB manufacturers for those boards. Most board houses can do anything you want. Colour, gold etc.
Awesome blog Dave! I'm preparing for my first surface mount commercial PCB design and this info could not have come at a better time. Thanks :)
I work for a Circuit Board Company and panels with pre-drilling and secondary drilling for open hole circuit boards are better because the plating allows for the boards to be fully conductive were as surface plating could go wrong. Also the way we manufacture boards is way different then the way your showing.
Allot of good advice was given which applies only to very large quantities. One will typically ramp-up from the prototyping stage to small-quantities first; Say 25 to 50 units. To address this market, assembly houses are offering services which loosen allot of the rules mentioned; For instance, they may not require you to panelize unless your board is very small; Say under 1" square, They may also be flexible about parts being on cut tape or loose.
KUDOS DAVE JONES !
I just learned a lot, thanks for making the best and most completed video on manufacture specifications.
My university professors would be hard pressed to pump out a video as high quality and informational as this.
So, you need to shop for your design parts and then ship them to the pcb maker for assembly? what are these services called/how to find them?
Great guide! Another thing that can save cost on the raw board is minimizing drill changes, especially for smaller boards.
@Bushougoma It's not you. Something went wrong there.
@hitachi088 It's an official replica of the original plate used in the movie. Right down to the actual period stickers. You can get them on ebay.
@EEVblog ,
I do not know how to Thank you for the valuable videos that you make.You are precious.
Thanks :)
Just made my first panel mate thank you
This is interesting to me, and should be to a lot of people, who salvage components from old electronics and if, like me, you see if circuits can be improved - limited number of components can make a difference to audio circuits. Great!
I really enjoy your videos and have learned a lot from them. This video is no exception. I have designed a board and am looking at making 100 of them to start so this info was perfect for me. Thank you so much.
Bill
17:58 There's a big cycle time reduction when you panelize. Manufacturing machines take time to load a board in, recognize, get ready to do it's thing. Then the actual thing it does can be relatively brief. By panelizing small designs, the equipment spends more time doing its thing and less time getting ready to do it's thing, per PCB.
As a wannabe engineer, or engineer tech in any case, these vids are great, even if I don't understand everything.
Nice video!
If I can make a request, something I've always wondered about is how to design a board so that it can be tested during manufacturing - what should be tested, how and where to place the test points etc.
Very useful video.....cant get these information even if I read a whole library :)
Thank you very much for the huge effort to sharing your knowledge and life experiences with others around the world.
And I though Einstein was the smartest, but after watching this and others you have created, I was wrong. Thank you for all the effort you put into each tutorial you produce.
Thanks Dave!
I am using OSHPark right now for manufacturing, their service is very good for most projects...
I'm about to watch this entire playlist all in one go :P
Wish me luck!
@ArtistEngineer e.g. you have an individual part for a "10K resistor 1% 0805" "1K resistor 1% 0805". So your BOM is EXACT and automatic. It takes a bit of setting up in the library but once you've got it done then you save LOADS of time doing your part ordering.
Anyway, this is a simplified example and you probably already do this.
@EEVblog Can you please show how to design PCB using Altium from start to finish. Simple 4 layer PCB with surface mount and through hole and it has square or elliptical cut.
You are great teacher and very experienced
I have to say I'm really impressed as to how informative this video was. I even found some points that I hadn't considered. I think we need more oxygen breathers like you mate. The world would be a much better place. Please note that I've +1'd this on Google, shared it on Facebook and favorited it to my UA-cam channel in hopes that it will reach a wider audience.
this video so good, I don't think anyone would ever give a thumps down
EEV I have a few royalty questions. I'm designing a PCB for the PCI express bus that will likely also use an AMD CPU on the AM3 socket. Do you know the best way of finding out a general idea of finding out if I have to pay royalties so I can make some design decisions accordingly?
sorry for the multiple comments but I'm basing a few arguments based on my previous work experience. small smd components not on deals are not hand soldered but instead placed manually during the inspection of the other components from the pick and place machine. then it all goes through the reflow oven.
Dave, this is my all time favorite video of yours ! very informative and practical.
this was the most terrific of all I have seen.
Thank you so much
I LOVE your shirt that says "I only give negative feedback" with the op-design! LOL!
Uploaded 10 years ago, and you like you released this video yesterday.
Totally enjoyed this one Dave. Really spelt out the process very well. Cheers!
Nice one Dave. Design for repair could also make a good topic.
@EEVblog Its good. I've used for a long time. Has some bugs but its still waaay better than the mentor stuff, and leaves kicad and eagle dead in the water.
I really didn't need to watch this, but it was interesting as hell. lol so i kept watching. you could have done an episode for "How it's Made" , with this one, Dave. Cheers
Great video. I generally make a own boards, but some great stuff to keep in mind in case one of my designs actually makes it to mass production.
Really quality work mate. Thank you for increasing the signal to noise ratio on youtube, and indeed this sector :). You the man!
I just finished watching your video and I have to give you a lot of positive feedback. This was the most informative video I saw on this subject ever. Very well done. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
P.S. Nice T-shirt.
This man is under-appreciated.
maybe you could get your lecturer to contact a contract assembly firm and see if they are willing to give some time to talk to the future designers. I work for a company that does contract manufacturing and we have had in the past had students for work experience but this is getting harder to accommodate these days. My advice to anyone designing a board is talk to a contract manufacturer as early as possible for advice. It will save you heaps in the long run.
Altium Designer looks really professional, and designed by an Australian company.
I'd be interested in how it compares to more established packages such as PADs or Cadstar.
This was very informative and helpful. What are your thoughts, though, on selling PCB's as DIY kits/DIY boards? For this, I think it's safe to assume that through-hole would be the way to go for people who are learning and just starting out and what not. I've been deliberating between buying a CNC machine and learning to silk screen vs. sending my boards to a fab. What do you think?
What would we do without you Dave..
what software is that from 40:00 onward?
Any advice for a software making custom shaped smd pads (non rectangular). Have been using eagle but not able to do other complex shapes other than rectangular with roundness parameter.
I think I've liked and favorited this video like 3 times. I always come back to it!
You are better than a university of technology.
@rainbowsalads (Viz circuit (schema)...pcb walkthroughs) AutoLISP training is universal enough, but so are the AutoDesk (etc.) certified trainers, often in with distributors and engineering service companies; just pick your coverage (e.g. as mentioned, 401 discretes, inline packages, connectors...) and/or read up at the fabricators' (CFM/OEM) sites and match up preflighting (so connectors don't hustle each other for space, RF emit overmuch, etc.)
black pcb with golden contacts are sooooo beautifull !!!
@marios2liquid I use PCBcart also. Yes, there are always NRE tooling costs.
love the easy to understand lectures!
I am so excited with this tutorial I found, very informative and helpful. Thanks, great work, mate!
Beautifully made tutorial. Great resource of information for designers.
That is outright, and is not bad. I got a trial on a 64 layer where I could move whole rows of tracks and lay in ground planes shields, etc. $36K! per YEAR! It beats the heck out of a R&R program which Rips up a design & Replaces it until it finds one it likes. Dip trace is free 2 sided through hole. My new CNC router can do drilling and an OK job of routing etching in the copper. I won't advocate using cracked versions of the program. It is one of the best ways to get your computer a virus!
Great information to consider, well worth the time to absorb. Thank you Dave
i am a component lover also, i got tubes of stuff, n i am a designer and builder, well, i need to build more, nice video . thanks Thomas in Vancouver Canada
I notice you specify a soldermask swell of 1.5 mil around your pads. The two board houses I use regularly want 2.5 and 3 mil. This makes it impossible for me to do a QFN with 0.5mm pitch and still provide 5mil width soldermask between pads. What do you do in this situation? Thanks.