Making a PCB the Easy Way
Harry Robinson (KC9EOT)
on
August 12, 2009
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I have found a way to consistently make good PCBs. Here are the steps. This method is for a small board the will fit under an iron. For larger boards you would have to something bigger than an iron but principals are the same.
1. Print a mirror image of your circuit on a photo paper with a laser jet, preferably one side and cheap glossy photo paper.
2. Take a piece of copper clad circuit board, and clean it with fine grain steel wool, put a piece of paper over and heat it with an iron for 2 minutes on high.
3. Cut the laser print to fit the board and lay it on the board face down. Be sure to gt it aligned correctly, once you lay it on the board it will stick so you only get one chance here.
4. Using anything you have roll across the top of paper to push the paper agains the hot copper.
5. Out the iron back on the paper and press down. You are presing the black plastic material (laser ink if yo will) into the hot copper while heating it. After 2 minutes roll it again and heat for another two minutes.
6. Lightly sand the paper to remove any plastic on the paper and rough it up a little so water can soak into it easily.
7. Put it in a bowl of water for 5 minutes
and then remove the top layer of paper. You will find that you and carefully remove one layer of paper from the copper but you will still have another layer to go and yo can see the traces now through it.
8. Drill a small hole in a non circuit area of your board s you can attach a "coated" wire to use for dipping it. Put on rubber glves and eye protection. Mix some Muratic acid and Hydrogen peroxide, careful here the acid can burn you.
You want to mix it 2 parts Hydrogen peroxide and 1 part acid. Start with hydrogen peroxide in a container and add the acid to it slowly. You will find that you can etch board well and quickly with a fresh batch of this stuff but its strength weakens quickly. You can use all the time though for this step.
Put the board with the last layer of paper on it into the bath. A fresh batch will show lots of foaming. When the foaming stops you can remove the board and wipe off the last layer of paper using a wash cloth and lightly rubbing the surface. You can store this material for future use though it will weaken. You can add some table salt to help keep it a little stronger but you will need to leave the board in it for probably about 3 minutes after it is 24 hours old but it works fine.
After you have used the acid for about 3 minutes in an old batch of acid, remove it and rinse it in water. Then gently rub off the last layer of paper which should come off real easy. You should find that the laser traces are fairly firmly melted to the surface of the PCB giving you a nice clean circuit to etch.
You can use Radio Shack etchant or you can make your own by obtaining anhydrous ferric chloride form a chemical company. It will cost (I think) around $40 for a 500ml container of this powder which is enough to last a life time HIHI. I used about 5 or 6 plastic teaspoons for about 16 oz. of water and it does a real nice job. Add the ferric chloride to water, not water to the ferric chloride and add it very slowly as it will fiz and bubble. You dont want it spitting this stuff back at you or on a surface as it is also corrosive and could burn you. It wont burn you badly or anything but you will want to rinse it off if you get the liquid on you.
After you have made this up put the circuit board in it; it will eat the copper away from the board leaving only the copper traces. When the board is fully etched rinse with water and use steal wool to remove the laser material from the board to reveal your copper traces. Tin the traces by coating the circuits with rosin paste solder and soldering them with a very light layer of solder. Congratulations on your circuit board.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N9NFB on August 12, 2009
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K4MC the hard way, is design it in a cad program, upload it to china, wait a week, realize you forgot one trace, upload to china, wait ANOTHER week, realize you forgot a trace, repeat about ten times.
Repeat about ten times, outsourced, is about ten weeks. Repeat about ten times, etching at home, is just one very long day, or perhaps one weekend.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 12, 2009
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WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF YOU SHOWED HOW WELL YOURS CAME OUT. PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. OH WELL!
73'S AND GOOD LUCK!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by WX1F on August 12, 2009
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The "HARD WAY" is paying a circuit board manufacturing company $10 grand for design...board stock and machine rental time.....and since they will only make boards in bulk, then you are stuck with 999 boards!!
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N1DVJ on August 12, 2009
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I like the idea of using water to soak off the paper, using photo paper... I hadn't thought of that.
I wonder how well this works with the new laser printers and their lower temp binders in the ink?
One thing to watch out for is scaling. Not all laser printers are to scale. I'd find out first. Just print a box of a known size that sits 'inside' your piece of paper and measure it to see how close it comes to what you think it should be.
For those that haven't done this, get yourself PLASTIC kitchen tongs to handle the board when it's wet with etchant.
Another trick is to use a Pyrex cake pan and lay the board in it. Gently rock the pan while it's etching. I had one friend rig up a motor with an offset cam. Something he rigged up from an old Christmas display. It would raise and lower one end of the pan about 1/4" in 15 seconds or so.
But then he got a spray etcher. It was rigged up in a plastic trash can (room size, not a barrel) and had a small fish tank pump (I'm assuming all plastic parts) that pumps water. The board would stand vertical and the pump would spray the board from the side with etchant. Took a long time job and make it minutes.
But remember, the stuff is NASTY!! Don't dump it strait down the drain or you're asking for trouble!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KB9VGE on August 12, 2009
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A very important detail ..... how DO you dispose of the chemicals??
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K0BG on August 12, 2009
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At one time, you could actually buy paper made for the purpose. Having used some of it, I personally wasn't impressed.
The usual way is to print the layout on laser-safe overhead slide material, and use boards coated with photo activated resist. The only drawback, some laser printers, like the Ricoh printers, don't do rich blacks. As a result the etch isn't all that good.
Of course, if you're really into doing a lot of this stuff, you buy a flat platen wax printer, and print directly to the boards like the big one-off shops do.
No matter how you do it, it isn't cheap, and it isn't safe if you're not careful. As said before, etch is nasty stuff, and it will dissolve plastic plumbing. Caveat Emptor indeed!
Alan, KØBG
www.k0bg.com
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K2LRV on August 12, 2009
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There are a few low cost PCB manufactures that specialice in low quantity, low cost PCB runs. ExpressPCB and PCB123(Sunstone Circuits) are two that I have used. Both have their own software packages that you have to use, but the learning curve is not to bad on them. ExpressPCB even has what they call "MiniBoard" service. $51 plus shipping for three 2.5"x3.8" 2 layer boards with plated thru holes, solder mask, and silkscreen on the top layer. Not bad if you ask me.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K3AN on August 12, 2009
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Actually, Express PCB is easy the way to go.
http://www.eham.net/articles/16958
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K8IZ on August 12, 2009
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I have used Press-n-Peel Blue with good results. I modified a GBC hot laminator to do the "ironing" for me. I have photo etched boards. I used an overhead projector for both exposing the board and placing a white opaque plastic sheet over the projector table it becomes a very nice light table.
But now I am just finishing up a small cnc router using a Paul Jones PCB spindle. Making the layouts in gEDA or Eagle and then bringing them into Linuxcnc EMC2. Should be a hoot watching the router cut out the traces then after changing bits it will do the drilling too.
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by W1EH on August 12, 2009
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1. Using toner as an etch resist will only work well if it is of a uniform thickness to prevent uneven etching. More consistent results may be obtained by substituting Press N Peel for the glossy paper. When this product is used, not only does the toner protect the board, but a s seperate layer of etch resist is deposited above the toner.
2. Muriatic acid (a.k.a. pool acid) is somewhat dangerous undilluted in a 3 Molar concentration. Ferric Chloride may be a bit messier, but is much safer. I have gotten good results using an etching tank consisting of nothing more than a fish tank aerator, perforated plastic tubing and a plastic container.
73 de Chris W1EH
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 12, 2009
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By the way great article and hope your article inspires some to try it. Here's an article on the subject I also wrote.
http://www.eham.net/articles/20120
Here's a great way to make your own etchet solution that's both enviormentally friendly and cost less buying it. Very effective and you can use time and time again. Explains also how to properly dispose of ferric chloride.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-ecthant!--A-better-etc/
Have fun folks and 73's!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 12, 2009
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Found problem with upper link so try this one.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/
73!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by AA4PB on August 12, 2009
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I haven't used anything but ExpressPCB for a number of years. The mini-board service does not include solder mask or silk screen (3 boards for $51). The proto service (4 boards for $166) does include solder mask and silk screen. Processing is 2 days plus a few days shipping - you'll generally have it in less than a week. They even have a 4-layer board available now.
That's the easy way but not the cheapest. You end up with a really professional looking PCB however.
By the way, if you lay out the PCB with the software and then wait a day or two before re-checking it you'll eliminate a lot of errors. The layout software can also be keyed to your schematic to color code where the connections need to be made. That also helps to eliminate errors.
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KA1ILH on August 12, 2009
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I will have to give this a try - Datak is no longer available for pads and traces from Chartpak are getting scarce too.
I have tried the iron ons before but for the most part need multiple layers.
Photo resist too many chems and a darkroom - not happening.
Tnx fer the article
yes a pic would be great!
73
Chet
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K4DPK on August 12, 2009
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Great Article! We need to see more of these.
Couple of questions and comments….
Have you had any trouble with the muriatic/peroxide treatment and removal of the paper causing the mask lines to be deteriorated?
Have you tried aerating the etchant? This speeds the etching and reduces undercuts and thin traces. Aquarium air pumps and stones work nicely. You can also put the airstones under a bed of glass marbles, so the board can lay face down on the marbles and “dance” on the bubbles.
Pre-warming the etchant accelerates etching. I place the container in a boiler of hot water. Don’t do this on the stove; the vapor will corrode the kitchenware. Also loosen the cap first.
Wouldn’t 1000-2000 grit wet-or-dry paper be a better choice than steel wool? I have a rule in my shop: No steel wool. I’m afraid of stray fibers ending up on a circuit board somewhere.
Glass jars (e.g. Alka-Seltzer bottles) make good rollers.
Ferric chloride will crawl over the surface of a table, and if there are steel tools around, it’ll corrode them. Also, ferric will stain your skin and your clothing, countertops, almost anything else it comes in contact with, so be careful.
Again, a very good article. Well done.
Phil C. Sr.
k4dpk
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by NB3O on August 12, 2009
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"$10 grand for design...board stock and machine rental time.....and since they will only make boards in bulk"
Not sure who this could be....but for those wishing to keep the chemicals out of the shack, many of us have found the following:
One or two pieces, less than 70 bucks per set, two-day turn-around, 0.062" FR4 laminate, plated through-holes, decent quality (solder mask is extra).
With "FREE" layout tools:
http://www.expresspcb.com/
Without free layout tools, but supports Gerber X274 file format:
http://apcircuits.com/
Most of these proto shops use fully automated machines and will "panelize" your design with other folks on the same run to make efficient use of time and material. The only things you might pay extra for are special drill bit sizes, a high amount of holes, solder mask, and expedited shipping (same-day service).
I gave away my ferric chloride bottles years ago after finding these places.
73
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by WB2LCW on August 12, 2009
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I have been doing this for quite a while!
Here is a link to photo of one of my recent boards!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/photos/album/1613902738/pic/1067172535/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&count=20&dir=asc
In this photo the board is etched and drilled but the toner has not been stripped off!
You can see I can turn out VERY good quality boards
with this method.
I don't use Photo paper any more! I use HP Presentation paper instead.. It is easier to remove.
73
Mike
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by GW0DIV on August 12, 2009
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Remember this only works with laser toner type printers or copiers not ink jets. Toner melts at around 150°C, perhaps a laminator at it's highest settting would be a better way to apply heat and pressure? An old analogue copier would be easy to "tweek" for this, off the top of my head the best I could think of would be the old Toshiba 1350 range. A factory set Toshiba puts so much toner down it's almost possible to read it with your fingers like braille!!
If your printer has it use the text mode not the photo/graphics mode as text mode "beefs up" the solid and hides imperfections by dialling out the half-tones. printing the image to a colour printer as a colour image will help as the printer will lay down 4 layers of toner.
Most laser printers are "mono-component" so there is ferrite in the toner, so choose your etchant accordingly or use a dual component copier or printer. Ask your copier tech if the machine uses "dev" or not if you want to be sure. If you won't get in trouble open the front door of the copier/printer before the paper gets to the fuser - if you're lucky you'll get a full un-fused image. But don't let on I said ;0)
Rhys
"Helping to make one bit of paper look like another bit of paper for over 20 years"
GW0DIV
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Your right or you can just put a bunch of solder pads on a board evenly space and make a solder type bread board, this process only takes about 20 minutes for a board so if you are making a psk interface put several on a piece of copper and sell the the extra to buddies for a buck or two or what ever
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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I just bought a brother printer and some cheap photo paper from staples, works great.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Why dispose of them keep them in plastic containers and reuse them. If you must get rid of the stuff you can neutralize it with baking soda, get a bucket of water and poor it in there then dump it down a floor drain, just be sure you neutralize it and for added assurance I dilute the heck out of it.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Yeah but doing it this way you dont have to worry about special paper of types of ink because you are photo etching it and such. This way works well and takes about 20 minutes to 30 minutes per copper board.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Well your right it can be nasty, it doesn't harm plastic, the ferrous oxide comes from radio shack in plastic and is not problem, acid can also be stored in plastic. If you have copper plumbing for god sakes be sure you neutralize it before you put it down the drain, yo can do that with baking soda, then dilute the heck out of it. usually you will 6 to 12 oz at a time. You can store it and reusable but, after neutralizing it I will dump it into a couple gallons of water before I run it down the drain and then let the water run for a few minutes also. Never had a plumbing problem.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by AB9LZ on August 12, 2009
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Thin clay coated papers work best, the pages from a Time magazine work really well, much better than the thicker photo papers, they literally fall right off in hot water. The existing printed images/text doesn't affect the toner in any way.
73 m/4
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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This is true, I use them to but if your making a prototype board or one of a kind why spend $51.00. The circuit on a piece of photo paper is about 20 cents maybe, you can buy the etchant at radio shack that will be good for many board for a couple of bucks and you can by a cheap pcb at radio shack, 4 by 6 is about 4 bucks. A quart of muratic acid and a quart of hydrogen peroxide together might be 4 or 5 bucks. So for 8 or 10 dollars you get the chemicals, enough to make many boards and for about 2.5 dollars you get your circuit and a copper clad board so on the average yo are talking about 3 or maybe 4 dollars a board an 20 to 30 minutes of time. Beats 51 any day of the week. After you get the board the way you like it, it would probably be cost affective
to have the boards done in volume if you are going to do many but when you do them send the drawing away to have then done you will know that it is correct.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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I use express PCB, and doing it this way when I have them make a board I want more than one of I am assured that the board I get back will be perfect and I wont have to wonder if there are any mistakes in it.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Well I'd say if you are not getting an even print you have a printer problem, It has worked on every printer I have used, my old HP 5p, my new Brother, a 4240 from work and a friend of mine, dont know what his is.
The process takes muratic and etchant and yes you have to be careful with them but the process works well for me every time and store the material in two small jugs for reuse.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Your right in all that you say. As far as damaging the traces, the final paper removal process prevents that. In the final step you still have a thin layer of film of the board and if you try to just take this layer off without treatment you most likely will damage a trace. Put the board in the muratic acid before you take off the last layer then use a soft wash rag and gently rub it off, it will come off clean with out trace damage 99% of the time. I have yet to make a bad trace with this process unless I didn't follow it as I have written it though.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Cool, I'll have to find some of that paper and give it a try. thanks
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 12, 2009
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Tried magazine paper like the type you suggested, didn't have a lot of luck with it.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by W8AAZ on August 12, 2009
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I once used some sort of ink markers in school for free handing PCB work and they were great. Not like the sad results I later got trying to use permanent ink black markers, which was not thick enough. The good markers were some sort of blue laquer or such, almost like clear blue paint or something as I recall (mid 70's) I have never been able to find those again anywhere. Just crappy dry transfers that lift off in the etch, etc. Not even bottles of hobby enamel worked as well.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by PULLRAFTT on August 12, 2009
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by N2RRA on August 12, 2009
"WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF YOU SHOWED HOW WELL YOURS CAME OUT. PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. OH WELL!"
-------------------------------
Why are you yelling?
-zw
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K4DPK on August 12, 2009
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For a really fast simple board, you can pick up a Uni-Paint Fine-Line PX-21 oil based paint marker from an office supply house.
These work like sharp-pointed Magic Markers, but they are a thick, fast-drying laquer.
They are made by Mitsubishi Pencil Co. for Eberhard Faber.
Works great for a one-time, simple board, like a PS Filter or rectifier board.
Phil C. Sr.
k4dpk
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by LU3DHR on August 12, 2009
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Here you can see a good exaple of this procedure.
I had made several pcb's using glossy paper and a iron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKEe3otWstM
73's
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC9EOT on August 13, 2009
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I like the example. I added the acid dip prior to removing the paper because I could not get the paper off without removing traces every so often. The acid does something to the paper that makes come off real easy.
Where do you get the liquid tin thats great stuff
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 13, 2009
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PULLRAFT - ?????????????
Why are you yelling?
-zw
Why are you hiding, ZW?
Didn't bash the guy just asked for a lightly better presentation. I am entitled to my opinion! In fact in last post words of encouragmement followed.
Where are yours?
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YELLING
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by PLANKEYE on August 13, 2009
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Dude, you were kinda Yellin.
You covered it good though.
Some folks see more than you think.
PLANKEYE
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RE: YELLING
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by WI7B on August 13, 2009
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K4MC, lol.
Plankeye, some folks see less than you think.
73,
---* Ken
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RE: YELLING
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by N2RRA on August 13, 2009
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Another one?
Some see what they want to see
&
Some don't want to be seen
Plankeye aka K4MC
Wonder why that is?
I would hope someone who knows me well would vouch for me that when I yell I make it very known, but that's when I yell. This guy is lucky considering that.
Later!
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Etching
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by K5END on August 14, 2009
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This article is interesting to me because I spent so many years in semiconductor fabrication--not the boards, but the silicon devices. It is called VLSI (very large scale integration) and known otherwise as "wafer fab."
No doubt the industry has changed completely since I left it over a decade ago, but "wet etch" was a drudge and considered a crude technology. Liquid etch is "isotropic" and jagged.
Because the geometries of the devices were getting so small, the crudeness of wet etching has been avoided whenever possible for 25 years or more and plasma etching has been used instead for not only etching, but thin film deposition as well. The metal film deposition was done in similar fashion with "sputters" and similar tools.
I never worked in the pc board manufacturing industry at all, but I would like to know if wet etch is still used industrially on a large scale for the boards. My guess is perhaps not.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by PULLRAFTT on August 14, 2009
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by N2RRA on August 13, 2009
"PULLRAFT - ?????????????
Why are you hiding, ZW?
Didn't bash the guy just asked for a lightly better presentation. I am entitled to my opinion! In fact in last post words of encouragmement followed.
Where are yours?"
---------------------------
Eric, don't get your shorts in a bunch, I was attempting a bit of humor - when you write with all caps it is assumed by most people that you are yelling. And yes I should have said how much I liked the article - I did. And my screen name has two t's at the end. And I am not hiding, I am right here, bitch.
-zw
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 14, 2009
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Bitch? LMAO!
We all know who the bitch is here. Who are you anyway?
Punk!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 14, 2009
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Bitch? LMAO!
We all know who the bitch is here. Who are you anyway?
Punk!
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K5END on August 14, 2009
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Decorum at its finest.
Good Afternoon, Gentlemen.
73
LK
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N2RRA on August 14, 2009
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Your right! I feel shamed bring myself down to their level.
Won't happen again!
73's all!
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by NJ2E on August 14, 2009
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Why pour it down the drain? Just turn it to your local
waste collection site. Our county has a free collection once a month for toxic materials. Our waterways are stressed enough. Good article, even though I would prefer the one off commercial method myself. 73s Don NJ2E
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by PULLRAFTT on August 14, 2009
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Mail this to a friend!
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by N2RRA on August 14, 2009
"Bitch? LMAO!
We all know who the bitch is here. Who are you anyway?
Punk!"
-----------------------------
You see Eric, I made you laugh!
Yea, I'm a punk, bitch!
And you know me, we have met face to face, when you figure it out you will REALLY have a laugh!
Think about it...
-zw
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by N3QE on August 14, 2009
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Mail this to a friend!
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Three even easier ways:
1. Dead bug.
2. Dead bug.
3. Dead bug.
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by K2WH on August 14, 2009
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Mail this to a friend!
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SOunds like alot of work to me. I just go to Radio Shack and buy one of there boards with the 1,000 holes and copper pads on it already.
No muss no fuss.
K2WH
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BALANCE BROTHER
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by PLANKEYE on August 14, 2009
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N2RRA:
Your right! I feel shamed bring myself down to their level.
Won't happen again!
73's all!
__________________________
PLANKEYE:
I understand you feel ashamed after you lowered yourself down to their level.
But you did.
Won't happen again?
Talk is just that, TALK!
SHOW US!!
PLANKEYE
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RE: BALANCE BROTHER
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by N4JTE on August 14, 2009
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WHEW tough crowd, tnx to the author for a nifty idea, I will never need it, but obviously others can use the info. Problem with submitting anything lately as an "article" on eham is that the end result is sometimes petty peeves about anything from grammar to quantum molecular theory grabbing the thread.
Jeez, I have an article pending, better get my vest on, lighten up guys, life's too short.
Regards,
Bob
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RE: BALANCE BROTHER
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by K2WH on August 15, 2009
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Hey Bob, when you submit your article, please, please use spell and grammar check. If you don't know code, your dead and if you are not older than 50, you are also dead. You may want to reconsider submitting anything. Its like kicking yourself in the butt.
Bill
K2WH
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RE: BALANCE BROTHER
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by N2RRA on August 15, 2009
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LOL! Better get your vest on and helmet, cause there's goin to be a lot of shelling. :) That goes for me too since I also have an article coming as well.
73's
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KC8RWR on August 18, 2009
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I like to think the real hard way involves a razor blade or maybe an exacto knife and a lot of bandages.
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KG4TKC on August 18, 2009
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Thank you KC9EOT for a most excellent article. I thought you did a great job with it. I have been reading and exploring ways of doing what you describe for a few months now,so your article hit the spot for me,,:)
I have a question or so for you or anyone else around. Does anyone use the Linux operating system? If so,do you use the gEDA suite? I was wondering if anyone had used gEDA and the gschem,gschem-to-PCB,and PCB parts of it to create a schematic,transfer the schematic to the PCB program,and use the PCB program to finish the board,then print it with a laser printer?
I am working on that process now,getting the extra symbol and footprints for the projects,and getting the use of the software down. I was wondering how it all worked out for those who tried,and any extra tips and tricks they may have picked up. It seems to me to go hand in hand with this article,,:) 73 es GL-KG4TKC
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Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KE4ZJF on August 21, 2009
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While this was interesting reading, I have used a variation on this process with consistent results that doesn't seem as complex as the method described. Granted, not all laser copiers will produce a rich-black, but if using one that won't then I have found that doubling up the artwork will always provide enough masking for a photo-resist board, either positive or negative. When drafting the board in whatever program you like to use, place targets on at least two corners of the artwork to facilitate lining up the two masks for exposure on the PCB.
Using picture frame glass, the board and artwork can be taped together for quick exposure. Double-sided boards can also be made using this process, but as you might imagine, lining up top and bottom artwork can be tricky and you only get one shot at it.
Also, most drafting software will give you the option of 'panelizing' the artwork for making multiple boards, which is always a big time-saver.
73s
Chad
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by ZL3AME on August 24, 2009
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Yep. All the cool kids use Linux. Take a look at KiCAD if you want cross-platform free schematic capture and layout.
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RE: Etching
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by AB5Q on August 26, 2009
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K5END
Wet etching the copper remains the most popular means to fabricate PCBs. After all the minimum line width that I've seen most recently published is 125-micron (6 mils). This is huge in comparison to the most advanced VLSI technology even two decades ago at 0.6-micron. Plasma etching (dry etching)copper on RF4 would be impracticle due to processing temperature requirements not to mention that the etch is painfully slow and that it requires a considerably higher end toolset to execute.
Usually ragged metal from a wet etch is caused by poor mask quality, degradation of the mask during etch, a too strong/too weak etch chemistry or a combination of all of the above.
Not too steal any thunder away from the author, but I've had a few PCBs fabricated by ExpressPCB using non-ROHS and ROHS compliant processes. They are fast, inexpensive and the end product quality is very good.
73 - John AB5Q
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by KG4TKC on August 27, 2009
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Thanks ZL3AME for the KiCAD info. Is KiCAD written for the KDE desktop? If so I have a little used (right now) Fedora box I could try it on. I run mainly a Debian box with the Gnome desktop. I am well into the learning curve for the gEDA suite right now,so I may stick it out and then give KiCAD a try out later,,:) When you see all the free programs (free as in free speech,and free as in free beer) for amateur radio and electronics available for the Linux OS,makes you wonder why more ham radio ops didn't ditch WindoZ for Linux a long time ago,,:) 73-KG4TKC
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RE: Making a PCB the Easy Way
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by WA2JJH on September 6, 2009
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Muriotic acid is just hydrochloric acid diluted with water and a buffering agent to get the PH down to a safer level.
Many hardware stores sell it. It is used as an industrial degreeser/degrimer.
Safe disposal is done by adding baking soda to neutralise it. Use PH meter or PH paper. A PH of 3-9 is safe enough to be flushed. A PH of 5-10 Can be spilled down the sink.
I hope you wear safty glasses when the acid is strong. Any PH around 1 or less is very dangerous.
Hydroflouric acid will etch glass. There your dealing with a PH ultra close to zero. (.005ph)
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