So you've been building up circuits on a breadboard for a while now, and maybe soldering some of them onto stripboard, but want to make them look nicer and be quicker and easier to solder? You need to design your own printed circuit boards!
It's easier than you think.
Start off by running through the basics in Designing my first #BadgeLife and then choose your own route through the remaining tutorials based on what you're looking to build.
- 10am Welcome
- 10:30am Work through the basics of designing a simple PCB and preparing the files to send off to manufacture
- 12:30pm Lunch Break
- 1:30pm Free-form exploring one of the other lessons
- 3:30pm Wrap up
- Designing my first #BadgeLife. The basics, from breadboard to ordering PCBs. DO THIS ONE FIRST
- Adding Artwork. Every board deserves a logo!
- Making Footprints or "I want to use a part that isn't in the library!"
- Now Available In 3D. Making 3D models of your board (and creating 3D models for parts without them)
We've also written some notes on other things to consider, such as how to share your design, thoughts on supply chains and other considerations, in ResponsibleElectronics.
Some links to the awesome PCB art that others have made:
- TwinkleTwinkle, for example: his PCB sphinx or Arc Badge
- Boldport use different software (that they wrote themselves) for their PCB designs, but are definitely redefining what's possible with PCBs. Such as this interesting 3D stacked design or Monarch Butterfly