Homebrew PCBs

On Mon, Jul 21, 2014 at 4:49 AM, Brad Thompson
brad.thompson@... [Homebrew_PCBs]
<Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

> --Once you have a layout that you think might be satisfactory, you can
> create a mockup by stuffing components through a 1:1-scale paper layout
> that's superimposed on conductive foam.

Good advise that.
I do that for time critical designs, especially if I have new (to me)
components where I might have made a mistake when drawing them up.

> --You can visually  troubleshoot the board's etch by copying the trace
> and silkscreen layouts onto transparency film and stacking them together.
> Use felt-tip marker pens to mark off traces after you've verified
> point-to-point
> continuity.

Alternatively you can check the gerber files in software such as
viewplot or viewmate, both free.
You can do a lot of checking in Designspark, but there is always a
(slim) possibility of errors in the gerber output.

Also it helps to see the same thing "in a different light" so to
speak. You get blind to errors you have stared at for days.
Looking at the design in a different tool, rotating it around and
mirroring it strangely lets you see things you missed before.




I agree with the general notion that homebrew PCBs are not a good way
to verify designs for production.

ST