PCB development-

MAKING A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD

For making printed circuit board (PCB) for small circuits we need
Copper clad board,
ferric chloride (FeCl2),
OHP marker pen, ect.
First of all prepare the layout of the circuit using any PCB schematic drawing
software (e.g.- Dip Trace, Express PCB, Eagle, Pspice,ect).Or by hand.
Print the layout on an ordinary paper. After preparing the layout, cut the clad board
according to the size of your layout. Transform the layout to the clad board. This can be
done by several methods. One method is by drawing the circuit layout exactly on clad
board using an OHP marker. This is the simplest method for small circuits. For this, draw
the circuit layout on clad board using carbon paper and pencil. Draw the layout using an
OHP marker above the sketch layout. Ensure that hole positions are at right positions.

Second method is by using an electric iron (toner transformation method). For this
you need the mirror image of the circuit layout. Then print this mirror image using a laser
printer(set the toner deposit to high i.e. Image will look dark). Place the image on the
surface of clad board upside down. Heat the electric iron and place the iron on the paper
having image which is now on the surface of the clad board. Keep the iron for some
seconds. Do not heat excessively. Then the toners on the image get transferred to the clad
board. After this put the clad board along with the sticky paper on hot water and kept for
a long time. The paper becomes lousy. Now remove the paper from
the clad board carefully. Do not remove the sticked toner. Now you will get the layout on
the clad board. The next step is the process of removing copper which are not covered by
the layout.
For etching process we need ferric chloride (Fe Cl2) solution. About 100 ml of tap
water should be heated to 85 degree celcious and 30-50 grams of ferric chloride added to
it. The mixture should be thoroughly stirred, and a few drops of hydrochloric acid (HCl)
may be added optionally to speed up the process.
The board with its copper side facing upwards, should be placed in a
flat bottomed plastic tray and the aqueous solution of ferric chloride poured in. The
etching process will take25-60 minutes to complete, depending upon the size of the PCB.
After etching the board should be clearly visible. If not allow it to
stand in the solution for some more time. The paint (toner, OHP marking) should be
removed with the help of alcohol or petrol. The etching solution may be preserved for
later use until its color turns green.
After the etching is complete, holes of suitable diameter should be
drilled using a power or hand drill. 1mm bit should be used for IC holes, 1.25mm for
resistors and 105mm for diodes, 3mm or 5mm for mounting nuts and 8mm for
potentiometers, switches, ect.
Now the PCB should be scrubbled clean until a shiny finish is obtained. The PCB
may be tin-plated using an ordinary 35W soldering rod along with solder core.
Note:- Before beginning we should roughly clean the surface of the clad board.

We can also draw the circuit using paints and brushes.

PCB Design Layout

In the PCB design of electronics circuit, it is important that one plan and has a checklist
of the do's and don'ts before proceeding to do the printed circuit board layout. The
understanding of the circuit is critical to the design, for example one needs to understand
the maximum current and voltage that are carried by each conductor in order to determine
the track width of the conductor and the type of PCB that will be used.

The voltage difference between each track will determine the clearance between each
conductor. If the clearance is not enough, chances are that the electrical potential between
each track will cause spark over and short circuit the PCB. This will cause functional
failure to the product and the safety of the users that are using the product will be
compromised. It is therefore critical for one to understand some of this basics
requirements before one proceed to design the PCB.
Tracks Restricted Area

Tracks should not be located on the areas that can caused them to be peeled off easily.
One of the restricted area is holes on the PCB which are used to mount screws or PCB
spacers. These holes are usually used to secure the PCB to a casing or to secure it in a
fixed place.

The edges of the PCB should not have any tracks as these areas are usually used to
transport the PCB from one process to another process by using a conveyor belt. These
edges are places where the possibility of scratches and cracking of the PCB happens. The
recommended areas that should not have any track is as shown in the diagram below
assuming a hole diameter of 4 mm which is used to mount a PCB spacer.

Conductor Thickness and Width

The PCB conductor thickness and width will determine the current carrying capacity of
the track. The IPC standard for the conductor thickness and width of the common 1
oz/square-feet PCB is as shown below. However, it is always advisable to use a bigger
value due to the tolerance and variation of the PCB processes. If higher current carrying
capacity is required, a 2 oz/square-feet or 3 oz/square-feet type of PCB is preferred.
Many electronics hobbyist prefer to solder a thick cooper conductor on the PCB track to
increase the current carrying capacity of the track.

PCB Design Electrical Clearance

Many safety standards call for a minimum of 8mm clearance between 240V mains and
other isolated signal tracks. These safety standards are to ensure that the users that are
using the products will be protected from any electrical hazards.

For non main voltages, IPC recommend the electrical clearance between adjacent tracks.
It is important to know the maximum difference in voltage that are applied on the
adjacent tracks of a PCB. The electrical clearance specs of IPC standard is as shown
below for various condition of the PCB. Coating the PCB will help to reduce the
requirements of the track clearance. However, the quality of the coating as well as the
material used are critical to ensure that these requirements are met. Again, it is always
advisable to increase the clearance to cater for the variations of the PCB processes.