RSSPCB Creation - Printed Circuit Boards for the Masses
Creating PCB's at home has always been a hassle. The basic methods available include manually laying out the traces with trace transfers (not recommended), photoreproduction (specialized, and expensive), or the use of a laser printer using the toner transfer method. This latter has been somewhat hit or miss for me, with variable results, until I did a bit of internet research and discovered an absolutely dynamite paper. Link. Also check out our primer in MAKE 02.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Oct 15, 2005 08:34 AM
Electronics |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
Recent Entries
- HOW TO - build a water mortar
- Jake's steamcar project, dashboard redo
- Build your own water quality tester
- MAKE @ Yahoo! Buzz
- Made in Japan Vol. 3
- Super Breakout version allows for competitive or collaborative gaming
- How DIYers just might revive American innovation
- Light-Field camera makes blurry images a thing of the past
- Make a pizza box solar oven
- DIY Security system calls your phone
Comments
Oldest comments listed first.
Given the wide availability of PCB services, I've never understood the appeal of sloshing the toxic chemicals yourself. Why deal with the mess when you can email your CAD files and get back drilled & screened boards with soldermasks and plated through holes?
It's sort of like people who still cling to film photography and home darkrooms...
...Or home photo printing
I think the thing with this is that it is expensive to get PCBs done by online or mail order services from CAD files, it takes days, and normaly $30-$40 for a small board, plus shipping. It would become economical once you have a scaled economy, but for the maker, building an occasional PCB for some random bit of inspired project, it is an expense.
Doing it at home is cheaper (by a long way), and gets sooner results. I agree that the toxicity of the chemicals is a problem, and not everyone has a laser printer (Inkjets are far more common).
I suppose in the same light, eMachineShop is a great way to get decent parts custom built, but they are also very expensive, prohibitively so to a home or small business tinkerer.
Hopefully - we will see PCBs, or an equivalent become easier to make and more maker friendly in the future, ie like home photo printing.
The joy of doing something yourself. Although with the costs, it is becoming impractical.
--
PCB Assembly
Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!
Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.
$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)
Features and more @ MAKE!
MAKE @ The NYC Toy Fair 2008 - Covering DIY!HOW TO - Build the arms of assistance.
MADE in Japan - Part I.
MADE in Japan - Part II.
MADE in Japan - Part III.
Make store - Blinky bug kit - Blink!
Make store - Loud Objects Noise Toy Kit
Makers - MAKE Flickr pool contest. Win cool stuff!
Makers - Join the MAKE Facebook page - Meet other makers.
MAKE on Twitter - Tweet! Tweet!
What you're reading in MAKE - Data!
Add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!
Click here to advertise on MAKE!
Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Gareth Branwyn
Robot Maker
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Researcher
Natalie Zee Drieu
Senior Editor
CRAFT
Becky Stern
Culture jammer
Collin Cunningham
Sound Maker
Marc de Vinck
CNC Maker
Current Podcast
AHAB High Altitude Ballooning - Best of Weekend Projects
mp4|mov|hd|3gp|3g2|itunes This week on Best of Weekend Projects, we look back at part two of the AHAB (High Altitude Balloon Adventure). In this epic Bre & Co. travel to Eastern Washington to launch a GPS and camera enabled balloon...
More...
