What is PCB?
PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board, which is a very important component of any electronic device. PCB is used to make the connection between different components present in the circuit. There are many alternatives present in the market. But PCB is always preferred because it is easy to build and has a low manufacturing cost. That is why PCB is used in large scale commercial application.
What are the steps in PCB designing?
The key steps for designing a PCB are listed below –
(1) Choose any PCB designing software to design the PCB
(2) Draw the required circuit in the software
(3) Convert the circuit into PCB layout
(4) Rearrange the components inside the PCB layout
(5) Do routing for the components in the PCB
(6) Generate the Gerber file of the PCB
Above mentioned steps are very much important to design any type of PCB. The steps will remain same in any type of software also.
Which software is best for PCB design?
There are many software available on the market for PCB designing. Some software can be used in online mode only where some are available in both online and offline mode. Some example of PCB designing software are –
(1) EasyEDA
(2) Fritzing
(3) KiCAD
(4) Autodesk EAGLE
All the above software are very popular in designing a PCB and they are available in both online and offline mode. Here I will use the EasyEDA software to demonstrate the process of schematic designing as well as PCB designing. The main purpose of choosing EasyEDA is it’s rich library, which help the designers to design the circuit with minimum effort.
How to design PCB in EasyEDA software?
To design a PCB in EasyEDA software, we have to follow three simple steps –
(1) Design the Schematic
(2) Convert schematic into PCB
(3) Generate the Gerber file
This are the steps which you have to follow, while designing the circuit in EasyEDA software. Now take a look in each of the steps.
Schematic Design –
At first you have to visit the Google chrome, and then search the EasyEDA software. Visit the official website of EasyEDA software. Now you have to create a new account in EasyEDA software. After creating the account, you have to visit the designer mode of EasyEDA software. Now click on the file tab, and then create a new project.
A new window will come in front of you, where you have to write the project name and project description. After writing all this things, you have to save the project.
Now you have to design the required circuit. Select the necessary components from the library of EasyEDA. A huge number of components are available in EasyEDA library. Choose the specific components and then place the components inside the sheet.
The next thing is to do the wiring between the components. Select the wire option from the toolbox and then do the wiring. Interconnect the components with the wire. Once you have finished the wiring, click on the save button to save the project.
PCB Design –
After designing the schematic you have to convert it into PCB. Click on the design tab and then select “Convert schematic to PCB”. After this a new window will come to you, where you have to set the units, copper layer, board outline. Also you can set the width and height of the PCB.
Now a PCB outline will be created. You have to drag and drop the components inside the outline of the PCB. Then rearrange the components to make the circuit more clear and simple. Now you have to do the routing for the components. Click on the route tab and then select auto routing.
A new window will come into the screen. Here you have to choose the trace width and the other things for routing. Then select the local auto router. Run the local auto router in the background and then start routing. After routing, you have to add the copper area in the PCB. At first select the top layer and then select the copper area tool. Now select the ground net and then add the copper area in the top layer in the PCB. This copper layer will provide a professional look to the PCB. Similarly add the copper area in the bottom layer of the PCB. Now you can add some text on the PCB. For this select the “text” option from the toolbox. Then place the text on the PCB. Now write the text, which you want. To make the text visible in the PCB, you have to select the top silk layer. Also you can edit the properties of the text like “Length” and “Width”. You can take a look at the picture given below.
Also you can add the holes in the PCB for mounting purpose. For this you have to select the “Holes” option from the toolbox. Then you have to place the cursor, where you want to make the holes. You can also take a 3D look of the PCB, you have designed. You can change the colour of the PCB according to your requirement. There are many types of colour available in EasyEDA like – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White, Black and Purple. You can choose any one of them. Now the PCB designing is complete.
Gerber File Generation –
After designing the PCB you have to generate the Gerber file of the PCB. For this, you have to click on the fabrication tab. Then you have to select the “PCB fabrication file”. After this check the DRC. If everything is fine, a new window will come to you. Now click on the “Generate Gerber” to download the Gerber file. The Gerber file will start downloading automatically.
Now you can order the PCB in any PCB manufacturing company like “JLCPCB” and “PCBWAY”. To order the PCB you have to use the same Gerber file, which you have downloaded earlier. In this way you can design and order any PCB at your home.
