PCB Design & Software
PCB Design
PCB design is certainly one of the most complex tasks that a designer has to deal with since it combines art and science. This requires a careful assessment of the available space on the board, components and electrical wiring. Creating reliable, functional, and cost-effective Printed Circuit Board designs is challenging, especially when it comes to making compact, lightweight, and flexible PCBs.
What is PCB?
When designing an electronic circuit, one of the possibilities to do so is to implement it in a printed circuit board, or in short, PCB. It is a surface made up of insulating layers and conductive tracks that acts as pathways for electrical signals. In addition, they have a number of soldered electronic components such as – Transistors, resistors, diodes, capacitors.
Design a PCB at Home - Why Not ?
Making a PCB layout involves a number of fairly complex processes that are dangerous due to the use of acids. Copper-plates are usually used, to which the design template is attached. These will be bathed in acid to remove any unprotected copper. In this case, only the tracks that were protected by the template will remain.
PCB Design Software
You have several software that will greatly simplify your work to design your own PCB layout, since you can draw a circuit and get a suitable format file for your PCB manufacture company. And these are:
FreeCAD
FreeCAD is one of the most popular programs for creating your PCB designs. Also, it will allow you to do 3D rendering.
FreePCB
FreePCB is also cross-platform and free.
KiCAD
KiCAD, besides being free, allows you to take schematic pictures, edit, create PCB layouts designs and to see them in 3D format.
