OK people, just to let you know... .... I'm a Aerospace Engineering student and, as you may imagine, not really at home with home made electronics. But currently I'm working on this project and I *need* to learn how to make PCBs. Basically I'm making Luxeon LED inspection flashlight and PCB is the best (if not only) solution for placing LEDs. I need help with this. I found loads of materials on-line but what I really need is an advice from someone who knows what is the best way, best parts, bets brands... whatever which can help me finish this project swiftly & with style. I'm short on time. Of course, I could ask someone from nearby Electronics Faculty to make them for me but - I actually want to learn. Thanks in advance. mario
If you want results quickly for a one (or few) off on such an apparently simple circuit look for Stripboard (aka Veroboard) which is pre-drilled laminate with copper strips you can cut and links as required. Perfectly reliable results are possible Making home-brew PCBS is really rather tricky and will require some trial and error you may not have time for. -- Roy Battell. To use this address remove the digits included to remove Spam ... Mail: URL: http://www.vutrax.co.uk (Vutrax CAD system, FREE up to 256 pins) SAN 206 in the support section describes how to use it for Stripboard for more complex designs
Remember that a Luxeon (Lumileds) needs cooling thorigh the PCB! I have made Luxeon boards before. And what's more: some electronics and software I developed are used in machines placing and soldering those leds! Regards, Pieter Hoeben http://www.hoeben.com
For simple one-off or prototype boards, you may want to consider hand-drawn methods. Complete details with hints and tips at <www.daqarta.com/lptxh.htm> Hope this helps! Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis www.daqarta.com
Just some unsolicited advice: if you try to "learn how to make PCBs" AND "finish this project swiftly & with style" simultaneously, you'll end up doing neither. Allocate some time & materials for training, and buy a flashlight. Good Luck! Rich
If you want to make a custom board fairly easily, radio shack has a kit with a copper plated board, a bottle of mild etching fluid and a acid resistant marker. You just draw the printed circuit on the board and soak it in the fluid for about a half an hour and all of the copper plating that wasn't drawn on dissappears from the plate. Finish by drilling holes for your components with a dremel and small drill bit.
Sometimes if you just want a simple copper only PCB it's cheap to get it made for you... http://www.pcb-pool.com/uk_index.htm http://www.4pcb.com/index.asp http://www.expresspcb.com/index.htm http://www.pcbtrain.com/ ....although most will also do solder resist and silk screening if you pay more. Some places do a good deal on a fixed board size (eg Eurocard) if you want a few smaller boards it can pay to replicate the artwork until you reach that size (like a sheet of postage stamps). Then cut them up yourself when they come back. Colin
Thanks for the advices, I appreciate it. The drawing for three LEDs on small pcb, including the 'maximum metallization' principle recommended by Lumileds, is fairly easy to make and accomplish. I read the info you sent me and contacted local distributors including RS and Conrad (pity there's no Radio Shack here... slightly disappointed by Conrad though) and I'm sure I could do it after some trail and error. I am after all (theoretically) capable of designing fifth generation strike fighter... OK, that was a bad joke. Anywayz, the new problem arose after I checked Luxeon Emitter thermal considerations PDF... darn thing has to be made on MCPCB. Yes, *thee* Metal Core PCB. As some of you who have experience with Luxeon LEDs noticed, they have to be cooled through cathode, and they have to be on MCPCB. What about that? Where do I get MCPCB? Another thing is how do I make drawings on it since using ferric chloride etchant is out of question? That thing would completely destroy aluminum layer on the back of the board. Any ideas? OK... I know, I thought about it and asked my self is it worth the trouble. The answer is probably one big fat NO. But the thing is that actually designing the darn lamp would be a success for me. I don't want to bother you with the details but this project has commercial dimension and I am the only one in the competition who started with LEDs. If I do it, I might even earn some money, plus showing the guys who's the daddy. That's why I'm going to push this thing until I run out of options. Again, thank you guys, you helped me a lot. If you have any thoughts on MCPCB I appreciate it. Cheers!! mario
Well if you could design a regular 4 layer PCB and use the inner layers as the heatsink. If you can't afford professional processing costs perhaps you could make your own multi layer board by gluing two double sided boards together after etching (ok there is more to it than that but you get the general idea).
If you want heatsinking how about using ordinary DS PCB and putting solder onto the thin copper? Regards, NT
Anyone out there in the LA area? I have several 3' x 4' sheets of 1/32" thick single sided epoxy coppperclad with 2 oz copper I would sell cheap. Dan
