PCBs constitute the following stage when you want to improve the aesthetics of your design. PCBs allow us to prevent typical issues like distortion, noise, poor contact, etc. Also, you need to utilize a suitable circuit board if you wish to market your idea. Yet, a lot of individuals, especially those who are just starting out, will find it challenging to design PCBs because they view it as a tiresome task that requires a high level of circuit board technical expertise. PCB design is a straightforward process.
Step For Making Your Own Eagle Print PCB
In this post, let’s walk you through the process of designing a PCB utilizing Eagle and making your personal PCB. You must adhere to the following three processes or methods:
- designing the design’s schematic
- Creating panel
- and designing the PCB layout
Using a CAD tool, the first two tasks—schematic and layout of PCB—are completed. PCBs may be designed using a variety of CAD tools, including Cadence OrCAD, Altium Designer, Autodesk Eagle, Mentor Graphics PADS, and KiCad.
We’ll employ Autodesk Eagle CAD in this article Three versions of Eagle are offered: Free, Standard, and Premium.
Eagle Free is a PCB design program that is available for free usage and can be utilized to capture PCB Layout and schematics. The other two versions contain more features including more signal layers, schematic sheets, and greater board space, and are subscription-based programs.
How To Design a Eagle Print PCB?
Access the Eagle Software first from desktops after downloading and setting up the Eagle CAD. The Eagle’s control panel will be delivered to you.
Choose New Project by clicking File. Rename the new Project with a suitable name. To generate a new schematic, right-click the project.
· Designing Schematic For PCB
The work area in the newly opened schematic window will be empty. You may create schematics for the design in this area, which is referred to as the Schematic Editor. The schematic file should have the .sch extension.
Thereafter, we must add the components that we will need for our schematic. But first, we need to change the schematic’s grid size. Adjust the dimension to 1 mm and choose the Grid option. Assign a lesser value to the alternative grid as well. By choosing the display option, the grid may be activated.
We now need to add parts to the schematic. Choose Add Option first from the side toolbar to accomplish this. A catalog of all the parts present in the library opens in a new window.
The Op Amp, an 8-pin DIP, is the initial component. As a result, we will install an 8-pin DIP Socket rather than the IC directly. Choose the DIL8 part from the library’s ic-package by going there. If you understand the component’s name, you may also utilize the search box at the window’s bottom.
You may now insert the part on the schematic page after choosing it—in this example, an 8-pin DIP Socket—and hit OK. To position the component on the sheet, simply click once. To turn the component, simply click with the right mouse button. Press Esc to go back to the window of component selection after putting the component upon that schematic.
Add the other components needed to finish the circuit in a similar manner. A square-style POT, a quarter-watt resistor, a thermistor, a tiny buzzer, and a two-pin screw connector are the components. Add the supply library’s symbols GND and +5V as well.
Rename the parts to something comprehensible when you’ve assembled them all. Include numbers like 10K Resistor and other values.
· Connecting components In Schematic
Connecting these electrical components is the subsequent step. To begin connecting, you must select the “net” option again from the side toolbar.
Please also save the design file.
· PCB Layout Design
When the schematic is finished, we must go on to design the PCB design. On the upper toolbar, choose the change to board option. The schematic may be used to build the board.
A window will appear with the PCB Design editor. All the parts are located at the outer bottom left of the panel area, which is the black region. We must now insert the components in the editor. If you’d like, you may change the PCB Layout editor’s grid size.
Choose all the parts using the side toolbar’s group option, then use the move tool to move them all and fill the board space.
Put the elements on the surface of the board according to the location you want them to be in utilizing the move option. Between the parts are tiny, yellow wires that may be seen. These cables, which go by the name of “air wires,” indicate connections between various components.
Such air wires may vanish as proof of a successful link after the route between components has been routed.
It is now time to create the PCB’s traces or connections. The Route tool which is available in the sidebar tools menu will be used for this. Set the trace’s width to your specifications as well. The trace width in this case is set to about 1mm. As the PCB consists of a single board, choose the signal layer, which is the bottom layer.
Start connecting the traces to the pins. The air wires may begin to vanish as you continue with the routing.
All connections must be made, and you must ensure that not a single trace connects with another which may cause short circuits.
In accordance with the necessary measurements, adjust the board’s size, then save the file. The board file is going to have the extension.brd. Then comes the one more critical step, the Ground Pour.
Choose the option of the polygon from the sidebar, then begin creating a polygon along the board’s edges. A signal layer should be the lowest layer. The polygon’s beginning and end points must coincide.
You will receive a dotted line around the board’s perimeter. Change the polygon’s name to GND by choosing the name option. To observe the ground pour, use the ratsnest tool from the sidebar.
The PCB layout is complete. The following step entails error checking and producing the required Gerber files for transmission to PCB manufacturers.
Printing To PDF With Eagle Print PCB
The following steps guide you through how to download and print the 2 files of PDF for the double-layered PCB by using Eagle software.
Step 1: Show Only The Top Layer
Choose the icon of the layer which is available on the left side of the window. This takes you to the Layers Dialogue.
- You have to select the layers including the top, Vias, Pads, and dimensions.
- Unselect other layers. Make sure to look down the list thoroughly whether nothing is selected.
- Then hit the Apply button
Step 2: Print The Top Layer To PDF
Click the icon on the printer
- Choose the PDF option if the setting is not default.
- For the reference of the board, the name of the file is being used.
- It is recommended to use the name of the board and the number of versions as the name of the file.
- As this is a double-layered board, so use “top” at the name’s end.
Step 3: Show Only The Bottom Layer And Print It
Click the icon layer which is present on the left side of the window. This opens the dialogue of Layers.
- Choose the layers which include the Bottom, Vias, Pads, and dimensions.
- Make sure to unselect all extra layers.
- Then hit the apply button.
