DIY PCB from SCRATCH
Transforming your circuit into a working model may seem an easy task. But transforming your circuit into a working PCB may seem to be a tough task until you read this post. The tutorial deals with Circuit Simulation, Circuit Designing and PCB Layout design and fabrication. The simplest and easiest way to encapsulate all these requirements is the master software, Proteus.
The software has to sections.
Proteus ISIS for circuit designing and simulation
Proteus ARES for transforming your design into a layout
To begin with Circuit Simulation:
The component mode allows to include the components in your circuit into your simulation.
In the P button type in the required components and double click, to add them into the design.
Once all the components are added add them to the workspace and connect them together.
Once the circuit is completed you can always simulate it by pressing the play button on bottom left.
Double click the components in the circuit to see if they have a PCB Package. If not replace the components that have a similar leg spacing.
Say for LED, you can replace it with a Diode or Resistor which has almost the same leg spacing as an LED.
For replacing, you can both delete the component without the package, and replace the component in circuit with a diode, resistor or a connector.
Once this is done, your circuit is ready for Proteus ARES
In order to export the design into ARES, use the keyboard shortcut
ALT+A
If all the PCB packages are specified, you will be directed to the new software.
In component mode, all the components used your circuit will be listed out.
Select any of the following options to draw the PCB board edge, after selecting Board edge option from the Bottom left Corner drop down menu.
The centre of the blue box is the origin and the x,y coordinates of the workspace will be displayed on the bottom right corner.
As of the values on bottom right, 1000-> 1inch in practical case.
Once the board size is specified, you can auto place the components or manually place from components mode.
Select Auto-Placer from Tools
The layout can be easily completed by Selecting Auto Router from Tools
But the layout will be double layered.
In order to create single layered PCB, follow the steps
1.
1. System-> Set Layer Usage, uncheck all boxes.
2. System -> Set Layer Pair, change all options to Bottom Copper
System -> Design Rule Manager -> Change all Top Copper to Bottom Copper
Change Net Class to power-> Change all Top Copper to Bottom Copper
Once the three steps are completed, Auto Route the Layout again and you get the single layered PCB