Ernie, yes Freerouting.net is what FreePCB uses. Somehow it functions interactively between the user's computer and some other computer over the Internet using Java; I think the other end of the line is in Germany. I don't know how it works but as a user, I don't need to care.

DerStrom, you can set the minimum trace spacing for the autorouter, and of course the board manufacturer will tell you what they're able to produce, so you have to be aware of that issue. I assume every layout program has a rules checker which verifies this for you. I don't think the layout is unduly convoluted, but as I said, for this type of design it's not critical. My initial prototype was hand wired on perfboard, and if that works, just about anything will! Really, a lot of electronic designs don't require much more than getting traces between defined sets of pins. If I were doing a sensitive analog project or high-speed digital, or RF, I'd have to pay more attention to what was going where.

You didn't respond when I asked you to guess how long that layout would take if you did it manually! Would it be time well spent, if there were an easier method which produced a working board?

 

DerStrom, you can set the minimum trace spacing for the autorouter, and of course the board manufacturer will tell you what they're able to produce, so you have to be aware of that issue. I assume every layout program has a rules checker which verifies this for you. I don't think the layout is unduly convoluted, but as I said, for this type of design it's not critical. My initial prototype was hand wired on perfboard, and if that works, just about anything will! Really, a lot of electronic designs don't require much more than getting traces between defined sets of pins. If I were doing a sensitive analog project or high-speed digital, or RF, I'd have to pay more attention to what was going where.

I understand. Yes, you can set the min trace spacing in the DRC to let you know if it gets too close, which is why I said it'll be fine if you're not running any heavy current through the traces and your PCB manufacturer can handle it. It looks very convoluted to me, but I suppose it really doesn't matter if you don't plan to mass produce this thing. If you wanted to sell it professionally I, personally, would take a little more time on it and do the routing yourself, or at least tweak what the autorouter puts out. I still think autorouters are practically useless.

You didn't respond when I asked you to guess how long that layout would take if you did it manually! Would it be time well spent, if there were an easier method which produced a working board?

I would estimate it would take a professional an hour or two to lay out the entire thing, no use of an autorouter whatsoever. I expect I could do it in about three or four (I'm a bit out of practice ) but if I got back into professional PCB design I could have it done much sooner.

Just a rough estimate, to give you an idea.

Matt

 

Here's one to LOL at:
It's mostly autorouted by Geda PCB, but I did move a few traces around, moved vias from under the chip and put in a few extra vias so that I only have to solder one side of the connector (it's a hand made board).
I actually spent quite a while trying to figure out how to do it by hand - five of the pins on the chip are connected to 3 LEDs around the outside each (120 degrees apart) but it was hurting my brain too much.