I'm trying to take a PCB board and draw the schematic, I'm looking any hints or tricks that I might be missing.

I drew two lines one for + Voltage to the Battery and one for Negative and I tried to draw it from there but it gets super complicated for me, it all branches out and I try to follow it but I get lost doing it?

Is there another way to attempt to do it? Draw the IC first or draw all the resistors?

 

Let me know how do u draw them on PCB, is it using PCB marker or you are talking about drawing in the computer before doing it on the PCB.

 

We were just handed a pre-printed PCB with components and were told to hand draw the schematic

 

Try...

Scan the printed circuit board track layout and enlarge if needed. Print out the scan and draw in the IC with pin numbers, resistors, etc. What IC's have you got? (Don't forget you'll be looking at a reversed image). Use an highlighter pen as you transfer the tracks and components to your schematic. A little experience reading schematics helps.

 

How many chips are there on the PCB. What are the larger chips on the board?

Allen

 

Take a picture of each side ... and post it. It should be helpful.

 

Use the ground symbol for Ground and a +V symbol for +ve voltage. So, you can use the symbols to indicate that all points connected to the symbol are connected together. So, less congestion.

See how many ICs you have. Start from one point and continue drawing from there. Starting from perhaps the main control IC, or maybe the largest IC, may help.

 

Patients, patients and being a careful observer is required. Draw boxes for each IC or transistor and make several copies. Interconnect the boxes on copy 1. Draw in power on copy 2. Draw in ground on copy 3. Number and name the IC or transistor pins on copy 4. Put everything together on copy 5. Redraw everything to make it neat and readable. Build the circuit you have drawn to see how it functions; this will be the copyproof.

 

Have you verified that the PCB doesn't have more than two layers?

 

You might wanna verify that the PCB is not more than 2 layers. If its 4 or 6 layers then its very difficult to do without additional equipment.