Hello everybody and thank you always.

So far I have implemented my circuits on breadboards and later on on perfboards. So far so good.

But I would like to learn how to design and make PCBs. Can anybody provide me a link or resource to a tutorial where I can learn about this?
Books would be great too, but if online resources will be specially appreciated

Thanks again

 

Were you thinking about printing them with laser printer,hand drawing or using photoresist method?

 

Since I have never done this and my knowledge on this is nil, I dont know how to answer your question.
I suppose I would like to learn those concepts and before manuacturing them, actually would like to learn how to draw (I suppose with autocad??) the layout o the PCB including dimmensions and stuff. So far whenever I want to describe a circuit I just draw its schematics, but I have been asked to draw also layouts (I am not even sure if I am using the correct terminology)

 

Download designspark7 its free and has schematic and PCB design tools in one bundle and there is plenty of libraries for it.
To make PCB you would need an etchant like ferric chloride and etch resist pen(waterproof marker) or laser printer those are most common ways people make their PCBs.

 

Thank you.

Any (other) online tutorial on these concepts?

 

In the completed projects section, there are two threads on making your own PCBs:

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/project-how-to-make-pcbs.47681/

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/project-photographic-methods-of-making-pcbs.107696/

 

Thank you very much! Those were great resources.
I would like to point this bit though. In there you start with printing the PCB artwork.
This is something I want to learn. How do I design this artwork? How do I go from electronic schematics (which I know how to do) to these artwork with which you start the tutorial?

Thanks again

Edit: Reading around I have found there is a program called Eagle for this... any experience with that? or similar?

 

EagleCAD is great. Works for both Linux and Windows. Draw your schematic and design your PCB.

 

I used Eagle for many years and it was my preferred software until I obtained Altium through my work. Altium is worlds better, but is extremely expensive. Eagle is a great tool, and there's lots of documentation and tutorials for it. Search youtube for Eagle tutorials.

 

There are also a multitude of tutorials for the Free Kicad.
It also has an automatic placement feature, but it requires manual adjustment sometimes to keep say power areas from logic etc, but you could use it to get a general idea of placement.
Max.

 

Eagle is nice but its expensive for students and hobby users. You should get a free software like KiCad or DesignSpark PCB.

There is a CircuitMaker which is free but you need to share you projects on the cloud otherwise its not free.

 

KiCad all the way.

It contains many libraries online via here;

http://www.kicadlib.org/
http://per.launay.free.fr/kicad/kicad_php/composant.php

Its free, works on windows/linux and has no commercial limitations. It can produce realtime 3D layouts of your board, convert them to many file types AND feels and looks like Eagle CadSoft.

Did I mention its free?

 

Eagle is nice but its expensive for students and hobby users. You should get a free software like KiCad or DesignSpark PCB.

There is a CircuitMaker which is free but you need to share you projects on the cloud otherwise its not free.

Eagle has a free version that is perfectly usable for 99% of students and hobby users.

 

Eagle has a free version that is perfectly usable for 99% of students and hobby users.

He can't sell his boards.

 

He can't sell his boards.

The OP said nothing of selling them. You make a valid point, though--If he plans to, Eagle wouldn't be a suitable option if he uses the Freeware version.

 

Thank you very much guys! that is a great help!