EP Folder PCB Design
Designing your PCB is a major task which takes several weeks. PCB design work should be included in your coursework folder; it could be worth quite a few marks. The following example shows the different sections you could include.
Ø Block diagram
This should describe the operation of your system in outline. If your circuit has been designed using ranger building blocks, the the ranger schematic can serve as your block diagram.
Ø Circuit diagram(s)
The circuit diagram for each building block must be included.
Or you could explain how your circuit works by making reference to component numbers. e.g. R6-R10 are base limiting resistors to protect TR2-TR4 for excessive base current. IC1 is a decade counter that makes each outputs O0-O4 high in turn. O5 is connected to RST to reset the counter on the fifth count so that the sequence starts again at O0.
In the above example, some component values are marked (null). You need to determine the value of each component and add this to the schematic using symbol > attribute > edit:
Ø Component list/Bill of materials
You must include a list of components used in your project. You can obtain this from the p/w list editor.
The bill of materials can be loaded into a spreadsheet where you can add prices. You could include the spreadsheet and show how much your project costs.
Ø PCB Layout
Include at least one copy of your PCB Layout and annotate it to explain the design. The above shows comments relevant to the example your work will probably require different comments.. If you have made several attempts at producing your design include them; they show the development of your work. For each one, explain what was wrong and how you corrected it.
Ø Component overlay
This shows where parts are located on the pcb. (The component overlay is sometimes called a silk-screen legend - it is printed onto the pcb in ink after the board is etched). The component overlay is essential for assembling the pcb - it tells you where to fit the components and must be included in your folder.
Use tools > generate silkscreen to produce the component layout.
You can decide what colour to use for the component outlines and the text labels.
To capture just the silk screen you can turn off the track layers using the view menu. Switch off the red and blue ticks.
When you have generated the silk-screen you can move the text labels to appropropriate positions using text > move menu.
