Making Circuit boards and programming pics

[chucketn]

Anyone here set up to make printed circuit boards and programming pic's? I would gladly pay a reasonable fee for someone to make me a circuit board and program a pic for a CNC rotary table project.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[stevehuckss396]

Anyone here set up to make printed circuit boards and programming pic's? I would gladly pay a reasonable fee for someone to make me a circuit board and program a pic for a CNC rotary table project.

Chuck in E. TN

If you have a drawing of the board i may be able to CNC it for you. Can't program a PIC

 

[chucketn]

I do have a drawing of the intended mask for etching.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[around]

I can do both. Is the board through hole or surface mount?

Cheers,

Adrian

 

[bearcar1]

Hi Chuck not that it isn't possible to produce a circuit board that way it would seem just as cost effective to simply chemically etch your board, if nothing else it would be a great deal faster. Line resolutions can be held to extremely tight tolerances as well. Ferric Chloride solutions as well as some other slower and more eco-friendly etching products can be purchased through a company by the name of Kepro. How complicated or detailed is the negative you are wanting to turn into working boards? Also consider what material of board you wish to use be it phenolic or G10 glass and if you require 1oz. or 2oz. /ft. copper cladding. Also if the board is single or double sided which would require through plated holes.

BC1
Jim

 

[Troutsqueezer]

Like Jim says. You can buy photo sensitive copper from Fry's Electronics if there is one around you (or online). Print your pattern to clear acetate, place it over the copper PCB, expose it to fluorescent light, then immerse it in Ferric Chloride (also avail at Fry's, cheap). Total cost less than $50. If two sided, you can always solder top and bottom leads instead of plating thru the holes.

Doubt if you'll need 2 oz. copper.

You'll need a very small drill bit too.

 

[chucketn]

Wow! I'm overwelmed. Didn't expect so many replies, so fast. I can post the art for the circuit board. Have no, none, zip experience making circuit boards. However, I did teach high reliability soldering and multi-layer circuit boards in the USAF.

Chuck in E. TN

 

[bearcar1]

Yeah. let's have a look at what it is you have in mind and maybe get you started in the right direction.

BC1
Jim

 

[Lakc]

I use Eagle for circuit board printouts, and the toner transfer method, Radio shack still has Ferric Chloride and circuit boards if you can find a Radio Shack still. Otherwise Mouser and Digikey are popular places for circuit board supplies.
I have a first generation Pickit2 from Microchip. Eagle is free, circuit boards/supplies are fairly cheap, and a Pickit2 can be had for $50, so its not expensive for one off projects, seeing as one or two seem to come around every year. ;D

 

[imagineering]

Ferric Chloride - Blech !!
See if you can pick up some Ammonium Persulphate; it's faster, and it's clear, so you can see what's going on, and none of the mess from FC.

Murray.

 

[steamer]

Where might one find Ammonium Persulphate?

Dave

 

[Lakc]

Ferric Chloride - Blech !!
See if you can pick up some Ammonium Persulphate; it's faster, and it's clear, so you can see what's going on, and none of the mess from FC.

Murray.

But will the leftovers kill all the grass in the cracks of your driveway?

 

[bearcar1]

Any pharmaceutical outlet will be able to obtain it, however, be prepared to purchase it in bulk (25#-50#) at a time. It has a tendency to draw moisture out of the air so it should be stored in a low humidity environment completely sealed back up once opened if it is to be stored for any extended period of time. It gets dissolved in water, preferably distilled, and if possible, the addition of .5cc of mercuric chloride will enhance the etching effect by slowing down the polymerization of any salts present. The etching will take longer as the solution is not as aggressive as the more common ferric chloride and the process will decrease rapidly as the solution gets more and more copper saturated. Ferric oxide will as well but it is not nearly as sensitive to the effect. Aeration of the solution coupled with temperature elevation greatly enhances the etching process.

BC1
Jim

 

[TroyO]

I've done the toner transfer method, with good results. I used a mix of pool acid and Hydrogen Peroxide to etch, and it worked great. DO NOT try it an area around your metal tools, though. Nothing rusts in Denver.... unless you do acid etching within a few feet of it, LOL. (DAMHIK)

Here's a link to the proceedure... do your own research on chemical safety and such... my part will only be to say be careful! It IS a serious brew and etches quickly. (And it's dirt cheap, and available pretty much everywhere.)

http://hackaday.com/2008/07/28/how-to-etch-a-single-sided-pcb/

 

[imagineering]

Where might one find Ammonium Persulphate?

Dave

In My Cupboard but I'm in New Zealand.

.

 

[steamer]

Well! there you have it! ;D

Dave