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USB DSO: The Etched PCB

Discussion in 'BoM Blogs' started by Blackthorne TA, Mar 27, 2012.

  1. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Now that the PCB has been designed, how do you get that design onto a solid PCB with the traces made of copper?

    Well there are several ways, including paying a specialty house to do it for you, but if you have a standard black and white laser printer handy, PCB Fab in a Box has a nifty package to let you do it in the ease and comfort of your own home. The most important part of the package is the special paper that has a water-soluble coating.

    So to use this system you do the following:
    • Print the PCB design to the special paper using a black and white laser printer
    • Use the laminator that comes with the kit to adhere the plastic toner of the printout to the copper of the PCB
    • Quickly plunge the PCB into a bowl of water. The paper coating dissolves, leaving the toner adhered to the PCB.
    • Run the PCB through the laminator again with a green film included in the kit. This provides a less porous surface for the traces than the toner alone.
    • Etch the exposed copper away using e.g. Ferric Chloride.
    • Remove the toner and green film with acetone.

    The result of the above with my PCB design is the following: [​IMG]

    As you can see all the holes have been drilled as well. This was done using a regular drill press and the appropriately sized drill bits (and a magnifier lamp :) ).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 20, 2015
    Blackthorne TA, Mar 27, 2012
    #1
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