Arduino Nano based ATtiny fuse reset board

Preamble

I first saw this video for an ATtiny fuse reset board that is based around an Arduino Nano, attiny fuse reset, and chased down the schematic and PCB layout and converted (the PCB at least) to KiCAD.

Note that the PCB uses SMD components.

More ArduinoBoy and Genius Fix – Schematics and PCB masks (again)

Preamble

After having found an image of a schematic diagram and corresponding PCB mask for the ArduinoBoy (with the “Genius” fix), long long ago, and then having converted that image to a PDF, I thought that my work was done. See Making your own ArduinoBoy for that story.

However, some shops require Gerber files and would not accept the PDF. As the actual schematics and PCB routing files were not available for that particular image of the PCB mask then these Gerber files could not easily be made.

So, here is my attempt at recreating the schematic and PCB layout in EagleCAD KiCAD.

Making your own PCBs (revisited)

Preamble

I found these two upgrdman videos.

MCPCB

Preamble

Metal Core Printed Circuit Boards (MCPCB) are used to keep high powered LED circuits cool, as the metal substrate helps dissipate heat generated by the LEDs.

However, they can also be used, as an alternative to FR4 PCBs, to create heavy, sturdy and funky PCBs for audio applications, especially if a thick 5-10 mm substrate is used (although 3.2 mm is the common maximum thickness – see below).

I got the idea after seeing this question on StackExchange: Custom/DIY Metal-Core PCB? However, MCPCB is really only useful for SMD components. Standard discrete components would need to be routed via the underside, and there would be a potential for short circuits caused by component legs coming in contact with the metal substrate.

Feature image taken from Metal Core PCB vs standard circuit boards.

Scaling PDF for PCB

Preamble

Following on from ArduinoBoys and others, I was having a bit of a job getting the PNG of the ArduinoBoy PCB by Trash80 (with Gameboy Genius’s fix Fixing Gameboy-powered Arduinoboy MIDI glitches) to convert to PDF with the correct scaling, in order to send to Layer Circuit, as mentioned in PCBs in BKK.

PCBs in BKK

Preamble

Need to get some PCBs made, preferably from Eagle .brd files, but not everyone accepts them and they want PDFs instead.

Make two PDFs from Eagle two sided PCB

Preamble

Following on from Making your own PCBs

Making your own PCBs

Preamble

After getting the Sound Synthesis by Terence Thomas, and seeing the PCB layouts provided, as well as seeing a need to make cheap PCBs for the Bastl Trinity, I thought it worth coming up with a basic kit of PCB etching

Stripboard in EagleCAD

Preamble

So you have your schematic, and don’t want to make a PCB. Can you get EagleCAD to autoroute the circuit on a veroboard/stripboard?

What a Cad!

Preamble

Need some PCB design software? Well you have a few options, free and not free. These are KiCAD, CadSoft Eagle and Novarm DipTrace or Altium respectively. The full Altium package costs around $15000. There is, obviously AutoCAD, but which hobbist has money for that? Although there is AutoCAD 360, which is free. However, which one is right for you?