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Design007-May2020

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60 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2020 Iterative Prototyping Prototyping often takes multiple iterations. Your first design and your first PCB may not work. With iterative prototyping, you lay out your physical components to make sure your design actually does what you want. If it doesn't work, you make adjustments and try again. You will use actual ICs and components and try various designs until a prototype final- ly works. This working prototype will then be copied back into your CAD software. Today, most small projects start off with something like an Arduino, a handful of com- ponents and jumper wires, and a solderless breadboard. The resulting rat's nest can be difficult to turn into a PCB design, however, which is why you will want to quickly move to something closer to a finished PCB (Figure 1). Pro Tip Note that solderless breadboards are great because you can easily reuse components. However, once you move to prototyping with other techniques, it's likely that your compo- nents will be permanently attached to boards that don't work. This can get expensive, so you will need to plan ahead carefully. Doing It Yourself Solderable prototyping boards are perfect for your early DIY prototype. They come in both set form factors and perforated sheets that allow you to pick a custom size for your prototype board. You can find good walk- throughs for planning IC and component layout for your first prototype using a blank board and Kynar wire [1] . If you're in the mood for real- ly taking your DIY prototype to the next level, you can always try making your own PCB at home [2] . This requires getting a blank PCB, special transfer pa- per, etching chemicals, a power drill, and a lot of patience and careful work. You can also cre- ate your own PCB at home with a CNC mill, which allows you to skip the chemical etch- ing step. Pro Tip If you do decide to make your PCB at home, just be careful with the chemicals. They re- quire special handling and disposal, meaning you can't just pour them down the drain and hope they don't eat a hole in your pipes. You'll end up subject to massive fines and find your- self in desperate need of a plumber (Figure 2). Fabricated PCB Prototypes When your design has progressed far enough, it's time to turn your design into a profession- Figure 1: Breadboard. Figure 2: Don't pour chemicals down the drain.

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