Author Topic: Anyone that can take a hand drawn schematic and convert to a PCB ?  (Read 525 times)

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Offline CramboneTopic starter

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Not sure if I asked that correctly? I have 3 small hand drawn circuits that I would like to have boards made up at PCBway or equivalent but I just don’t know how to do that kind of thing?
Looking for someone that may be able to do it?
It’s for a hobby project so don’t kill me on the price.

Thanks, Andrew
 

Offline Benta

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Re: Anyone that can take a hand drawn schematic and convert to a PCB ?
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2024, 10:00:31 pm »
Why not do it yourself?
Install KiCAD, draw the schematic, create the PCB and send the files to your favourite PCB house.
It's free.
 

Online tggzzz

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Re: Anyone that can take a hand drawn schematic and convert to a PCB ?
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2024, 10:21:57 pm »
Not sure if I asked that correctly? I have 3 small hand drawn circuits that I would like to have boards made up at PCBway or equivalent but I just don’t know how to do that kind of thing?
Looking for someone that may be able to do it?
It’s for a hobby project so don’t kill me on the price.

I built an early digital clock and my first computer (6800 with 128bytes RAM) from hand drawn sketches. Made the PCBs at home, too. There was no choice: at that time CAD was very high-end technology, and PCB fabrication was prohibitively expensive. See here for hints at the techniques: https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/vintage-hacking-or-the-past-is-a-foreign-country-they-do-things-differently-there/ or using more modern alternatives: https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/

More realistically, learn to use a CAD package to create schematics and PCB layouts yourself. It is a useful skill for anybody doing electronics. https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/creating-pcbs-with-surface-mount-components/
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
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Online Andy Chee

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If you’re old fashioned like that, you could use some grid square paper and draft a PCB sketch in pencil. Then you can transfer the design to CAD without necessarily needing to learn too much about routing and net lists.
 

Online EasyGoing1

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If this isn't something that you're going to be doing on a regular basis, it might not be worth your effort learning software like KiCad. There is another free program out there called EasyEDA that is owned by JLCPCB.com. It is easier to use than KiCad in my opinion and it has a direct connection to their PCB ordering process and the boards are dirt cheap. When I say dirt cheap, I'm talking like $5 for 5 boards plus around $20 shipping from China. I usually get the boards within a week.
 

Offline Solder_Junkie

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Andrew, it's not hard to do yourself, some of us have been making our own print boards for years, and in my case recently given up home etching and drilling and now have boards made by JLCPCB.

Each of us has our own favourite PCB layout software. Personally I prefer Sprint Layout from:
https://www.electronic-software-shop.com/lng/en/sprint-layout-60.html

It is not free, but is very straightforward to use (IMO far easier than KiCad). Basically you decide on a board size, then drag components from the side menu onto the board and join up the pads with tracks, simple as that. Well, there is a little more to board design, but that is how you operate Sprint Layout. You can easily design your own pad layout, or copy the layout from one board to another, typically used for unusual parts such as double balanced mixers, coin cell holders, etc.

Initially, your layouts will take up too much space on the board as the layouts will resemble the circuit diagram. As you gain experience/confidence you will look to layout components in a neater fashion and become clever at routing the tracks to them. The good part about commercial boards is that even at their cheapest they are double sided and "vias" (through plated holes to connect one side of the board to the other) are free, so you can have a lot to help you arrange tracks.

As per another reply, I recommend JLCPCB. The cost of small boards is unbelievably cheap, in UK money you can have a set of 5 boards (sadly all the same) delivered including postage and sales tax, for less than 5 GBP (circa $6.50). Delivery takes around 2 weeks from uploading the zip file. JLCPCB make boards in a stack of 5 for drilling and cutting, hence why they don't offer a single board option.

One of my recent projects was a GPS disciplined oscillator board, there is a Sprint Layout file for that board that you can view/play with in the free Sprint Layout demo/viewer programs. A set of 5 of those boards cost me $23.28 (£18.05). Details of the project https://www.qsl.net/g4aon/gpsdo/

Bottom line, have a go yourself! There is plenty of help available in various forums, including this one, but you are unlikely to find anyone willing to do the work for you.
 

Online daisizhou

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Not sure if I asked that correctly? I have 3 small hand drawn circuits that I would like to have boards made up at PCBway or equivalent but I just don’t know how to do that kind of thing?
Looking for someone that may be able to do it?
It’s for a hobby project so don’t kill me on the price.

Thanks, Andrew

What circuit do you need to draw? If I am interested, I will help you draw it.
daisizhou#sina.com #=@
 

Offline pcprogrammer

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Not sure if I asked that correctly? I have 3 small hand drawn circuits that I would like to have boards made up at PCBway or equivalent but I just don’t know how to do that kind of thing?
Looking for someone that may be able to do it?
It’s for a hobby project so don’t kill me on the price.

Thanks, Andrew

How big a schematics, what kind of components (SMD or through hole, IC's or more discrete stuff), are the schematics verified to work in a prototype, etc.

I second the use of EasyEDA because it is possible to share your work with someone and do reviews on it without having to send the files over. It is also very simple to use and easy to learn.

When simple schematics and not to time consuming I can also help you out for free. Designing PCB's is always interesting puzzle solving and good for the brain.  :)

Offline PA0PBZ

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If it's one off small circuits and no complex smd parts you can do it like us old guys did when pcb's where unobtainable: veroboard  :)
Keyboard error: Press F1 to continue.
 

Online tggzzz

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If it's one off small circuits and no complex smd parts you can do it like us old guys did when pcb's where unobtainable: veroboard  :)

And if it does contain SMD parts and involve UHF/microwave frequencies (e.g. modern logic), then there is manhattan and modern commercial variants thereof.

For examples, see the second half of https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/
There are lies, damned lies, statistics - and ADC/DAC specs.
Glider pilot's aphorism: "there is no substitute for span". Retort: "There is a substitute: skill+imagination. But you can buy span".
Having fun doing more, with less
 

Online jpanhalt

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It would be helpful/essential for the TS to post the schematics.  I suspect a lot of information needed for a PCB is missing from the hand drawn schematics.  Let's start with defining exactly what the TS wants.
 


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