my first pcb

this is the first pcb i have designed, i was wondering if any experienced users could give it quick looking over before I send my design to batchPCB in case i have made any simple mistakes.

I have included a zip with my gerber files.

Thank you :slight_smile:

You dont have a PDF of it do you? Even a print screen from eagle will do. :slight_smile:

I looked at your files with gerbv.

You are not using available space. You are using 8 mil spacing when there is no need for it. So you are working on the edge. If you were to go to 8 mil spacing at some place because it is necessary, that’s fine in my opinion. But to even have 8 mill spacing between your copper pours and the pads does not appeal to me at all. I like 20 mils for that, but others would find that to be needlessly wide.

You are missing your drill file, unless your GG1 file is that. In that case, I don’t think it is a proper drill file.

Your *.gtp does not seem to have a function.

Your traces go very close to the mounting holes. That may be fine if the mounting pegs are plastic.

I assume your 18 pin DIPs are under 0.9 inches long, so you can butt them together that closely.

My opinions are opinions, and are not at all expert.

Your top silk looks good. I would have added some more info but my silk would be too busy for some. You did not do bottom silk. It does not cost extra.

thanks for your reply

Iv designed it using Altium Designer 09, so a lot of the trace widths and spacing is default, but i can change this to widen them. (whole thing is auto routed)

mounting holes will be used by plastic begs :slight_smile:

i do have two drill files but one just seamed to have funny shapes for each drill hole, did not seam important (i guess it is lol), ill add it when sending the design to batchPCB.

the dips do butt up perfectly (i did check this hehe)

cant think of any info i would need on a bottle silk layer so did not include one

heres a pdf of all the layers :slight_smile:

http://russdx.frankster200.com/Job1.PDF

also uploaded all my drill files (not sure which one batchPCB would need)

thanks for your input much appreciated it :slight_smile:

russdx:
also uploaded all my drill files (not sure which one batchPCB would need)

thanks for your input much appreciated it :slight_smile:

Note that I have limited experience in this. I just know what my files,that were successful at BatchPCB, look like in gerbv and what your files look like in gerbv. My drill holes look like filled circles in gerbv.

slotController.DRL seems to be empty.

I don’t know what the GG1 and GG1 files indicate. None of those are what I would expect based on my files. Maybe somebody else has some useful info for you.

the GG files seam to be some sort of drill guide files that Altium spits out

it also creates a drill.txt file that i have sent to batchPCB and they say this is the correct drill file

which is useful for future boards :slight_smile:

Iv made a few amendments to my design, thanks for all your comments, be interesting to see what comes back :slight_smile: (hopefully it all works hehe)

http://russdx.frankster200.com/DSC03908.JPG

my board turned up :slight_smile:

love the quality :slight_smile:

i did make a few mistakes though oooops (was my first pcb iv designed so im still learning, its all good fun)

got my regulators footprint wrong (i assumed all regulators had GND in the middle, not my 5amp one lol, nothing a few bent legs cant sort out hehe)

i also dint realise when you do polygon fills in Altium and assign them to ground, some times your left with disconnected islands. i assumed it would connect these for you. so this pcb has about 6 dead GND’s ooops lol. again nothing a little bit of wire on the back of the pcb cant sort out hehe.

any way next time ill make sure i remember these mistakes and make a perfect pcb :slight_smile:

If chips like regulators are wrong, it’s better to cut the tracks and use wires than to try crossing the leads over. It’ll look neater and be more reliable.

its just a prototype board so all issues be corrected for final :slight_smile: