I was able to build what I need done on a bread board, but I have no clue how to go about building a PCB from it. I’m here looking for help because rather than having a hack of a PCB, I’d like a clean PCB. Plus the enclosure I’m putting this project into needs to be small.
It’s the beginning of a series of short tutorials that goes through installation of software (in this case Eagle), drawing schematics, designing PCBs, etc.
Just give it a quick read-through, and if you’ve still got questions by the end of it, feel free to drop 'm here
I can say that following the tutorials and then designing your first PCB AND having it work is very rewarding! In addition to the tutorials James mentioned there is also a recent “According to Pete” https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1248 which had some excellent pro tips on PCB design and layout. I suggest that you complete the tutorial and work with Eagle for a bit before you watch Pete’s tutorial, or some of it won’t make much sense.
Another tip I would add, that I don’t remember reading anywhere, is that when you are designing SMD boards, make sure you leave enough room between components for your tweezers to fit!
FYI, another good tool is KiCad. It’s free and does not have the limitations of the Eagle free version.
Don’t get me wrong; Eagle is a great tool that I’ve used for 10 years or so. But for a hobbyist, KiCad is a nice alternative. Both tools take some practice.