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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Hi Jonathan,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">All EDA tools carry overhead to get started. The first step is schematic and footprint libraries. Then you have to learn to drive the tool to ultimately make gerber files that folks like OshPark can turn into boards. The question is whether or not that overhead benefits you in terms of future volumes or required board complexity.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">The simplest path is buying a pre-perforated circuit board then secure the components and connect with discrete wires. The boards easily handle things on a 0.1" center. You may need to drill additional holes for other components. This becomes more difficult for smaller surface mount devices.<br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">If you are making a single board, one layer (no internal planes no backside). check out toner transfer. This is the way poor grad students used to/still make project boards. You can do the artwork on any graphics program then transfer and etch. You will have to manually drill the holes as applicable and won't have automatic hole plating or via options. If you have circuitry on the front and back sides then you will have to watch registration before drilling to make sure your holes line up on both sides after you drill them.<br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">There are also small purpose built CNC machines designed to grind off the unwanted copper from the sheet. They are expensive unless you have access at work or a university?<br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Once you start adding internal layers, need tighter registration, or want more complex routing relationships you are better off going the EDA route.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Here is a hackaday article...<br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><a href="https://hackaday.com/2016/09/12/take-your-pcbs-from-good-to-great-toner-transfer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_4162391358">Take Your PCBs From Good To Great: Toner Transfer</a></div><div><br></div><div id="ydpd7430a8benhancr_card_4162391358" class="ydpd7430a8byahoo-link-enhancr-card ydpd7430a8bymail-preserve-class ydpd7430a8bymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://hackaday.com/2016/09/12/take-your-pcbs-from-good-to-great-toner-transfer/" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://hackaday.com/2016/09/12/take-your-pcbs-from-good-to-great-toner-transfer/" style="text-decoration-line: none !important; 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min-height: 175px;"><tbody><tr><td class="ydpd7430a8bcard-richInfo2" style="text-align:left;padding:15px 0 0 15px;vertical-align:top"></td><td class="ydpd7430a8bcard-actions" style="text-align:right;padding:15px 15px 0 0;vertical-align:top"><div class="ydpd7430a8bcard-share-container"></div></td></tr></tbody></table><!--[if gte mso 9]></v:textbox></v:rect><![endif]--></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><table border="0" align="center" class="ydpd7430a8bcard-info ydpd7430a8byahoo-ignore-table" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-size: auto; position: relative; z-index: 2; width: 100%; max-width: 400px; border-radius: 0px 0px 2px 2px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(224, 228, 233);"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff;padding:16px 0 16px 12px;vertical-align:top;border-radius:0 0 0 2px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle;padding:12px 24px 16px 12px;width:99%;font-family:YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;border-radius:0 0 2px 0"><h2 class="ydpd7430a8bcard-title" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: YahooSans VF, YahooSans, Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); max-width: 314px;">Take Your PCBs From Good To Great: Toner Transfer</h2><p class="ydpd7430a8bcard-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 158, 168);">A lot of us make circuit boards at home. I find it a useful skill to have in my bag of tricks for intermediate s...</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Good Luck,</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Kevin<br></div><div><br></div>
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On Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 11:44:40 AM EST, jonathan hunsberger via TriEmbed <triembed@triembed.org> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydped9ce580yiv1191348726"><div>Hi everyone, <div>I have a need for a custom board and don't really get excited about board design as a skill to acquire. I previously tried KiCad and was a bit overwhelmed. Are there any other options out there that are a little more approachable for a one-off project? It is really simple, just connecting a Teensy with two module boards, a USB-c socket, an RJ11, a POT, and a few passives and I plan to hand-solder everything together.</div><div>Thanks!</div><div><br></div></div>
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