#DIPTRACE PCB LAYOUT TUTORIAL HOW TO#
#DIPTRACE PCB LAYOUT TUTORIAL SOFTWARE#

The Component panel has all the required tools to place components and manage libraries.įirst, you have to drag and drop all the required components. In DipTrace, libraries are organized into standard and custom library groups with multi-level search filters, which helps to find the correct components quickly. To enter text in the title field, hover over that field with the mouse, then left-click on it to open the field properties pop-up dialog box, then type in the text (field content), define alignment (Left, Right, or Center), and the font. So, I have explained all the steps of drawing schematic in DipTrace.ĭefine schematic size and placing titles:įirst, Go to ' File / Titles and Sheet Setup' from the main menu, then select ANSI A from the Sheet Template drop-down boxĪfter that go to the bottom of the dialog and check the Display Titles and Display Sheet items. Repeat for any and all components in the circuit.Before designing the PCB, you have to draw the schematic. Select your custom library from the pop-up window and select the new pattern layout you've just created. Double-click the component (or right-click to select properties) and click the 'attach pattern' button to change the PCB pattern for this component You should notice that when a component is added to the schematic, a PCB layout pattern is also included. Place the PIC18F2455 component into the schematic. When you're happy with the pad placement save your pattern and start the DipTrace schematic software. So to get a gap of 7.5mm between the pads we actually need to start the second row of pads at (7.5 + 2 + 2) = 11.5mm Because the left-hand pad overlaps by 2mm, and the right hand pad overlaps by the same amount, the gap between the two pads would be only 3.5mm (7.5mm less 2mm from the left-hand pad, less 2mm from the right-hand pad = 3.5mm) If you place the opposite pad at 7.5mm, the gap between the pads would be less than this. So if you have a pad that is 4mm wide, and you want a 7.5mm gap between pins, you need to consider the pad size when calculating the X/Y values.įor example, if you have the left hand pads at zero, the left hand edge of the pad starts at -2mm and the right-hand edge of the pad would be at 2mm. Note that DipTrace works from the centre of each pin as the origin. In this example, we can see that our rows of pins need to be 7.5mm apart (the E1 value in this diagram)ĭouble-click each pin to amend it's height/width and X/Y values. Paste a new row of pins and draw a rectangle between them (this will form the silkscreen layer later, showing where and how the IC chip should be placed on the board)Ĭheck out the component datasheet to find out pin sizes and spacings. You should see a row of 14 pins- select them all and right click to copy We changed the pad type to rectangle, set the hole size to zero and the pad type from 'through-hole' to 'surface'. Select all the pins then right click on one of them to edit the propertiesĬhanging the X and Y values affects only the first pin selected, but changing the height and width of the pin(s) affect all selected pins.ĭepending on how your environment is set up, the pads may not be the correct type at this stage. As you drag your mouse, it tells you how many pins it has put down DipTrace includes an 'add-row-of-pins' option. We've used IC so that when a PIC 18F2455 is added to our designs, it will automatically be labelled IC1, IC2 etc.įor this part, we're drawing a 28-pin SOIC chip (SMT version of the 18F2455) which consists of 2 rows of 14 pins. RefDes is what is used every time a new instance of this component is added to your PCB. Create a new library (or open an existing custom library if you're adding to one you've already started) and from the select įill in the name and RefDes values. Start the DIPTrace pattern editor application.

#DIPTRACE PCB LAYOUT TUTORIAL HOW TO#

Here's a quick overview of how to do this using DipTrace:

#DIPTRACE PCB LAYOUT TUTORIAL SOFTWARE#

Whenever we've made a PCB we've always had to create a library of custom layouts - even when the PCB software includes libraries of common components from a variety of different manufacturers.īecause we're getting to like DipTrace very quickly and plan to use it for all our PCB work in the immediate future, the first thing we need to do is re-create our library of custom layouts. This is because most PCB packages use 'standard' pins and pad sizes, which - while fine for mechanised pick-and-place and SMT soldering machines - can be a nightmare to solder by hand.

Whenever we design and layout PCBs for homebrew manufacture, there always comes a time when we have to undo a great deal of work, and amend the footprints or patterns for the components on the PCB layout.

Diptrace pcb layout tutorial