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DIY PCB Prototype

Once home electronics projects move from the development phase to the field prototyping phase, you must embrace a prototyping technique which is more rugged than bread-boarding. Bread-boarding is a technique for simple prototypes. The demands of field testing mean that jumper wire connectors are likely to fall out and components can be lost. Professional third party printed circuit board manufacture can be expensive so hobbyists have developed a method of prototyping which can be easily done at home.

Things You'll Need

Eagle PCB Light Edition
Laser printer
Electric iron
Laser printer friendly OHP film
Printed circuit board material
Plastic dish
Wooden spoon
Ammonium persulphate etchant
Tweezers
Steel wool

Instructions

Create the PCB Artwork
- 1
  Download and install Eagle PCB light edition from the CADSoft USA website (see Resources).
- 2
  Create your artwork on Eagle PCB light edition, according to the circuit diagram you are manufacturing from.
- 3
  Print the artwork on to the OHP film using the highest resolution possible on your printer. This can be done by choosing "Print" from the "File" menu.
Etch the PCB
- 4
  Place the printed OHP film, toner side down, on to the copper surface of the printed circuit board material.
- 5
  Use a hot clothes iron to apply heat to the reverse side of the OHP. After around one minute, the black artwork will transfer to the copper surface of the board. Allow the board to cool for five minutes.
- 6
  Mix one part ammonium persulphate to five parts hot water in the plastic dish. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- 7
  Submerge the circuit board in the solution and agitate by gently shaking the dish from side to side until the copper dissolves.
- 8
  Remove the board from the solution using tweezers and rinse under cold water. Buff the copper to a shine using steel wool.

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