This triggers That ... PCB No.2

RE: This triggers That ... PCB No.2

phil.s — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:31:59 GMT

No pleasing some folk - beware the Arduino Forum.

For first tries, not bad and I do know just how much work goes in, as well as a lot to learn.

Electrons don't much care about angles, but you have plenty of room to do the 45-degree thing as well as separations.

Wider tracks are more robust and less likely to "lift". Double sided designs are better for established and tested boards, but things like via's can make minor component changes (desoldering) almost impossible.

Press on

RE: This triggers That ... PCB No.2

Former Member — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 09:38:19 GMT

In my opinion, PCB design is not good. I use Eagle for many years. It is great tool, but in beginning I had troubles with using it, because it has a little strange control for beginners. To be concrete, I didn't like these things on your design:

1. Wires are too thin. If you can, use wider wires for bigger current. For your design you can use 32mils.

2. Wire angles are not 45 and 90 degrees. it is a good practice to have wires with these angles. It looks better. You can check this option in DRC check.

3. Some wires are too close. Yo can enable grid. I usually use 50 mils grid for simple PCBs like yours or 25 mils grid for complex SMD boards.

4. Primary and secondary part are too close. It is a good idea to have bigger space between them to better isolation specially when some overvoltage peak goes there.

5. Your design is double-sided which is needless. With some little changes like rotation of R4 and more space between wires around optocoupler you can have single-sided design, which can be reproduced also in amateur conditions, not only at professional PCB manufacturer.

RE: This triggers That ... PCB No.2

derkarhu — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 19:10:57 GMT

If you 'split' the input resistor into two components, and added a Zener diode between the mid-point of the resistors and the LED cathode, you would have an extended input voltage range, with a guaranteed maximum If to the optocoupler LED. (the 5.6 V is just a 'guesstimate') I think this also gives reverse-voltage protection, and some ESD resistance, as well...

--330 --- 5.6 V zener cathode--- 330 -------- LED anode

|__Zener anode_____LED cathode

RE: This triggers That ... PCB No.2

DAB — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 19:23:09 GMT

Very nice design.

I agree, setting up isolation between unknown sources and your device is a very smart idea and you have developed a very nice solution.

Well done.

DAB