17 Feb
2010
17 Feb
'10
7:27 p.m.
Good PCB design is hard to do for hobbyist. There is
essentially no
DECENT free software. Eagle is the closest, but then they have the
limitation of 2" x 2"(or something) boards on the free version. So you
take people NEW to PCBs and you place arbitrary limits which makes it
even harder for them to succeed.
Why on earth do you need to make a special PCB for a one-off prototype or
experimental circuit? If you use through-hole components, DIP, or PLCC
ICs (in their sockets), or mount SOICs and PQFPs or adapter boards, you
can hand-wire the circuit on stripboard or sqaure pad board in less time
than it takes to design the PCB.
Of course if you want to make many copies of the design a PCB is very
useful.
-tony