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If you want fast etching then use as much as possible Ground Plane.
"etching"???
If you have RF then use as much as possible as much (again) Ground Plane
No rf used.
Always use as much as possible Ground Plane!
Well, I think I'm safe, I'm using a nice GND plane on BOTTOM side.
Thanks.
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Always use as much as possible Ground Plane!
If you have only GND Plane at the Bottom, and you forget to connect top layer assembled SMT components with their ground pad to the bottom layer, than you have a problem later...
Best is always using GND Planes on top and bottom, reduces EMI, reduces the problem described above and it is more easy to use SMT components like QFN components with heatsink/gnd pad in the middle. You only need to make some more extra gnd vias along the board outlines, thats important not to get later some dirty effects (More important in rf layouts). Keep attention not to get isolated areas also!
Regards,
Ralf
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Well, EAGLE cad automatically AUTOroutes the tracks so I guess this program does the job pretty well or should I check everything once it has autorouted the tracks?
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I don't know Eagle, we work with Zuken-Cadstar.
But i would never let the Autorouter doing the GND routing job!
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etching copper
I think what some of the older guys are talking about (And you know who you are) is "etching" your own PCB versus sending off the Gerber plots to a fab house and having a PCB done. Not many of us do that anymore, as having a PCB fabbed is pretty cheap compared to all the muss and fuss of having all those chemicals and having to cut the raw copper clad board IMHO.
Anyway, what I like to do on my PCBs is use the top and bottom layers as VCC and Ground reflowed polygons once the board is 100% routed. (I use Protel98, I'm just learning Eagle.)
That does 2 things:
1) you get some intergral capacitance on the VCC-Ground polygons, which you want for decoupling(Use .1uF around your chips anyway) purposes, and 2) it tends to balance out your copper across the whole board. If the copper is not balanced across the whole board, if you should ever want to do something like wave reflow of your board, the heat will curl your board up like a potato chip if the copper is heaver in one area. The temperature expansion coefficient of copper is much different that of the PCB material like FR4. It's more important the bigger your board gets.
Just try to be aware of isoloated islands if your using the polygons as connections to your power connector. Keep it in mind as you do your routing.
So after all that, to answer your question: Having a "ground Plane" on both the top and bottom won't hurt anything for your application, but it WILL make it harder to modify if you need to change it someday.
The less you expect, the more you get.
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Hey, I resemble that!!!Originally Posted by Bronurstomp
Having the ability to roll your own is great for prototyping or that one of a kind project.is "etching" your own PCB versus sending off the Gerber plots to a fab house and having a PCB done. Not many of us do that anymore, as having a PCB fabbed is pretty cheap compared to all the muss and fuss of having all those chemicals and having to cut the raw copper clad board IMHO.
Dave
Always wear safety glasses while programming.
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OK, OK, I know. I am not fluent in English. Sorry.
Ioannis
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I disagree, I think you are, "etching" is very likely the word I would have used, but then of course, I speak an American dialect of English, not exactly fish and chips.
As do many of us !Hey, I resemble that!!!
More evidence of our generation ! BUT Yes, it sure does, and a heck of a lot cheaper!Having the ability to <font color=blue><b>roll your own</b></font color> is great for prototyping or that one of a kind project.
Last edited by Archangel; - 11th November 2008 at 17:27.
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