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DIP TRACE TUTORIAL

Mahadev G+919496370662

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HOWDY FOLKS..

This tutorial helps you skip some steps and churn out a pcb in minutes.

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DIP TRACE..

It’s a freeware availablehere www.diptrace.com/download.php here diptrace.en.softonic.com/

The free version has all the components but only allows you a certain number of pads.

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THE EASY WAY..WE SKIP THE LAME BOREING PARTS AND GO RIGHT TO THE BUSINESS END, THE PCB

Double click the diptrace icon and select layout.

You’l see a screen like this…

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PARTS..

Basic componets like resistors,capacitors,DIP packages etc are found in the GENERAL tab.

There are lots of other tabs having various footprints, just visit all the tabs n see what all varieties of footprints are there.

Always refer screen shots..

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HOW TO PLACE THESE PARTS.

Its easy, just click on the part and click anywhere on the screen work area. You will see the part placed there.

To rotate a part click on the part and press CTRL+R or right click and select rotate.

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HOW TO CONNECT THESE PARTS.. So once you have

everything that you need on the board, you connect these using RATLINES,

Click the ratline button (new version) and just click the point you want to join. Its easy, just click click…(old one just click the points you want to join)

Red indicates that you have made a connection.

Don’t worry about overlapping ratlines, its not an issue

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UNITS..

Go to the view menu and select units, you have various scales of measure, mm, inch, mils.

Select which is convenient, this tutorial the scale is mm.

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TRACE WIDTHS..

Most important thing to notice is trace widths, this denotes how thick your trace is on your PCB, a thinner trace can carry less current.

DIP trace has a default trace width of 0.33mm which is very small and you need to change that as soon as you start routing.

This is found in the route setup menu.

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ROUTING.

Once you’ve finished joining all your connection you move on the important phase, routing..

There are two settings you have to do before you start anything Route setup Auto router setup

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ROUTE SETUP

Most important thing you set is here, Trace width, trace clearance, trace to pad clearance.

Route setup has two routers, shape router and grid router Shape router is a

complex router that turns any degrees.

Grid router can turn only 45 and 90 degrees.

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AUTO ROUTER SETUP

Here we have various options like trace angles, and the most important option.. Route directions.

If printing a single sided pcb, we have to route only in the bottom layer, so turn off the bottom layer.

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AUTO ROUTE AND WALAAA… Once you have all the

settings rearing to go, just click the auto route button. And there you have it. The pcb routed and ready for print.

But this is just a generalized route, some traces might need more width, use of copper pours etc. So add those as well.. (will come to these in the end..)

Top side Bottom side

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COMMON TWEAKS..

Common tweaks you have to do to your pcb would be Changing trace widths of specific lines Routing un routed lines, jumpers Copper pours

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CHANGING TRACE WIDTHS.. So say you have a ground

line that needs more width b’cuz more current flows through, or a major Vcc line.

Change the view from top to bottom(fig 1)

Move the cursor above the traces, the traces will change color as you move, right click the trace you want to edit.

Select trace width, then custom and enter required trace width.

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UNROUTED LINES Its common to have

unrouted lines in a big circuit. The easiest way out is to do a jumper.

There is a “Place Pad” option, place two pads near the unrouted portion.

“route manual” from the old pad to the new pad.

The ratlines will remain, but in practice you can solder a jumper between the two pads.

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COPPER POURS Copper pours act as sinks,

dissipating heat as well has protecting your pcb from being damaged due to high current.

Select the copper pour icon Select the region over which you

want to pour using the rectangular tool.

Common practice to join the copper pour to the ground node.

To do so, click the connectivity tab and from the drop down box select the net x which is the ground.

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Without copper pour

With copper pour

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TIPS FROM THE AUTHOR..

Visualize your PCB first then start placing all the components.

Place switches, jumpers etc in convenient positions and work around those.

Improvise with footprints, crystals etc don’t have default footprints in DIPTRACE, but you can do well with a resistors footprint.

Browse round and see what all footprints you can use.

Use shape router, the most efficient in autorouting.

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And that’s a wrap ! :D