Electronics design

Task to do

To learn electronics design software,and to edit helloworld board

What I did

Being an electronics engineer I knew about circuit designing but in fab academy  lecture I come to know about some more designing software's. I went through following design softwares .
123 D circuit 
Eagle

About 123D circuit

This software is free and online designing software launched by Autodesk.You can use 123D circuit by clicking here.We can make new circuit design as well as we can import project from eagle.
I made simple simple led circuit initially.In this software we can make schematics and PCB tracks also.


I not found this software is as good as Eagle so I preferred Eagle for making schematic.

About Eagle

Eagle is famous and very good software for circuit designing.It is free software and We can do EDA
(Electronics Design Automation) schematic capture, PCB layout, autorouting and CAM programming
in Eagle.For downloading the software click here you will find all details for downloading. here.I have
installed it as freeware.Freeware is a software without payment having either fully functional for
unlimited time or has limited functionality with more capable version.


After installation  open Eagle.Click on file-new-project- give project name and save project.Right click
on that project name-->new-->schematic










After creating the project you will see white blank window infront of you.You have to make grid visible
as it is helpful to make structured connections.Make grid ON in both schematic as well as layout.
Go to view--> grid--> make changes.[size=0.05,alt=0.025]


for adding the components you can use add option by going into edit or write 'add' in command
window.For more details of how to use Eagle, refer this page of fabacademy.

You may not found all components you required so for that you have to add libraries in your eagle folder.
You can download libraries for eagle here sparkfun eagle library , Adafruit eagle library. There click on Download
Zip option in right corner, then unzip that folder and copy files in Eagle library which is named as 'lib' in eagle folder.
On internet you will find such a other libraries also.



This is a schematic made by me.



Now to make layout we have to choose switch to board option from upper toolbar.Then you will find all components
in lower left corner.If you are seeing white background then change it by going into option-->user interface-->
layout--> choose black color (for schematic choose white color)




Move all components to plane and align it such that routing will become easy.After alignment For checking routs type auto in command line.It will reduce your time for routing.
Use move command to stretch the border.After entering command put arrow on border and move as per your requirement.


Make thick border use change command and select width-->0.04. for tracks flowing 230V or higher power use width of this size.


Go to tools--> DSR to check connection errors.Remove errors and proceed.
Go to layer option shown in left tool bar. select the features only which you have to display for printing the board  


Now our design is ready but we cant give its print.For printing  .PNG form is required.For that got to File-->Export then select monochrome and brows it where you have to save it.

I have edited that image in paint

After printing the board I tested it and found bugs that led is connected to vcc instead of ground.So I connected it by external wire.I tried to program it but I failed to do so.I refer many examples and tried programming agin.But I was failling in that Then I seat with DMM(digital multi meter) and check all pins of ATtiny44.Surprisingly my vcc is not given at right place.I found 2 incorrect tracks,So I broke wrong path by cutting it on board and make right tracks by using external wires.I was happy for successful debugging but it is expected to do it before programming.So below is the final operational board.



Note- Always use proper connectors as if it is not proper, it takes ten times more time.Because I had used impropper connectors and It takes so much time to make connections.You can compaire it from below pictures.

In this assignment I learned to circuit design,program and debugging of hello world board.I get confidence to develop my own board.It was helpful to understand electronics circuit.

Download Eagle files of Helloworld board 
PNG file