1. Engineering Innovation Center
PCB II PopUp Course
2017

2. Introduction to PCB II
The Engineering Innovation Center is a large academic maker space with plenty of tools, electronics and equipment. In order to use these items you must have the proper training. This online popup class will teach the basic fundamentals of this tool or piece of equipment.
PCB II – teaches the basic uses of the EAGLE PCB software. The key is the right tool for the right job. This class will give basic information on how EAGLE works, how to make a PCB layout, and how to submit the job to the EIC.
To complete the certification for the PCB II class you will need to complete the online quiz.

3. Head to www.Autodesk.com Click Sign in Create account
Downloading EAGLE
Head to
Click Sign in
Create account
Students have access to EAGLE Premium for free

4. Downloading EAGLE (cont.)
Students have a list of software available to them from Autodesk
Find EAGLE in the list (red box) and click the download button (green oval).
Save the program to your computer and run the installer

5. After installing EAGLE, run the program
Running EAGLE
After installing EAGLE, run the program
The first time running EAGLE, the program will give a message saying that the EAGLE directory hasn’t been created yet. Go ahead and click Yes to create it.
After that, EAGLE’s control panel should appear.
Click File -> New -> Schematic

6. The circuit that you’re going to build is an inverting integrator.
Building a circuit
The circuit that you’re going to build is an inverting integrator.

7. Downloading SparkFun EAGLE Libraries
Downloading SparkFun’s EAGLE Library is a good choice for beginners and even experts since the libraries are much easier to understand than the ones that EAGLE has by default.
The libraries can be found at:
Download and unzip the zip file
Everything that SparkFun sells should be in the libraries, making it easy to buy parts for your PCB board.

8. Adding Libraries
In EAGLE’s schematic view, click Library -> Open Library Manager
In the Library Manager, click Browse
In the next box, select the folder where the library files are stored, highlight all of them and select “Open”.
The libraries should now be added.

9. Adding parts to the Schematic
On the left side of the screen in the schematic editor, click the “Add” button, scroll to the SparkFun-IC-Amplifiers library, find the LM358 op-amp and click OK to place it in the schematic. Since the LM358 is a dual op-amp, after placing the first symbol, click again to place the second symbol, and then finally click again to place the power rail.

10. Adding parts to the Schematic (cont.)
Repeat the adding process to place the following parts into the schematic:
4x resistors (SparkFun-resistors library, 1 kOhm – Axial-0.3)
3x connectors (SparkFun-connectors library, CONN_1, CONN_1)
1x capacitor (SparkFun-capacitors, 4.7uF, 4.7UF603)
Use the Net button to draw connections
Your schematic should look like the picture to the right

11. Naming objects
The name button is used to give name to objects to make the schematic less confusing for other people to read.
It’s also useful for naming electrical connections so that the schematic is less cluttered as well.
Let’s do this for our schematic
Use the name button to name the four connections like in the schematic to the right

12. Naming Connections Connections, or nets, can also be named.
If nets have the same name, they are considered by EAGLE to be connected even if they’re not.
Let’s try this for the schematic
Name all of the connections going to ground as GND
A warning should pop up saying if you want to connect the two connections. Click yes.
The schematic should look like the picture to the right.
Even though the connections that are labeled GND are separate, because they are named the same, EAGLE connects them for you. This wouldn’t be necessary for a simple circuit like this, but for more complex and advanced circuits, it comes in handy to prevent traces from being drawn all over the screen.

13. This takes you to the board layout view.
Board View
Now that the schematic is complete, we’ll switch over to the board view. Click the switch board button
EAGLE will ask if you want to create the board from the schematic. Click yes.
This takes you to the board layout view.

14. Board View (cont.)
Click and drag the components into the large black rectangle. There’s no real guideline on how parts should be placed, but as a general rules the connection lines should be as straight as possible.
When all components have been placed, click on the outline of the black rectangle to reduce the size since this is your board outline. Generally, your PCBs should be as small as possible.
Your schematic may look like the sample to the right.

15. Adding a ground plane (optional but strongly recommended)
It’s recommended that you use the bottom of the PCB to use as a ground plane
To do this, use the Polygon tool (making sure that the bottom layer is selected) and draw a rectangle around the board.
When the rectangle is created, the outline changes to a dashed line.
Right click the dashed line and select Name
For the name, put GND (or whatever you call your ground net)
Click the Ratsnest button
The rectangle should change into a filled rectangle within your board
The ground plane has been made

16. Routing traces
Routing traces can be done manually by clicking the trace button
Select either top or bottom layer and point and click to lay traces.
You can also use the Autorouter tool to have EAGLE place the traces
If using the autorouter, be sure to load the design rule file before running the autorouter (see next slide).

17. Design Rules
Once routing is complete, the next step is checking the design for any errors
Click the DRC button
Click Load
Navigate to the design rule file that you plan on using. The EIC has three design rule files for Express, Standard, and Advanced layouts. Where to find the design rule files are shown at the end of the Powerpoint.
Click Check
EAGLE then checks your board for any errors.
If the design rules are selected before using the autorouter, the autorouter will design the traces around the design rules so no errors should pop up.
Fix any errors that pop up

18. CAM Processing
The next step is to create the Gerber Files to submit to the EIC.
From the file menu, click on CAM Processor
On the menu that pops up, click File -> Open -> Job and select the EIC.cam file. The EIC.cam file is located in the same directory as the design rule files.
Click Process Job
If no errors pop up, your Gerber files have been created in the same directory as your schematic and board layout.

19. Next Steps Change the drill file from a .drd file to a .txt file
Add the 4 Gerber files to a single zip folder
Fill out the EIC’s Prototyping form.
Select PCB when it asks what type of prototyping is required.
Upon reaching the end of the form, a link to submit the files and a link to the design rules/CAM file appear.
Click on the PCB Upload directory
Name your zip file with your last name and the request number (1 if this is your first submission, 2 if it’s your second, etc.)
Upload your zip file to the google drive folder.
Your board is now submitted!
Most boards take about a week to complete, but it could take longer or shorter depending on how busy the EIC is.

20. Head over to the EIC’s website to take the quiz for this class.
Conclusion
Head over to the EIC’s website to take the quiz for this class.
A passing grade is 90% or above.

21. Jim Wilson – EIC Manager James-Wilson@tamu.edu
Contact info
For any prototyping related questions, feel free to send an to
Jim Wilson – EIC Manager
engineering.tamu.edu/eic

22. Engineering Innovation Center
2017 – Jim Wilson