Drawing the Schematic:

Before proceeding with PCB design, it’s crucial to first draw the schematic. Below are the steps for creating a schematic in DipTrace, a popular PCB design tool.

 

Defining Schematic Size and Title Placement:

To begin, navigate to “File / Titles and Sheet Setup” from the main menu. From there, choose ANSI A in the Sheet Template dropdown.

Next, at the bottom of the dialog box, check the boxes for Display Titles and Display Sheet. Then click OK.

 

To edit the title text, hover over the title field, click to open the field properties dialog, and enter the required text. You can also define text alignment (Left, Right, or Center) and adjust the font settings.

 

Configuring Libraries:

DipTrace organizes libraries into both standard and custom groups, making it easy to search for and place components. The Component Panel offers a wide range of tools to manage libraries and place components efficiently.

 

Designing the Schematic:

Start by dragging and dropping the necessary components into the design area. For example, let’s begin with the 555 Timer IC.

To find a component, use the search filter. Here, I searched for the 555 Timer IC.

 

To place the component, select it from the list on the left, move your cursor to the design area, and left-click to place it. Right-click afterward to exit component placement mode.

 

Repeat this process for all other required components, placing them in the design area as necessary.

To connect components, such as pin-5 of the 555 IC to pin-1 of capacitor C4, hover over the pin, left-click to enter Place Wire mode, then move the cursor to the corresponding pin and left-click to establish the connection.

Continue to connect the components in a similar manner until the schematic is fully completed.

 

Converting the Schematic to PCB:

To convert your schematic into a PCB layout, select File / Convert to PCB or press the hotkeys Ctrl+B in the Schematic view.

 

In the popup dialog box, choose “Use Schematic Rules” or load PCB rules from another layout file.

 

Click OK to open the schematic in the PCB layout editor.

 

Designing the PCB:

 

Preparing for Routing:

Routing is a critical final stage in PCB design, but its success depends on thorough preparation.

After converting the schematic to PCB, the layout may appear disorganized. To arrange the components, click the button in the Placement toolbar or select Placement / Arrange Components from the main menu.

The components will be rearranged near the center of the design, following the placement settings.

 

Manual Placement:

To begin defining the board outline, click the button. Drag and drop the components to appropriate locations, organizing the power supply components in one area and the functional blocks in another for optimal layout.

Ensure proper layout rules and differential signaling for high-frequency circuits.

 

Autorouting:

DipTrace features a high-quality, shape-based autorouter for efficient PCB routing.

Navigate to Route / Route Setup to configure parameters like Trace Width, Trace Clearance, and other specifics before clicking OK.

Click the (Autoroute) button to start autorouting.

After autorouting, you can manually adjust traces as necessary.

Manual Routing:

For complex designs, manual routing may be required. Although automatic routing is efficient for simpler designs, combining both methods is often the best approach for intricate layouts.

 

To unroute a portion of the design, right-click the net and select “Unroute Net” from the submenu.