My PCB Prototype Board

[bitfogav]

thank you both!

[sdudley]

I have to admit I am not at all impressed with the image it saves!

Eagle does a much better job at saving the schematic as an image.

Stacy

[brad]

should write to diptrace and request the feature for a future update.

[sdudley]

I let them know about it on the forum.

What about anybody else here? Have you saved a schematic as an image?

Does it come out all pixilated and illegible?

[brad]

I have to do it by scrolling through the image and using the screen capture tool.

Surely this is something that would be simple to incorporate!

[MrDEB]

my problem is saving a pattern and schematic of custom componets.
Trying to make a 4 pos dip switch and also a crystal schematic. I keep getting errors that my crystal has no pads.
Other that that I am test driving DIPTRACE.
Very easy to use (easier than EAGLE) but not as easy as EXPRESSPCB.
Have numerious boards I designed and etched using EXPRESSPCB and PULSAR paper.
here is my PIC Developement board done using EXPRESSPCB

[MrDEB]

Yo Brad. I was able to download your schematic and have to admit its a nice board BUT you only have LEDs on the port pins. Take a look at my design. Not perfect but access to ALL the port pins is possible on a 1x board (see my PCBoard layout.)
I have a design for a daughter board with LCD, UART, I2C ports all on one daughter board.
Am trying to draw using DIPTRACE. Having trouble with edited headers, crystal etc. Not saving correctly?
Will hopefully figure it out.
What I like about DIPTRACE is it automatically does 45 degree angle traces and outputs gerber files if I want to have boards outsourced.
Still hacking at the one chip POV project. Have some SMD LEDS I might just experiment with 4 displays.
Still need to get the VB graphics program installed. Got the VB but thats as far as I have gotten.

[brad]

Which schematic did you find? I can't quite remember it

Diptrace certainly is not perfect, but it's my preferred schematic and pcb editor - I have had production boards made from diptrace designs.

And as for the pov software - you just need to have vb.net framework on your computer and it should work fine. Did you download and install that?

[sdudley]

I have to admit I am not at all impressed with the image it saves!

Eagle does a much better job at saving the schematic as an image.

Stacy

I just wanted to let everybody know I was wrong about how DIPTRACE saves the image file. I found that when I save it in a higher resolution (say 300 percent) then it looks just fine when I open the bitmap (or jpeg) in an image viewer.

schematic-capture-resolutio.jpg (106.9 KiB) Viewed 15306 times

Stacy

[brad]

Cool!

I now no longer have to take loads of zoomed in images and then paste them together

[MrDEB]

Same basic design but added a selector switch to have ability to switch between programing and RX/TX without disconnecting the ICSP plug.
Using DIPTRACE. Has a learning curve but getting feet wet.
The gray traces are jumper wires. Easier to draw a top trace than configuring a jumper.
Board is 1x for DIY home etch.
If you want the DIPTRACE files then I will post in compressed folder.

[bitfogav]

The Boards looking good MrDeb, I would be interested in seeing the DIPTRACE files

[MrDEB]

here are the sch and pcb files compressed DIPTRACE files

[MrDEB]

Please remember that the gray or top traces are jumper wires so its a 1x board.
Am new at using DIPTRACE and not real up on building new components. Got lucky with the slide switch
The slide switch is from Mouser. Will get you part num if you want. Its just a 4PDT slide switch.
The push-buttons are from Electronic Goldmine on a clearance sale = 100 for $5. Using for a boy scout toy organ (merit badge class I teach.)

[MrDEB]

slide switch link
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDet ... 12-EG4208A
In theroy it should work.
The headers I got from SURE Electronics for under $9 + shipping for 50 headers M/F
http://www.sureelectronics.net/search.p ... k5Njg7fQ==
hope this helps for you to maybe build then suggest additions etc.
A daughter board will have the LCD and ???
NOTE the headers are configured to accept a TAP-28 daughter board as well.