My personnal digital pool thermometer

D

Dicky Mint

Senior Member
Hi Cacho

Your PCB looks ok at first look but..

You've drawn the main traces and pads in red which represents the S1 layer. In layout40, at least, this is printed in red, unfortunately!

The problem with this is that the print density will be less than a black line and could cause problems with the exposure of a photosensitive board.

Rick
 
cachomachine

cachomachine

Senior Member
Rick

I am using sprint layout 5.0 and my personnal color sheme for no reasons other that i like it better.
This is what it look in standard color sheme.Thermometer layout.2.jpg

cacho
 
D

Dicky Mint

Senior Member
I stand corrected!

I've been using Sprint Layout for years and I didn't know that could be done!

Perhaps its a feature of Layout 50?

Perhaps I need to upgrade as I see it does things like free rotations which are pretty tricky to do using Layout 40!

Rick
 
cachomachine

cachomachine

Senior Member
I tink that Sprint layout 4.0 also have the color option. Menu options/general settings/colors

BTW i do not use a photosensitive board, just a regular copper one sided board and the laser printer method that works very well for me.

would you like to have the .lay file?

cacho
 
D

Dicky Mint

Senior Member
Thanks cacho, I've found some colour options in Options/define colours, although I think there may be more in Layout 50.

I tried the toner transfer method a few times a few years ago without much success.

I'd be interested to hear how you go about it practically speaking as different people seem to have their own variant of the method.

Yes I would like a copy of your .lay file to see if I can edit it in layout 40

Rick
 
cachomachine

cachomachine

Senior Member
I print the layout using the print option (only printing the c2 side) in sprint layout 50 on a piece of intermediate that came from an old Kodak proofer(now discontinued) it has a shiny plastic coating and does not stick to the copper leaving only the toner.

The transfer is done with a salvaged fuser unit from an old color printer, the temp is controlled with a 14m reading the thermistor value and feeding it to the ADC input, i use a solid state relay to control the heating lamps in the fuser unit

Then i etche in a transparent solution of muriatic acid and peroxide mix that would etch my PCB in less than 2 minutes at room temperature.

The drilling is done with a miniature press drill.

The results are just phenomenal.

I will need help on how to atach the .lay file as i don't seems to have this option.

Cacho
 
N

nick12ab

Senior Member
cachomachine said:
Will it work?
Click to expand...
Yes, it appears to have worked and the file is present. I only questioned the suggestion as previously (i.e. ages ago) only moderators could upload .zip files but now everybody can.

Don't know what the A~ thing is in the .zip file name though.
 
D

Dicky Mint

Senior Member
Hi Cacho

Downloaded the zipped file, unzipped it and tried to open it in Sprint Layout 40 but got in a box:-

"Thenmométre Piscine2.7x2.6.lay is not a Sprint-Layout file"

I don't know why that should be.

I've tried a couple of times with no luck

Perhaps there is another way? Perhaps via a Private Message as I think there are more file type options that way.
 
B

Basrad

Member
Thank you very much for the tips!! I've done etching before, but have issues with art work.. Been printing on ohp trans and light exposing resulting in poor details..

Keen to try out this tone transfer on to copper. Will have a go asap.. Sorry to go off the original subject.. Good day
 
E

eclectic

Moderator
Dicky Mint said:
Hi Cacho

Downloaded the zipped file, unzipped it and tried to open it in Sprint Layout 40 but got in a box:-

"Thenmométre Piscine2.7x2.6.lay is not a Sprint-Layout file"

I don't know why that should be.

I've tried a couple of times with no luck

Perhaps there is another way? Perhaps via a Private Message as I think there are more file type options that way.
Click to expand...
Rick.
It is a gen. file.

Open and extract, then

Try the viewer from this link:
http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html

Scroll down to the bottom.

e
 
D

Dicky Mint

Senior Member
Hi, I tried opening the file in Layout 50 viewer and it seems to work perfectly!

Thanks e

Unfortunately I can't edit it at all but not a problem

For that I think I'll have to invest in Layout 50.

I've been 'umming' and 'ahring' about getting the front panel designer software
so I'll probably buy this at the same time from Abacom.

I certainly proves one can attach a .lay file, zipped, to a post

I wonder if one can send one by email? I guess with no problem but I haven't tried!

I love your method of PCB fabrication, its so sophisticated (in a Heath Robinson kind of way!)

Muriatic acid aka Strong Hydrochloric Acid mixed with Hydrogen Peroxide! That's a scary one!

Gloves and eye protection a must not to mention an apron and an eyebath essential!

I must admit to being scared to death by this mixture!

Although Ferric Chloride is very slow, staining, acidic solution to a chemist its relatively safe!

Re-fusing toner onto a plain PCB using the fuser unit of an old colour printer and
controlled by PICAXE to boot, Inspiring!

In writing this post I'm bowing out as I think I've hijacked it from the beginning

Many apologies!

Rick
 
I

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
Basrad said:
Keen to try out this tone transfer on to copper. Will have a go asap.. Sorry to go off the original subject.. Good day
Click to expand...
I think your original post asked for feedback on the proposed PCB. I can see a couple of possible issues.


  • Toner transfer method does not always go well with very fine tracks. Unless there is good (ie PICAXE hardware functionality) reason not to, swap the connections to B.5 and B.7 pins. This will allow you to get rid of the fiddly track near the 7-seg display and space the tracks a bit better.
  • The mounting holes are very close to the edges of the board. If the board is cut to the size shown, the holes are likely to break.
  • Two of the mounting holes are "crowded" by components, so will not be usable.

A little more time adjusting the layout will result in a must more functional PCB.
 
cachomachine

cachomachine

Senior Member
Muriatic acid aka Strong Hydrochloric Acid mixed with Hydrogen Peroxide! That's a scary one!

Gloves and eye protection a must not to mention an apron and an eyebath essential!

I must admit to being scared to death by this mixture!
Click to expand...
I probably depends upond the % of the mixed products, a friend of mine retreives the PCB into the liquid with his bare fingers once etched and does not seems to suffer fron burns but iI personnaly uses rubber gloves.

•Toner transfer method does not always go well with very fine tracks.
Click to expand...
This is not the case with my method, the traces are very sharp, i can even put 1 point letters and they look very good.

Thanks inglewoodpete for your suggestions, i will try to remember them on my next layout.

This project is just a prelude to my next project that is on the drawing board.

I want to control the flow of water in the pool heating solar system (This is done manually today and often forgotten to turn off during the night).

It is basicly the same approach except that there are 2 temp. sensors, one at the input and the other one at the output comparing constantly the temperature of both sensor and turning the water electric valve off with a solid state relay if the result is negative.

The project will be powered by a 18M2, the display will be multiplexed this time and be use to display both temperature and the system status.

Lots of fun to come but I love it.

Cacho
 
cachomachine

cachomachine

Senior Member
Muriatic acid aka Strong Hydrochloric Acid mixed with Hydrogen Peroxide! That's a scary one!

Gloves and eye protection a must not to mention an apron and an eyebath essential!

I must admit to being scared to death by this mixture!
Click to expand...
I probably depends upond the % of the mixed products, a friend of mine retreives the PCB into the liquid with his bare fingers once etched and does not seems to suffer fron burns but iI personnaly uses rubber gloves.

•Toner transfer method does not always go well with very fine tracks.
Click to expand...
This is not the case with my method, the traces are very sharp, i can even put 1 point letters and they look very good.

Thanks inglewoodpete for your suggestions, i will try to remember them on my next layout.

This project is just a prelude to my next project that is on the drawing board.

I want to control the flow of water in the pool heating solar system (This is done manually today and often forgotten to turn off during the night).

It is basicly the same approach except that there are 2 temp. sensors, one at the input and the other one at the output comparing constantly the temperature of both sensor and turning the water electric valve off with a solid state relay if the result is negative.

The project will be powered by a 18M2, the display will be multiplexed this time and be use to display both temperature and the system status.

Lots of fun to come but I love it.

Cacho
 
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