3 ms·
I actually started one level lower than that: in high school, those cost too much, but I discovered that a Sharpie made good, cheap etch resist :-) Later at my
by HeyLaughingBoy 6y ago
I actually started one level lower than that: in high school, those cost too much, but I discovered that a Sharpie made good, cheap etch resist :-)
Later at my first job, we made our own prototypes in the basement. We had a giant Agfa stat camera that would take the 2x artwork and reduce it 50% onto clear film that we would use to expose photosensitive resist coated PCB and then etch.
I really, really don't miss those days :-)
- Gibbon1 6y agoFirst job the draftsman would layout PCB's with tape and pads on mylar sheets And then we'd send those out to be reduced. Then to the FAB house who'd run some prototypes. All told the whole process seemed to take about 3 months from scratch. The couple of times I delt with homemade PCB's... janky. If I had to prototype something I'd buy vector board with plated through holes and then solder wire wrap wire to sockets. Quicker and almost as reliable as a professional PCB.
- p_l 6y agoUsing sharpies for etch resistant drawing was common method described to me in electronics books from 1970s or so (German series by Dieter Nuhrman, unfortunately I don't know the original title, was sold in Poland as "Elektronika łatwiejsza niż przypuszczasz", literally "Electronics (is) easier than you thought")