Would anyone be interested in a PCB layout class?
I’m pretty well versed in KiCAD, and was talking about teaching a class on using it to layout a full PCB.
7 Likes
I am very interested in a class especially if it discusses inexpensive suppliers. DIrtyPCBs??
DirtyPCB’s history is actually a pretty funny story (https://dirtypcbs.com/about).
Basically, they started as a joke, and when they took some orders on accident (because of some Hack-A-Day coverage) they decided to just fulfill the orders and become a service.
I try to do all my design as board-house agnostic as I can, as I’ve used quite a few different PCB houses over the years. They all have their pros and cons, mostly the triangle of Speed, Cost, and Capabilities.
If I do teach the class it will be the first thing we cover when we’re trying to decide on design rules, and then the last thing we cover when we are ready to “make an order”.
1 Like
YES, I would be interesred!!
I’d be interested for sure, but very anxious and finger crossing that it won’t be schedule for when I’m out on business travel. 
I have a class on PCB board exposure/etching and a follow up Surface Mount soldering class, they could really mesh well together as part of a 3 part series? !
Hot air or hot iron? I learned hot iron back in the mid-90s at Pace training.
Count me in as interested. I’m curious to see if KiCad has acquired any of the advanced features such as push and shove or plowing. Nothing worse than realizing well into the routing that one has to add a trace in the middle of a congested area and the only option on many (most?) low end layout tools is to either manually move each trace to make room or - worse yet - delete a number of traces then add them back in.
I seem to learn complex applications best when I have a simple project that I have completed from start to finish. I can then look up and add other options as needed. Is it feasible to have a class that takes a simple circuit, like a 555, all the way in one session? Even subjects like silk screen labeling could be omitted or covered in a later class in the interest of completing the project.
Count me in no matter how you structure the class.
My immediate interest is to build a set of PCBs for a 16 pin microcontroller and very few other components for projects featured in my Blynk class.
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/5516
1 Like
Based on the results of the 2 classes Walter taught, I’d recommend the following.
-
Make 1st class / 1st project very, very simple.
-
Plan on minimum class time of 2 hours. What you think you can easily cover in 2 hrs will probably take longer.
-
Make sure students are clear on what they need to do to prepare for class. What version of KiCad installed AND running.
-
Limit class size. There will be lots of questions, etc.
-
Consider making any project a multi class one. Not convenient, but there’s only so much you can cram into 1 class and have students remember.
Thanks for giving this serious consideration.
Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help make this happen.
4 Likes
I’m def. interested, hope it’s not scheduled on the weekend.
Three absolute facts that you will face:
- Some people will be late
- Some will not have done the installations
- There will likely be no-shows and late cancellations
I struggle with this in my Arduino classes. Attempting to accommodate the late and unprepared is a great disservice to the responsible members of the class. I am moving toward starting the presentation at five minutes after the announced time and telling the unprepared and late comers I will help them in lab time. This is messy when you walk the class through an exercise but you must decide how to handle it.
I really like the free and cheap classes but that causes some to not see them as valuable. No-shows and late cancellations have several implications especially denying a seat to someone who was unable to register. I think it is important to limit class size to whatever number you think you can support.
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/five-no-shows-a-late-cancellation-and-no-honorarium/28055
At least a couple of us require approval and screen for those that have been a problem See the note at the end of this announcement to see how I make reference to it. One teacher announces that no-shows will be charged $25.00 if they wish to take a later class.
https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/5516
I think you are a new member and new at teaching at DMS. Welcome!!! If I can do anything to help, let me know. The above is not to scare you but to have you prepared. The appreciation expressed by attendees as a class wraps is enough to make up for all the stresses!
1 Like
The class I have in mind would be teaching everyone how to get up an running with the latest kicad version.
We’d probably start with making sure that everyone has the latest version installed, and then from there go through the schematic capture, netlist generation, footprint creation, placement and layout with the absolute smallest project I can think of. Maybe a 555 circuit, or even something simpler like a relay, FET, and contacts.
If that class is well received I would have a second class that was something more advanced like copying the arduino schematic for the arduino micro and doing all of the layout for that which would take ~10 hours of instruction (around 3 or 4 hours if I didn’t need to stop for questions). Maybe that class would be a breakout into multiple sessions, or an all day, but I’ll talk about it with the people who are interested in it if the time comes.
As far as the no-shows and classroom sizes, I’ll make a decision on that. My preference will probably be reserve a large classroom, and have a high limit (30?), and then if too many people show up, make it a demonstration instead of a hands on then have a longer lab time to help with the hand holding parts.
2 Likes
Sorry, it will 90% likely be on the weekend. I’ve got a day job, and it takes priority over fun during the week.
1 Like