At 03:33 PM 8/25/99 -0400, Dewayne Lawson wrote:
>I have been given the challenge to learn PCB layout. I was wondering if
>anyone could provide me with some ideas on how to get started. I have
>AutoCAD and ORCAD experience, however, I  have never performed any PCB
>design. My company is currently using Protel for the PCB layout software.
>(our former designer relocated, so I do not have the luxury of an
>experienced person in-house).
>
>I appreciate any advice you may provide. My boss signed me up with IPC
>immediately, so I figure that's a good start.

There are books on printed circuit design. Read them.

Visit a fabrication facility and see how boards are made.

Likewise talk with the people in assembly or at an assembly house about how
design affects manufacture.

That's very largely how I did it, about twenty years ago.

Subscribe to Printed Circuit Design magazine (www.pcdmag.com). It'll be
free for you.

Attend related conferences, especially those put on by Printed Circuit
Design magazine. For the upcoming PCB Design Conference East, October
11-15, in Marlborough, MA, the web address is www.pcbeast.com.

-- PCBEAST. That's me after a nasty design job. --

If you are not an electronics engineer, nevertheless the more you know
about electronics the better, so learn what you can. A PC Designer has an
opportunity to look over the work of the engineer in detail; it's a prime
opportunity to catch errors before a board is actually built.

Oh, yes, last, but not least by any means, join the Association of Protel
EDA Users by getting on its mailing list (follow the link at
www.techservinc.com). And continue to ask questions; you may save yourself
a LOT of time.
[log in to unmask]
Abdulrahman Lomax
P.O. Box 690
El Verano, CA 95433