How to Create a Circuit Board

A moderately complex etched circuit board

Creating an electronic circuit board is not difficult. A circuit board is simply a physical supporting structure for wires or metal traces carrying electricity between components. There are two primary ways of creating a circuit board, neither are difficult to create. The older and more flexible way of making a circuit board is called wire wrapping. More modern circuit boards use metal traces etched using acid on the surface of a non-conducting surface, such as fiberglass.

Things You'll Need

• For wire wrapping:
• Pre-drilled circuit board with plated holes
• Electrical components
• Wire
• Wire wrapping tool
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Flux
• Wire cutters
• For Etched Boards:
• Copper or tin clad blank circuit board
• Acid resistant traces, or a pen with acid resistant ink
• Acid designed for etching an electronic circuit board
• Drill

Instructions

Creating a Wire Wrapped Circuit Board

1. Arrange the components on the pre-drilled circuit board according to the schematic.

2. Leave the leads that poke through the circuit board long.

3. Wrap the wire around the protruding lead, and press the wrap against the metal pad of the circuit board.

4. Solder the wire wrapped lead to the metal pad of the circuit board, using an appropriate amount of solder and flux.

5. Follow the circuit diagram to solder the other end of the lead to the next part of the planed circuit.

6. Repeat the wrapping steps until the circuit has been built.

7. Trim the excess from the component leads to create a neat, wired circuit board.

Creating an Etched Circuit Board

1. Refer to the circuit diagram, and place the components in their approximate position on the circuit board.

2. Mark the locations of the components and their pins on the circuit board.

3. Use the circuit masking tape or pen to map the paths between components that the electricity will follow. These are similar to the wires in a wire-wrapped circuit board. Use round pads or marks to create pads to which component leads can be soldered.

4. Place two round pads where circuits must cross. You will use a wire to bridge the two pads and complete the circuits.

5. Place the circuit board with the completed acid resistant tracing material, whether tape or an acid resistant pen ink, into a pan containing the etching acid. The etching acid will eat away all metal not protected by the acid resistant material. This will result in metallic lines on the circuit board over which electricity can travel.

6. Carefully drill holes in the round pads for wires and component leads.

7. Slip the wires and component leads through the holes, and solder the components to the circuit board.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an appropriately powered soldering iron; soldering irons that are too hot can damage components.

• Be careful of the acid for etching circuit boards, it can be hazardous. Solder contains lead, try to avoid breathing vapors. Be sure to follow the etching directions for the acid and metal clad circuit board; leaving it in the acid too long could cause the acid resistant material to fail and compromise the circuit.

References

• Wire Wrapping
• Acid Etching Materials