HTMAA - Week 6: Electronics Design
Electronics Design held many lessons, most of which I did not learn until the end of the semester.
Choosing the right package is important in Eagle. The surface mount parts need to have the appropriate footprint so soldering can be done easily.
The labeling / value setting / naming in Eagle is quirky. Some elements don't accept a value. It is also important not to confuse the name of the label for the name of the "net" (the connections between components in Schematic view). It is possible to label nets but you will get an error. Here is what happens when you try to label a capacitor that doesn't accept a value.
An error in fabmodules ended up causing the Modela to cut straight through my otherwise relatively perfect cut. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the depth was too deep and it was difficult to solder things over deep gaps.
In the end I was able to salvage the board with some zero ohm resistors to hop the gap. The board programmed successfully.
I didn't auto-route, but if you do, make sure you set the bottom setting to N/A so it doesn't try to route using "vias" through the board.
Make sure you load your design rules before you start designing and especially before you route your nets.
