How To Make a Functional Electronic Circuit

Making a functional electronic circuit is preparing a printed circuit which is used in all kinds of electrical and electronic products. The conductors of a printed circuit are thin strips of metal, usually copper, which are bonded to a base board. The base is made of laminations of special paper or glass mat which are joined by phenolic or epoxy resins. The electronic components are mounted on the opposite side of the base and are connected to the conductors by soldering.

There are four basic steps in making a functional electronic circuit:

1. Layout diagram. The layout diagram has to be prepared. This diagram is a pattern of conductors which are to be on the board. It shows which surfaces of the copper are to be protected from an etching solution that will be used to remove the unwanted copper foil from the board.
2. Transfer of the pattern. The simplest way to transfer a layout diagram to the copper-clad laminate is to lay out the diagram directly on the surface of the laminate with tape. For mass production, the pattern can be transferred to the surface of the laminate by means of screen printing or by a photographic process.
3. Etching, cleaning and drilling. After the layout diagram has been transferred to the copper surface, the copper-clad laminate is placed in an acid or in an alkaline etching solution. This solution eats through the unprotected copper leaving only copper under the layout. The remaining conductors are then cleaned, where necessary, holes are drilled or punched through the conductors and the base laminate for component wires. The baseboard is now ready for the mounting of components.
4. Soldering. When all of the components have been mounted on the printed-circuit board, the assembly is ready for soldering. Waves of molten solder are washed into each of the joints which connect component leads to the conductors.

In preparing the layout diagram, these guidelines are helpful:

1. Conductors must not cross or intersect each other.
2. The conductors should be approximately 1/16 to 1/8 inch (1.59 to 3.18 millimeters) wide.
3. There should be a space of at least 1/8 inch (3.18 mm) between adjacent conductors.
4. The conductors, which may be straight or curved, should not be made longer than necessary.
5. Conductor terminal points, through which holes will be drilled, should be at least 3/16 inch (4.76 mm) in diameter.
6. The circuit layout should allow sufficient working spaces on the board without leaving an excessive amount of waste laminate.

Now that you have the basic steps in making a functional electronic circuit and a helpful guideline in the preparation for laying out the diagram, the electronic circuit to be made can now be determined. Whether it is a circuit for transistor or a power supply, the process to be followed is the same.

Electronic components have to be prepared according to the specification requirement of the circuit, the diagram has to be designed and the circuit diagram has to be prepared. After you've completed the above steps, testing the circuit for functionality is a must. If necessary, troubleshooting and repair are the last actions to be taken.