Making two-sided pcb's at home

Materials and tools

  1. PCB Fab-In-A-Box
  2. laser printer
  3. drill press (or better yet, a cnc mill)
  4. drill bits
  5. LPKF EasyContac via rivets

Process

  1. Lay out the desgin. If vias make sure that all vias have at least 62 mils of coppper ring. This is gives some margin for error when drilling and makes soldring easier.
  2. Check your printer's calibration.
  3. Use our gerber viewer to create a two sided pdf:
    1. Upload gerbers. At least the top and bottom layers must be together in a zip file.
    2. Select only the top and bottom layers.
    3. Move the top layer to be above the bottom layer.
    4. Click the print button.
    5. Adjust the scale factor.
    6. Setup the array if mulitple copies are desired.
    7. Select the low resolution for drafts, high resolution for the final copy.
  4. Print to toner transfer paper.
  5. Cut alog line.
  6. Match the four targets and attach with tape. Leave no tape on one side so pcb can be inserted.
  7. Slide in the prepped copper-clad board.
  8. Run through laminator. Larger boards will require several passes in order for the whole board to reach the right temperature and the toner to attach to the copper.
  9. Repeat for the green TRF.
  10. Spong etch one side.
  11. Flip over and etch next side.
  12. Clean and plate if desired.
  13. Drill holes and connect vias.
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