Designing PCBs is made easier with the help of today's sophisticated CAD tools, but many companies' requirements do not justify the acquisition cost and learning curve associated with specialized PCB design software. Printed Circuit Board Design Using AutoCAD helps design engineers and students get the most out of their AutoCAD workstation, showing tips and techniques to improve your design process. The book is organized as a series of exercises that show the reader how to draft electronic schematics and to design single-sided, double-sided, and surface-mount PCBs.

Coverage includes drafting schematics, designing PCB artwork, and preparation of detailed fabrication and assembly drawings for PCBs designed on other EDA systems. Appendices on the Gerber and Excellon formats are vital information for anyone involved in professional PCB design. An introductory chapter gives an overview of PCB manufacturing technology and design techniques

In addition to the tips and techniques, the author has provided a copy of AutoPADS, a proprietary toolkit for PCB designers using AutoCAD. The disk includes the AutoPADS conversion utilities, sample files for the book exercises, and AutoCAD libraries for schematic drafting and PCB design. The AutoPADS utilities allow bidirectional transfer of Gerber format photophlotter data and Excellon format numerical control (NC) drill data from AutoCAD. The AutoPADS utilities also allow input of Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HPGL) data from other computer-aided design systems into AutoCAD.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Schroeder is the Chief Engineer, Electronics, for Crane Technologies Group, Inc., Daytona Beach, Florida, a leading automotive aftermarket and original equipment supplier. He has 19 years of engineering, marketing, and management experience in the electronics industry and has a broad, yet in-depth technical knowledge of both design and manufacturing. His specialized areas of design expertise include: embedded controls using RISC microcontroller technology, assembly language programming, magnetic design for switching power supplies and ignition coils, and printed circuit board design, including the use of surface mount technology.

· Integrating PCB design with AutoCAD systems
· How to draft schematics and design PCBs
· Interfacing with Gerber, Excellon, and HPGL formats