A tutorial on Dip Trace, a common platform for PCB prototyping

1. DIP TRACE TUTORIAL
Mahadev G
+919496370662
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2. HOWDY FOLKS..
 This tutorial helps you skip some steps and churn
out a pcb in minutes.
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3. DIP TRACE..
 It’s a freeware available
here www.diptrace.com/download.php
here diptrace.en.softonic.com/
 The free version has all the components but only
allows you a certain number of pads.
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4. THE EASY WAY..
WE SKIP THE LAME BOREING PARTS AND GO RIGHT TO THE BUSINESS END,
THE PCB
 Double click the
diptrace icon and
select layout.
 You’l see a
screen like this…
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5. PARTS..
 Basic componets like
resistors,capacitors,DIP
packages etc are found
in the GENERAL tab.
 There are lots of other
tabs having various
footprints, just visit all
the tabs n see what all
varieties of footprints are
there.
Always refer screen shots..
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6. HOW TO PLACE THESE PARTS.
 Its easy, just click on
the part and click
anywhere on the
screen work area.
You will see the part
placed there.
 To rotate a part click
on the part and press
CTRL+R or right click
and select rotate.
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7. HOW TO CONNECT THESE PARTS..
 So once you have
everything that you need
on the board, you connect
these using RATLINES,
 Click the ratline button
(new version) and just click
the point you want to join.
Its easy, just click
click…(old one just click
the points you want to join)
 Red indicates that you
have made a connection.
 Don’t worry about
overlapping ratlines, its not
an issue
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8. UNITS..
 Go to the view menu and
select units, you have
various scales of
measure, mm, inch, mils.
 Select which is
convenient, this tutorial
the scale is mm.
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9. TRACE WIDTHS..
 Most important thing to notice is
trace widths, this denotes how
thick your trace is on your PCB,
a thinner trace can carry less
current.
 DIP trace has a default trace
width of 0.33mm which is very
small and you need to change
that as soon as you start
routing.
 This is found in the route setup
menu.
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10. ROUTING.
 Once you’ve finished joining all your connection you
move on the important phase, routing..
 There are two settings you have to do before you
start anything
 Route setup
 Auto router setup
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11. ROUTE SETUP
 Most important thing you
set is here, Trace width,
trace clearance, trace to
pad clearance.
 Route setup has two
routers, shape router
and grid router
 Shape router is a
complex router that turns
any degrees.
 Grid router can turn only
45 and 90 degrees.
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12. AUTO ROUTER SETUP
 Here we have various
options like trace
angles, and the most
important option.. Route
directions.
 If printing a single sided
pcb, we have to route
only in the bottom layer,
so turn off the bottom
layer.
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14. AUTO ROUTE AND WALAAA…
 Once you have all the
settings rearing to go,
just click the auto
route button. And
there you have it. The
pcb routed and ready
for print.
 But this is just a
generalized route,
some traces might
need more width, use
of copper pours etc.
So add those as well..
(will come to these in
the end..)
Top side Bottom side
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15. COMMON TWEAKS..
 Common tweaks you have to do to your pcb would
be
 Changing trace widths of specific lines
 Routing un routed lines, jumpers
 Copper pours
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16. CHANGING TRACE WIDTHS..
 So say you have a ground
line that needs more width
b’cuz more current flows
through, or a major Vcc
line.
 Change the view from top
to bottom(fig 1)
 Move the cursor above
the traces, the traces will
change color as you
move, right click the trace
you want to edit.
 Select trace width, then
custom and enter required
trace width.
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18. UNROUTED LINES
 Its common to have
unrouted lines in a big
circuit. The easiest way
out is to do a jumper.
 There is a “Place Pad”
option, place two pads
near the unrouted
portion.
 “route manual” from the
old pad to the new pad.
 The ratlines will remain,
but in practice you can
solder a jumper between
the two pads.
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19. COPPER POURS
 Copper pours act as
sinks, dissipating heat as well has
protecting your pcb from being
damaged due to high current.
 Select the copper pour icon
 Select the region over which you
want to pour using the rectangular
tool.
 Common practice to join the
copper pour to the ground node.
 To do so, click the connectivity tab
and from the drop down box select
the net x which is the ground.
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20. Without copper pour
With copper pour
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21. TIPS FROM THE AUTHOR..
 Visualize your PCB first then start placing all the
components.
 Place switches, jumpers etc in convenient positions
and work around those.
 Improvise with footprints, crystals etc don’t have
default footprints in DIPTRACE, but you can do well
with a resistors footprint.
 Browse round and see what all footprints you can
use.
 Use shape router, the most efficient in autorouting.
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22. Andthat’sa
wrap!:D
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