Step-by-Step Guide Introduction

In the following pages you will learn how to reproduce a printed circuit board, short a PCB. As a showcase we use a solarcharger circuit that in the end together with solarpanels and batteries you have a ready-to-use regenerative energy system.

What is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)?

As the word PCB is used so often in this OER we want to explain what a PCB is. A printed circuit board (PCB) is a carrier for electronic components. It serves for mechanical fastening and electrical connection. Almost every electronic device contains one or more printed circuit boards. Together with electric parts you get a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). Usually you just use the term PCB. But to differentiate between a PCB with and without electric parts you have the extra term PCBA.

You can find further information in the following wikipedia article

The two components of PCB and electric parts must be combined together to get a working board. This combination process is shown in the following steps. The production of the PCB without the electrical parts is not part of this step-by-step guide. It is obtained externally from a manufacturer. How to order a blank PCB is explained under Ordering Process.

What do you get at the end of this reproduction guide?

This reproduction guide shows how to manufacture a MPPT solarcharger. It is a PCB for running an electrical solar power system. In another OER you will learn how to connect the solarcharger with solarpanels and batteries.

Roadmap

First we tell you what knowledge is neccessary in order to complete the OER.

Preparation at Home

It is followed by a little introduction into the tools and the environment where you can find all the needed data.

Execution at Fablab/ Workshop

Then you can start with the steps you see in the navigation on the left side. The first step (ordering process) can be done at home. For the further steps you need some specific machines and tools so we recommend you to visit your favourite fablab.