Description
I have always been interested in technology at all levels. I started with computers in 7th grade. I realize that this is a late start by today's standards, but back then it was way ahead of the game. I had to take several tests to get into the ADVANCED classes. I recieved my degree in electronics engineering in 1992 and worked in the fields of data acquisition and control for several years. I later got deeply involved in systems engineering and developed curriculum for several regionally accredited colleges. I currently work as a systems engineer. I began reading about microcontrollers as a self-education project and really like working with them. I have made a few prototypes using them but have outgrown the perf boards that you can get at Radio Shack. I began looking for a company to produce rapid turn around prototypes for me but found "rapid" means 4-6 weeks. While researching the companies, I found an interesting website by Thomas Gootee where he makes circuit boards using an ordinary laser printer and a common household clothes iron. I have began researching the limits of the Gootee board and this section of my website is the resaults and progress of my research.
The issue I have is quite simple. The microcontroller I want to use is the very flexible PIC18F97J60 from Microchip Technologies. It has ethernet capabilities, loads of program memory, serial communications, analog/digital I/O and lots of other stuff. The problem is that it only comes in a TQFP with either 0.4 mm pin spacing or 0.5 mm pin spacing. I am testing the Gootee toner transfer method to see of it can make a board accurate enough to mount these chips on. The pads are 0.3mm wide and have 0.2mm of space between pads. I can accurately print the pad layout on my HP LaserJet 4M (oldie but a goodie). The paper printout of the circuitboard is dead on.
The following pages document my research into the Gootee board