EG21002 Design Assignment

Home Alarm

Outline of Assignment

The aim of this project was to design, prototype, manufacture and test a selected
circuit. In order, I had to:

➢ Locate a schematic diagram that I found to be appealing

➢ Prototype the device to check operation
➢ Copy the schematic using EDWINXP
➢ Package components and create a PCB layout using EDWINXP
➢ Produce the PCB in the lab
➢ Populate the board with supplied components
➢ Test the operation of the circuit

Circuit Description and Method of Operation

This circuit which consists of three 555 timers gets the input from a contact that

could be connected to a motion detector

or any momentary contact that monitors a certain process. Once the contact is
momentarily closed, the first timer which is configured as a mono-stable output
will output a high pulse with a duration up to a maximum of 220 seconds.

This output is fed into the second timer which is configured as an astable 1Hz
square wave generator. The output of this second timer is then fed into the third
timer to control its frequency modulation. This frequency modulation will then
power a speaker and generate a siren tone similar to the police siren.

To reduce complexity and also due to the limited time available, the first section
of the circuit (the part producing the 220 second output) was omitted and a
pulse generator will be used to activate the circuit for purposes of testing.

Review of Processes

CAD

Prototyping

Prototyping is used to test parts of or the whole circuit to check for correct
operation. For the purposes of our relatively small circuit a “bread-board”.
Using a breadboard helps to highlight possible problems, such as incorrect
timing or logic and in the world of industry can prevent unwanted expenditure
due to problems with the circuit at manufacturing level.

Christopher Tayler
CAD

Design of the system was implemented using the EDWinXP CAD PCB software.
Schematic diagram was completed using predesigned components from the
programs library. Upon successfully copying the schematic diagram I preceded
to package the components (place multiple components in one dual-inline
integrated circuit).

Upon successfully packaging the components I preceded to use the software’s

“Layout” section of the program. This allowed me to place the IC’s and
individual components. Once appropriately placed the tracks (electrical
conductors for signals between IC’s and components) are made and via’s where
appropriate (holes from one side to the other). All connections to the
components are made on the “solder” side of the board (underside) to increase
ease of soldering.

Upon completion of the layout I went onto create the “artwork” using the
software’s wizard. This artwork is used to create the photo-masks used in the
production of the PCB (see attached acetate).

PCB Fabrication

After the masks were created we went to the lab and proceeded to make the
PCB itself. The manufacture of the PCB can be split into several distinct stages;
making tracks on the PCB, drilling holes from one side to another, soldering and
placing components and testing.

Safety guidelines must be followed when fabricating PCB’s. These guidelines can
be found below and have been extracted from the supplied project guide (Dr K
Dastoori, 2008)

• Ultraviolet light can damage eyes so the exposure unit must be properly
closed when in use.
• The etchant is corrosive and can cause burns. Wear goggles, rubber
gloves and a lab coat when using the etchant to protect against splashes.
• The developer and tinning solution contain harmful substances. Dispose
of responsibly and wash hands after use.
• Solder contains lead. Use soldering iron in well ventilated areas and wash
hands after use.
• The PCB is very hot after being in the reflow oven. Allow to cool before
handling.

First of all a 4x4 inch piece of double sided PCB was cut out. It must be
remembered when working with the board at this stage it must be handled in a
YELLOW LIGHT environment to avoid exposing the photo resist which would have
resulted in a ruined board. After having removed the plastic sticky protective

Christopher Tayler
cover from both sides of the PCB it is placed between the two sides of the photo
mask printed earlier and placed in the exposure box.

After exposing to UV light for approximately 2 mins the board is removed and
placed in the NaOH (sodium hydroxide) developer until the pattern starts to
become apparent, and is then rinsed with water. The board is then fixed into
place on a holder ready for etching. It is then etched with acid for around 5 mins
and upon completion again rinsed with water. The board is then exposed
without a mask and etched again to remove any remaining unwanted copper.

After this the tracks are “tinned” by being placed in the appropriate solution to
protect the copper from oxidisation.

After having drilled all the appropriate via’s and holes for the components the
wire connecting the component and solder layers were inserted through the
drilled via’s and soldered in place. It must be noted that larger holes were
required for some components. This time consuming exercise is necessary for
the correct operation of the PCB. After having done all the via’s the board was
“populated” with the components. It should be noted that the IC’s aren’t directly
soldered to the board but are placed in sockets, to allow for replacement in the
event of failure and possible future upgrade. In the case of this PCB, extra wires
were required to complete circuits, due to faults in the design.

Testing

Unfortunately we were unable to test the device due to the labs being shut.
Going on results from the prototype I can predict that the circuit wouldn’t output
a properly modulated signal, but a continuous tone.

Conclusion

The project helped further develop my understanding of practical electronics and

PCB manufacture and also taught me a few things to remember for the future:

• Make track sizes and via’s as large as possible to ensure easier soldering
• When soldering ensure not to hold iron on PCB too long to avoid melting
the board
• Avoid having tracks connecting on the component side, this makes
soldering near impossible when it comes to IC’s

If I had the chance to do this project again, I would have selected a more simple
circuit that has been proven to work. I have most definitely learned not to use
circuits from un-official sources.

Christopher Tayler