[geeks] Circuit Simulation Software

[James Sharp]

>>   I've plotted resist ink onto copper-clad board with an HP7475A
>> plotter.  It's also a trivial matter to print a PCB layout on a laser
>> printer and transfer it to photo-resist; done that lots of times.

>PCB layouts with a laser printer sounds like something I'd love to be
able to do.  Would you happen to have any pointers for someone who wants
to get started with this?  I've got no idea where to get the boards a

A trick I found that worked fairly well for low density boards was this:

Print the board layout onto a piece of transparency material with a laser
printer.  Take a hot plate and heat your copper-clad board.  Press the
transparency to the hot board and use a rolling pin or something to ensure
good solid contact.  Let cool.  Peel the transparency off...most of the
toner should stick to the copper board.  You may have to clean up a few
traces with a resist-ink pen.

>
> ObSlightlyRelatedQuestion:  Does anyone know of any good and free/cheap
> high level languages that will target a PIC processor?  PIC assembly is
> getting annoying now that I've done things big enough to worry about page
> size issues.  Also, has anyone used the Warp13 PIC programmer?  Is it
> worth the money or should I look for better?

C

Lots of neat GNU/OSS PIC stuff at gnupic.org.  As far as programmers go,
the PICStart programmer I've got (and I think McGuire has one as well) has
served quite well.  Its currently hung off a netbooted sparc 2 sitting
here on my desk.

Unfortunately, I have to do the compiles on a linux box and then
programmer software pulls the code via NFS.