I think this is the first SMD I've ever seen you do.
Your layouts are always excellent.Not too bad for the first time, is it?
I know I must be missing something...
Ya, I think you are. It definitely has a higher learning curve to get over the initial hurdle of using SMD components and doing PCB design, but many companies now sell breakout boards for SMD components and even modules. Using an ECAD program tends to take a lot of the user errors out of the prototyping process. People tend to think that because they have to remember what every physical pin is in order to point to point it on a breadboard, it's going to be that much harder when making a PCB, but with an ECAD, as long as your footprints are all correct, the schematic takes care of all of this for you. If you absolutely don't want to etch your own boards, there are many 1 board PCB services now, like BatchPcB, Dorkbot PDX, and Itead Studio that are not expensive.
I see SMD as being a boon to small production runs. You can see small production video's, like when they are making conference badges. Run PCB through a stencil with paste, someone drops the components on top, next person puts it on a hot plate, check for bridges, done. With through hole components and soldering, this would be impossible to do in any where near the time or the cost. Small businesses like Adafruit can get a pick and place that is significantly cheaper than trying to do the same thing with through hole components.
I can't believe there's still concern over the move to SMD.
There arer a few problems with the layout, remember this is a 2 MHz switching converter, all parasitics are critical...
- IC1 should be closer to C1
- Traces should be thicker
- GND should be a copper pour (same for input, output, and SW) or at least thick traces
- board area could be halved by placing the inductor on the other side
- feedback is not taken from the proper point (after C2, not before C2)
- unshielded inductor will radiate
- no ferrite bead on input, so input wire will radiate
- no ferrite bead on output, so output wire will radiate
Sorry
Well - it just seems like electronic component manufacturers are making components of smaller and finer pitches, and leaving out larger pitch devices (up to and including DIP packages); what I am really after -is- speculation (whether it comes true or not, I don't care) - what do you (or anyone else) think hobbyist electronics might look like 10-20-50 years out? Will it even exist? Will anyone care?
Its almost at that point now, except the cheap and easy to use EDA simulation and design software doesn't exist...
you might want to compare the board design with the original TI design.
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