Make Your Own PCBs with Eagle

Learn how to make double-sided, professional-quality PCBs from the ground up using Eagle – the powerful, flexible design software. In this step-by-step guide, electronics guru Simon Monk leads you through the process of designing a schematic, transforming it into a PCB layout, and submitting standard Gerber files to a manufacturing service to create your finished board. Filled with detailed illustrations, photos and screenshots, "Make Your Own PCBs with Eagle" features downloadable example projects so you can get started right away.

  • Install Eagle Light Edition and discover the views and screens that make up an Eagle project
  • Create the schematic and board files for a simple LED project
  • Find the right components and libraries for your projects
  • Work with the Schematic Editor
  • Lay out PCBs with through-hole components and with surface-mount technology
  • Build a sound level meter with a small amplifier and 10 LEDs
  • Generate Gerber design files to submit for fabrication
  • Solder through-hole PCBs and SMD boards
  • Design a plug-in Arduino shield
  • Build a Raspberry Pi expansion board
  • Automate repetitive tasks using scripts and User Language Programs
  • Create your own libraries and parts, and modify existing components

Info:

  • Author: Simon Monk
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill / TAB Electronics
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • ISBN 10: 0071819258
  • ISBN 13: 860-1400849866

Make Your Own PCBs with Eagle Product Help and Resources

Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping

If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.

3 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Competent - You will be required to reference a datasheet or schematic to know how to use a component. Your knowledge of a datasheet will only require basic features like power requirements, pinouts, or communications type. Also, you may need a power supply that?s greater than 12V or more than 1A worth of current.
See all skill levels


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  • me5647 / about 8 years ago / 2

    It's a shame they put that layout on the cover. I mean is this how poor all the layouts in a book about designing pcbs are going to be? Surely you would pick a nice looking layout for the cover. I really like eagle but the autorouter is not the best (basically unusable for any quality work), and it appears that's how the cover photo was routed.

    Those traces at the top center. It makes me cringe.

  • Member #666505 / about 8 years ago / 1

    Bought book for niece off of Amazon, as she uses this silly program. Book is a bit dated and not complete.

    Do not understand why the FOSS community pushing this closed and marginal program. Should be supporting stuff like KiCad (and there are many other decent OS systems for EDA). Last year, the PCB designers at my employers reviewed several low-end and FOSS systems, because Mentor Graphics and Cadence/Allegro licenses are getting too expensive. The only low-end package they considered usable and reliable was KiCad - which is my preference for both home and work. Their analysis became important when we layed off the drafting dept, and the engineers and techs had to do our own stuff. Am most happy we did not get stuck using Eagle. FWIW, we bought Eagle's hi-end commercial package for our evaluation, so the Mentor/Allegro comparison is valid.

  • Jerome / about 8 years ago / 1

    I have not read the book and only react on the cover. It is a pity that a book targeting beginners show such an awful layout on its front cover... Right angles, poor escape from the pads, part placement ... Good habits are easy if you catch them when you start.

  • SirNickity / about 8 years ago / 1

    While you can't beat Eagle for compatibility with the OSH community, I think it deserves the honor of being crowned Worst UI Ever. There are countless threads where people get stuck and shy away from creating PCBs because they just can't wrap their head around the software, so I'm glad to see somebody developing resources to help tame the learning curve.

    That said, IMO, the best kept secret in PCB design software is Robot Room Copper Connection. It supports ExpressPCB files, for those that were lured in to the ultra simple design apps but want to graduate to Gerbers, fab houses, and more complex designs. While it isn't quite as simple as ExpressPCB, it doesn't take long to pick up - certainly easier than Eagle. Downside: You'll have to make most of your own parts library, as the stock lib is pretty minimal.

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essential ook

It would be very difficult to use Eagle well without the guidance in this book. You would spend many hours on your own sorting things out.