Final Board Design

Now that we have a prototype board that works and we can have in operation daily, it is time to correct the problems and go for a production board. Again I correct the board design in PCB 123 and transfer it to another CAD for the final design as we can save perhaps 30% by having somone else make it. This time I add features to the design so the board can be used as an LED driver board for repeaters and dwarf signals if the board is cut at particular locations and it will fit into those LBs. I decide to specify a high-reliability IC socket to provide more reliable contact under all conditions. I look into transistor sockets and find them sorely lacking so no-go for the redesign. I found sockets for the LEDs and ordered them for the initial run of boards. After several months I finally get the board ready to place the order and Richard gives the go-ahead. The boards arrived and after extensive examination it appears that I only missed a single connection. I devise a patch for the problem and start building board one!

The board assembles well and board two is about an hour behind the first board. Now I have boards to actually use in final assemblies. I tell Tommy and Rich that they are working and try to see if I can do anything better in the manufacture and assembly of the PCBs.

As I get the parts in for the initial run, I noticed the LED sockets (pins) actually will fit the transistors so now I can socket them as well so all the active parts can be easily replaced. I need to get some LEDs from Tommy for the boards but since they are socketed I can use the three I have to test out the boards and simply move them from board to board for testing as I make them.