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PCB construction for PCI

Hi there,

currently i have been working on a project involving developement of a simple PCI target for data acquisition. all that i want is a "simple" target device that will get detected and will work properly as a target, i.e. cause data transfer from the PCI card to the PC when requested. i need to keep the cost at bare minimum. i cannot use the readymade kits/cards like the one from PLX. i m going to use spartan2 fpga. again i m pretty an inexperienced person in this regard. hence i have some doubts regarding the PCB developement that i will have to undertake -

will a two layer PCB suffice for this purpose?

are plated through holes are necessory? any alternative?

what will be the approximate cost for a PCB with plated through holes?

can i hand solder the PQFP/TQFP packages to the board?

any extra precautions to take while doind that?

can you recommend me a good soldering gun assembly (of course low cost) for that purpose?

any suggestions, recommendations regarding further references, books that i should read for this kind of PCB developement, softwares that can be useful, tools of the trade, and any other thing that may be useful, will be greately appreciated; as they are you people whom i m banking on for guidance, in this critical project. Seriously. TIA, Shreyas Kulkarni

Reply to
Shreyas Kulkarni
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I don't know about PCI, but for cheap board fabrication I know this combination works: pcb.sourceforge.net and barebonespcb.com. You get plated through holes by default, minimum quantity ONE, and fast service too. You'll have to do some cutting to make it fit into a PCI slot though, as they only do rectangles with that service (4pcb can do ANYTHING, but their barebones deal doesn't allow it). A 4x6 board is $48.20 ($35 to set up, $13.20 per board).

Reply to
DJ Delorie

I made (at home, even) a 2 layer PCB which worked, but it's probably not a good idea. There are cheap board places that will make a 4 layer board where the interior layers are limited to gnd/vcc for not that much more than a 2 layer board.

You can see my board at:

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You will have to have vias (there are necessary signals on both sides) but you can do it with wires if necessary (like you would at home).

There are places you can check like expresspcb, pcbexpress (yes, they're different), olimex. You'll probably be stuck cutting your own registration slots, though. Not many places cut outlines with notches that small.

Yes, it's not hard. Use a lot of flux, tack the corner pins and then you can 'wipe' the solder on. Use solder wick to correct bridges. Or you can order (fairly expensive) solder paste and reflow in your toaster oven (google it).

You don't want a gun for fine work. Get a quality solder station with a fine tip.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/
Reply to
Ben Jackson

Before you start hand-routing a PCI connector (not to mention plugging tin-plate "fingers" into a gold socket) why not check out:

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The PCIPX-64 extender brings all PCI signals to .1 x .1 headers which you can plug another board on with the appropriate mates. The header to header spacing is not a multiply of .1" so you can't use standard breadboard for this, but you can design a rectangular PC board that is easy to fab at one of the cheap quick-turn places and connect to this PCI riser for about $79.00 US. Don't worry about the "keying" option (3V vs 5V) unless you're also going to use the card as an extender. Only the socket is voltage keyed, the board itself is universal.

Good luck, Gabor

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Reply to
Gabor

Shreyas, I certainly agree with Ben Jackson's comments. My 2 layer PCI target card is at the bottom of

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I think I went through 4pcb.com. Plated holes are standard in all the places I know of. There is a via-rivet that allows you to make via connections on non-plated boards, but I have no experience with that. A tech soldered the PQFP, and I used a soldering iron for the voltage regulators and caps. You can see the difference in quality from the picture.

Good luck,

-Steen

Shreyas Kulkarni wrote:

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Reply to
steen_tech

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