We have collected some helpful odds and ends for you

Download Easytrax - A basic but functional CAD system

Track Width by Current

Conductor Spacing

Drill size suggestions for components

These are a few of the issues that bring us to the phone most often.  We hope that these files are useful.  Of course we can't leave you to your own devices yet.  If you have not done much or any printed circuit design,  we have a few more suggestions for you:

1.  Place power and ground traces first.  These are the least tolerant of impedance due to bad routing.  Power and ground should be wide traces and equal ( like .030" ) to insure low noise.  A major cause of failure of new designs is poor power supply.

2. Ground and Power planes can be cross hatched to create a screen effect.  This improves lamination and frequency response of your power distribution.  The trace width can be .010" to .015" and the spacing should be greater than the spacing selected.  If you have .010" lines, there should be .015" or so between them.

3.The use of CAD auto-routers should be restricted to prevent excessive numbers of vias, breaking the lines of a bus, or mixing signals ( such as analog and digital ) by capacitive or inductive coupling.

4. Consider the fundamentals as most important:  A current should be allowed to return to its origin.  Different grounds (digital analog and chassis) should be isolated except where they may come together at ONE point.  Impedances should match in both directions.

These concepts may seem obscure but if not considered, they can mean disaster.