Parak wrote: ↑
Ohai! I'm the one that made that PCB. I already addressed a similar concern in the drop comments, but I welcome discussion here as well. That is, can you come up with actual technical reasons why the routing is bad, other than the subjective aesthetics?
Mostly aesthetics, but a couple of other points.
The feeling I get from the design is a feeling of rushed design.."Get it working fast so we can send it to the fab before Easter/whatever", like a hastily made up bed.
No reflections (if we were talking GHz maybe, but not here), no "symmetrically spinning axial atoms enhancing the character set". Just practical considerations beyond just getting it to work.
I am not an EE, definitely not a professional, I have designed a couple of personal projects (in Eagle), and I have found the auto-router rarely to work well, unless you restrain it so much, and go for enough passes in order of importance, that it becomes not time effective. I don't know which program/auto-router you are using, but come on, this is in no way a dense board...
I will use this artfully manipulated copy of MD's photo:
- MD-6758_20150330194040_3fb82ae6812febe4.jpg (450.89 KiB) Viewed 10791 times
Circled in red are some of the places where I'd feel uneasy designing it.
I have not seen a close-up so it might be deceiving, but there are traces reaaaaly close to the holes and to each other (what are you using, 10/10mil?).
If you trust the fab house's tolerances, fine, but why risk it?
Even if you ask and get 100% e-check, you risk more failed PCBs that will either drive up the price or push back the fulfillment time.
You have the area, why not use it? Spread out the tracks a bit, get them a bit thicker, and don't go too close to the switch solder pads.
You don't need to have the shortest path from point to point, let it breathe. DRC's are "fences" you must not cross, you don't have to lean on them all the time. If the fab house gives you 6/6mil rule and you don't need it, don't push it.
These PCBs are going to be the first soldering job for a lot of people, and quite a few will be ham-fisted. Someone will use an iron with too wide a point with a too heavy a touch, and will scratch the trace to oblivion. And will be really unhappy and he WILL blame the company and ask for a free replacement, which will either be extra cost, or bad "publicity".
Another point, standards are good, standards make our life easier and especially your friend's lives easier.
You absolutely do not have to follow rules when designing a PCB, but if you need someone to debug your circuit, or find a mis-routed track, or help you evolve it, what he sees needs to be near his comfort zone, or he will not be effective.
I really respect that you are willing to discuss your design, and please don't get offended by my comments. This style of routing is way out of my comfort zone, and definitely not the way I'd design it.
