Newsgroups: comp.robotics,sci.electronics
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!nagle
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Double Sided Boards
Message-ID: <nagleD3LzLs.2rC@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3h67lh$goa@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 1995 02:44:16 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.robotics:17677 sci.electronics:118500

cgc3@po.cwru.edu (Christopher Cifra) writes:
>   I'm working on a project and am thinking about
>constructing an etched double sided board, but I can't think of
>how traces from one side would be electrically connected to traces
>on the other side.  My router connects top side traces to bottom side
>traces through IC pin holes, but it would be impossible to solder the
>pins to both sides of the board.  So how is this normally done?

     This is what "plated through holes" are all about.  If you have a
double-sided board made by any commercial board house, the board is
drilled and then the holes are plated so as to make them conductive.
The process is complicated (you probably don't want to invest in the
plating setup, which is expensive) but reliable.  This is the
standard approach.

     Alternatives are running wires through key holes and soldering
them on each end (cheap, but a pain), and using special rivets
(from Weller, and overpriced.)  You can also try standard "pop rivets",
but you have to provide extra big holes and pads for them, and you
don't get to use the hole for a pin.

					John Nagle
