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V2: Enter the PCB!

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@SukkoPera SukkoPera released this 31 Oct 18:25
· 233 commits to master since this release
v2
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Learn about vigilant mode.

In the hope to improve the schematics, I laid out the pcb, using an original rev. B board for reference. This sort of validates the schematics, which should be 100% correct now.

Some notes about this release:

  • The original board was probably laid out by hand and a lot of tracks were drawn with arbitrary slopes. I have sticked to only 45 degrees tracks, which of course means I could not follow the original tracks exactly, but I tried to stay as close to them as possible and to keep all the "visual hints" that allow identifying a track quickly. I must admit I'm quite satisfied of the end result, to be honest.
  • I used my usual track widths and via sizes (plus some new values for the larger tracks), I didn't bother figuring out what sizes the original board used.
  • All tracks were laid out "by eye", which means with reasonable - not maniacal - accuracy to the original design. Most care was taken in the positioning of components that ought to be in a certain position (i.e.: screw holes and I/O connectors), to ensure drop-in replaceability. Other components and tracks are "more or less" there, but as the board was wholly laid out from scratch by hand, don't expect sub-millimeter accuracy.
  • The footprints for all DIP chips use "long pads". This makes them easier to solder and more solid to the board should you need to rework them. This forced a few tracks running very close to the original pads to be slightly offset away.
  • Some footprints are slightly longer/larger/wider pitch/whatever than the originals, so that I could use ready-made KiCad libraries.
  • Footprints for the connectors and modulator were taken from StormTrooper's Plus/4 remake, without checking them for correctness.
  • I didn't bother to create the right footprint for the original power connector, as there's no point in wasting time for some item that is nowhere to be found these days. I used a much more common one instead. Same goes for the inductor.
  • I didn't pay much attention to the silkscreen, many labels can probably be placed better, but I added a description for every IC, like it or not.
  • Proper footprints were added for all the protection diodes that Commodore forcibly retrofitted on real boards (See D96-99).
  • With the C16, Commodore went as far as saving a few cents by not mounting the decoupling capacitors for a few chips. They left the pads on the board but removed all silkscreen indications. These were restored and assigned random numbers.
  • The ground fill is autogenerated by KiCad, so it won't match the original exactly (not even close).
  • Probably there's something more I've forgotten.

Of course nothing was tested, so errors might still be there.

Use at your own risk.

Please note that the license changes to CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with this release, which means that any commercial use is now prohibited.

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