Tips: Thermal Transfer prototype PCB

Objective: Homemade low cost PCB, tips for student that doing electronic project.
Required: LASER Printer, Matte Paper, Iron.

Honestly the writer have seen this method introduced on the internet many years ago. But this is the first attempt to make a PCB in this way. Hope others can learn some tips and basic skill from here.

If we request prototype PCB from the factory, charges can be decade Ringgit Malaysia, if someone need a few (but not up to a ton) in quantity, it is sufficient for us to buy a printer already.

This post is not intend to teach you how you can iron the pattern you want on a copper foiled board (as you can easilly get the information on the internet), but to show you it is reliable and workable.

The Matte Paper below is used for this experiment. It is a sample from the writer's friend. This is the key of success transfer. In the printer option choose 'card board' and 'Best Quality'.

The circuit board will look like the picture below after doing thermal iron transfer, the ESYINK Matte Paper work just great to transfer almost 100% of toner (carban powder) onto the circuit board.

Picture below: After etched with our favorite PCB etching chemical solution-Ferite Choride. It take about 2-3minutes for etching process to take away the unwanted copper from the circuit board. The key to fast etching is - use cheap PCB with thinner foil (if you are not dealing with power electronic), use stronger Ferite Choride solution with lesser water (water is a need! But not too much), and shaking the container use for etching .

Use fine sand paper to remove the coating.

After some messy drilling work.

Finally...

Okay, it is done! Enjoy your project.

Cell arrived!

Battery model 2600mAH have been discontinued about two weeks, kindly inform our valued customers that new stock have arrived, it is available again! High quality Samsung rank A battery cell at affordable price! Google is very kind to provide us this blogging service for free! To save google's space, I just use back the old picture (taken and uploaded at Frebruary), new stock cell look identical to the picture below. No sastify 100% money back within 1 month, 6 months limited warranty!

Gurantee up to minimum 100 cycles of charges and discharge in 3-4 cells battery pack (current discharge must be less than 1C, ~2.5A).
Minimum 200 cycles in 6-8 cells battery pack(current discharge must be less than 1C, ~5A).
More than minimum 200 cycles in 9-12cells battery pack(current discharge must be less than 1C, ~5A).,
Or with minimum 1 years of service life expected, up to 3 years maximum usable life!

Example 1: You battery is 6 cells 56Whr, can use 3 hours! Mean it draw around 1/3C current.

Battery Life Expectancy(min)= 200 cycles or 1 years
Battery Life Expectancy(max)= 500 cycles or 3 years

I will say maximum never occur, notebook using considered big current which unlikely to allow more cycles after certain amount of usage. Consumer may experience a slightly lose of capacity (example 0.01Whr ireversible lose) in every charge and discharge cycle.

All data is collected from customers feedback depending on battery pack type and judge by it property (some battery allow a maximum discharge current of 2C)!
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Samsung 2600mAH:
Best suit battery with 2600/5200/7800mAH, 2600 cell is widthly used in 56WHr battery.

Real capacity: ~2530mAH, ~9.3WHr

Test Condition: Charging constant current ~5/12C up to 4.2V, discharge ~15/26C down to 2.75V

Internal resistance: less than 60miliOhm including PTC inside(after make a rough measurement by mili-Ohmmeter)

Manufacture year 2008, new! (there are some so call Samsung 2600 but used on the global market)

Samsung 2400mAH:
Best suit battery with 2400/4800/7200mAH, 2400 cell is widthly used in 53WHr battery. Can also use in 56Whr battery pack but with reduced run time.

Real capacity: ~2330mAH, ~8.4WHr

Test Condition: Charging constant current ~5/12C up to 4.2V, discharge ~5/8C down to 2.75V

Internal resistance: less than 60miliOhm including PTC inside (Around 53 to 58)

Manufacture year 2008, new! (there are some so call Samsung 2400 but used on the global market)

Beside, others lower capacity also available, such as 2200mAH or 1800mAH, for budget users.

*Samsung and Samsung SDI and any other trandemark belong to their repective owners.

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