Step-by-step directions on how to properly build a board

[gastric]

Not having an experience with this type of project it would be ideal to have some extremely detailed directions on the proper steps towards a successful build. Here's my brief list, and questions to follow. Hopefully those with successful experience can add some specific and detailed follow-up and then this information can be leveraged into construction of concise step-by-step directions and troubleshooting.

1. Construct the board. Summed up you print and etch. We do have a variety of linked PCB how-to's available that include detailed descriptions of materials, directions, along with photos and videos.
2. Test the entire board for proper continuity. This should include specific, critical areas to check. It seems power and ground would be the absolute most critical.
3. Test the entire board for resistance. Without components on the board I'm assuming there should be none anywhere.

NOTE: The above items can be negated by buying a V2.7 board.

Here's where I think some specific documentation would come in handy.

4. Install components one-at-a-time then re-test for continuity and resistance. What components should be installed first? And what are the values to test for? I'd think you'd install isolated components first, like the 47uF since it's not interconnecting various parts of the board. Or maybe a better place to start with is the most likely areas to generate problems such as the headers which themselves don't interconnect the various parts of the board but the solder points are very close to adjacent traces and sloppy soldering could cause shorts. That way you tackle the most difficult and most error prone areas first, and save the easy things for last.
5. Along the way there needs to be a list of common issues and steps for troubleshooting those issues.

Basically there's likely a methodical and best-practices type procedural list that we could create to help future users maximize their success. I'm happy to document. But my lack the knowledge, experience, and currently lack the ability to successfully build a V2.5 board myself doesn't make me a very authoritative figure to trust.

Thoughts?

[gastric]

In regards to the testing continuity/resistance on the board and when installing components I had an idea that having a color-coded version of the board traces would be extremely helpful. We have available a similar color-coded top (component) image where the USB items are one color, MIDI items another, etc. Noting there's a lot of smaller 1-to-1 connections that are easily identified visually it would mostly be useful for traces that interconnect across a wide variety of board points.

In my mind's eye I picture something like this:

* All VCC traces and solder points in RED.
* All ground solder points in BLACK.
* Other major multi-connected points in different colors.

It would expedite testing of continuity and troubleshooting issues to have a quick and easy-to-use reference rather than having to visually follow the traces on the board or the standard schematics.

The only complexity is this would look a lot different for the board without components and the board with the components.

[japi]

That's a great idea and I support it fully

It would be nice to have a step by step.

1. grab the xxx, solder in its place number xx, take care its polarity, long leg means positive and must match the square in the pcb
2. test resistance between xxx and yyy.. it should read zzz.
3. blah blah

This way human error is very minimized and one can do it step by step knowing what to do next

[jamdat]

This is a very good idea! I am coming close to etching my boards since I have collected almost all the components (except some chips and connectors), so I can document my process as I go along.

[gastric]

The actual construction of the boards themselves is actually the easy part. It's testing the board for fault prior to component install that can be tricky since there's traces all over the place, and many very close together. Specifically the VCC (power) connects to various components across the entire board but needs to remain isolated from adjacent traces and ground.

What I'd be most interested in documenting for future users is the ideal way to approach the installation and testing of the components. There must be some ideal and methodical approach to this that would maximize overall success. I just don't know what it would be.