Crossover board layout not schematic design

[Nwickliff]

Hello everyone. I am a bit challenged when it comes to visualizing layouts. Is there software that can help with crossover layout on the board itself?

Essentially a tool to help me lay the crossover out using the least amount of space and the easiest wiring possible.

For examples I’d like to avoid my last crossover design in which I essentially copied the schematic on the board. You can literally trace the tweeter, midrange and woofer from left to right input to speakers and top to bottom, tweeter to woofer, on the board.

Thanks.

 

[Nwickliff]

Hello everyone. I am a bit challenged when it comes to visualizing layouts. Is there software that can help with crossover layout on the board itself?

Essentially a tool to help me lay the crossover out using the least amount of space and the easiest wiring possible.

For examples I’d like to avoid my last crossover design in which I essentially copied the schematic on the board. You can literally trace the tweeter, midrange and woofer from left to right input to speakers and top to bottom, tweeter to woofer, on the board.

Thanks.

Or is it just literally about finding your common grounds and putting them together and building from that point out?

 

[pjug]

You are making a pcb? Or do you just smart layout of components for point to point connections? If you show the schematic maybe someone with experience designing crossovers (not me) can get you going.

 

[DVDdoug]

Usually PCB design software has an auto-routing tool/feature. You position the parts and it figures-out the traces, and then you can tweak the design if you want.

(I did a PCB layout by hand a long-long time ago and I've "played around" with DesignSpark but I haven't actually used CAD to design a PC board... Yet.)

 

[Nwickliff]

You are making a pcb? Or do you just smart layout of components for point to point connections? If you show the schematic maybe someone with experience designing crossovers (not me) can get you going.

Not pcb, just smart layout that conserves space and doesn’t have me sending the ground wire across 10 different components, lol. I’ll have to take a pic of my Ridiculous board and layout.

Yes point to point.

 

[pjug]

Usually PCB design software has an auto-routing tool/feature.

But probably not best to use this because it won't know best practice for crossover design the way a designer will.

 

[Nwickliff]

Usually PCB design software has an auto-routing tool/feature. You position the parts and it figures-out the traces, and then you can tweak the design if you want.

(I did a PCB layout by hand a long-long time ago and I've "played around" with DesignSpark but I haven't actually used CAD to design a PC board... Yet.)

Sorry not pcb. That’s with the conductive material sandwiched between board with pathway right?

Just mdf or actually probably Perforated board for point to point under the board.

 

[pjug]

Have you looked at some instructionals like this one? I know coil placement and orientation is important. Maybe just set the components on your perf board the way you think might work and take a photo that the experts here can look at.

Building A Crossover

 

[digitalfrost]

The best thing is to just get the components, lay them out and see what that gets you.

Then cut a board to size. Pay attention to coil orientation.

Placement of coils in crossover networks

www.troelsgravesen.dk

 

[mansr]

Usually PCB design software has an auto-routing tool/feature. You position the parts and it figures-out the traces, and then you can tweak the design if you want.

Very funny

 

[Nwickliff]

The best thing is to just get the components, lay them out and see what that gets you.

Then cut a board to size. Pay attention to coil orientation.

View attachment 182044

Placement of coils in crossover networks

www.troelsgravesen.dk

I understand the importance of coil positioning. I guess when I start laying them out, the second I start getting away from the exact flow of the schematic I'm lost. Like the last three way crossover I had, each speaker has a ground. I could have put all of those last components that have a ground right next to each other to tidy up the board but I would be lost moving backward or forward from there.

 

[pjug]

Are you breaking it up so you have one board per driver? I would think it would be really messy otherwise. So 3 boards for your 3-way line this:

One moment, please...

 

[Zek]

Just follow the scheme from the input signal to each individual driver.
I hope you know how to read a crossover diagram.

 

[Wolf]

Are you doing a 3-way or 2-way? Electrical order? Heck, how about a schematic? It also depends on component size and type for space.

I tend to align the input (+) connections, and build out from there. Try to align the grounds from the legs as you go. Usually, the tweeter is the smallest in real estate, even at higher parts counts. Depending on woofer coil type, the mid and tweeter may be about even in area, unless the mid has conjugates for Fs comp or resonances- then it takes the majority.

I always do point to point, just show me what you are connecting.

 

[Wolf]

An example of a 2-way simple generic layout (sorry about the resolution)
The goal was to keep the coils far, the resistors out on the edges for breathing room, and make it compact:

Another coil layout jpg:

3-way example:

There are 4 coils there^^^. The large cap facilitated well-ventilated resistors and a compact layout.

Curt C has a writeup called "Nodal Analysis" that helps with layout as well. It has helped MANY people with layout:

nodal_analysis

One more thing- the best way to keep it tidy is to make all connections ABOVE the board. Zip-ties, pegboard, and maybe some E6000 for construction.

Hope this helps..

 

[Nwickliff]

An example of a 2-way simple generic layout (sorry about the resolution)
The goal was to keep the coils far, the resistors out on the edges for breathing room, and make it compact:

View attachment 182144

View attachment 182145
View attachment 182146
Another coil layout jpg:
View attachment 182142

3-way example:
View attachment 182148

There are 4 coils there^^^. The large cap facilitated well-ventilated resistors and a compact layout.

Curt C has a writeup called "Nodal Analysis" that helps with layout as well. It has helped MANY people with layout:

nodal_analysis

One more thing- the best way to keep it tidy is to make all connections ABOVE the board. Zip-ties, pegboard, and maybe some E6000 for construction.

Hope this helps..

Thanks. I'll check it out. Definitely looking at how to learn to fish not have someone catch me a fish. Looking for more general tips in this regard. I should have emphasized that I had already successfully built the crossover but looking at other designs I realized how compact they were compared to my layout with the same components for the same speaker. IE, the prefabricated PCB vs my layout.