Welcome to Nettron's Circuitboard Design Tips:
Component layout and general board appearance:
1. Arrange all IC keyways(notches)in the same direction.
2. Group all like descrete components such as resistors together in a tidy side by side arrangement(rows).
3. Keep all highpower components away from board surfaces,preferably mounted to an heatsink.
4. Use IC sockets.
The following is a list of the ideal way in which to design a circuit board that is both professional looking and easier to troubleshoot and repair.
5. Use Headers and pin sockets for wires that come off the board such as ribbon cables.
6. Mount test pins at "key" locations on the board.
7. Always follow color coding for wires.
8. Use board labelling where possible.
9. Shunt all IC V+ pins to ground using  a small value ceramic or milar capacitor.
10.Keep the power supply on a seperate PC board.
11.Use oversize solder pads for highpower components.
12.When using a double sided board run traces vertically on one side and horizontally on the other. 
15.The solder side of the completed board should be sprayed with a coating of lacquer or varnish.
13.Never leave IC pins "floating"connect any unused pins to either the positive or negative supply rail.
14.Run like traces such as data I/O in a side by side parallel fashion.
Click here to view board layout examples
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