Ratsnest have always scared me but here is my first fully complete PCB

[redgear]

I get scared by the ratsnest and have never fully completed a PCB ever. But this time I was determined to complete the one I am working. It is a fairly simple PCB. Let me know how good/bad it is. How to make it better?

Do I need ground planes on both Front and Back layers? Can I punch vias directly on pads?

[TheHolyHorse]

Looks fine but, you can have vias in pads but depending on the manufacturer they might not like it idk. And in this case you have a lot of space to work with there's really no reason to put vias in the pads.

[kjr18]

JLCPCB and PCBWay are ok with vias on pads, I made some boards with them, only difference is that they were smaller than yours.

[redgear]

Looks fine but, you can have vias in pads but depending on the manufacturer they might not like it idk. And in this case you have a lot of space to work with there's really no reason to put vias in the pads.

JLCPCB and PCBWay are ok with vias on pads, I made some boards with them, only difference is that they were smaller than yours.

Thanks, so except for vias are all other fine?

[kjr18]

I think pin header pads/holes look strange, they look like they are shorted. Also I think it looks better when you have traces closer to each other, for example those traces for display, if you could move them around you could have better ground fill. There was lately good video on this on YT

[Refrigerator]

Normally you'd ground fill so take up the free space, or as a last step when you're too lazy to route the ground  , for a circuit like this i don't think it's strictly necessary.
Other than the via on pad i don't see anything blatantly wrong with the board.
For a first go it's reasonably good. 

[Doctorandus_P]

"Via in pad" is not a problem for hand soldering.
The problem is with solder paste stencils, which deposit a fixed amount of paste on each pad.
If there is a via on a pad, then the solder will wick into it, and may not leave enough solder on the pad to solder the pin.

With manual soldering, you just add enough solder until it looks good.

[redgear]

I think pin header pads/holes look strange, they look like they are shorted. Also I think it looks better when you have traces closer to each other, for example those traces for display, if you could move them around you could have better ground fill. There was lately good video on this on YT

I am using the default footprints from Kicad. How do I check if they are shorted? Ok, I will move the traces close together, I was of the idea that more space between traces mean less noise.

Normally you'd ground fill so take up the free space, or as a last step when you're too lazy to route the ground  , for a circuit like this i don't think it's strictly necessary.
Other than the via on pad i don't see anything blatantly wrong with the board.
For a first go it's reasonably good. 

Thank you. Do you recommend removing the ground fill? I will also move the vias away from those pads.

"Via in pad" is not a problem for hand soldering.
The problem is with solder paste stencils, which deposit a fixed amount of paste on each pad.
If there is a via on a pad, then the solder will wick into it, and may not leave enough solder on the pad to solder the pin.

With manual soldering, you just add enough solder until it looks good.

Thank You. Yea, the components are 0603 and I think I will need a  stencil to be able to solder them. I would better move the vias away from the pads.

[Refrigerator]

Thank you. Do you recommend removing the ground fill? I will also move the vias away from those pads.

Personally i prefer as much ground fill as possible, maybe because i've been making my own PCB's and it saves on etchant.

[FriedMule]

Rats nest did both confuse me and made me take longer to do a PCB, until I maybe found a thought / technique that everybody knows, beside me:-)
I know it may not be so useable on your shown design but here it goes.

First group functions in different places or if that does not work, try to redraw your schematic on the PCB.
Then take a single group and rotate and move each component so the fewest lines do cross and so the lines goes straightest to the next component.
When each group is done, then combine them and use layer two if you need to connect between groups.

After several tries and 200 new invented curse words, should you have something useable:-)

[redgear]

Rats nest did both confuse me and made me take longer to do a PCB, until I maybe found a thought / technique that everybody knows, beside me:-)
I know it may not be so useable on your shown design but here it goes.

First group functions in different places or if that does not work, try to redraw your schematic on the PCB.
Then take a single group and rotate and move each component so the fewest lines do cross and so the lines goes straightest to the next component.
When each group is done, then combine them and use layer two if you need to connect between groups.

After several tries and 200 new invented curse words, should you have something useable:-)

Nice tip. Im gonna try using it while laying out my next board