Are you thinking of jumping into your own PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design process? Many engineers are great at working with schematics, but someone new and unfamiliar with the technicalities can make mistakes. The PCB design consists of an overwhelming workflow, but that’s pretty standard, and knowing the basics can help get anyone started.
Schematic Capture
Based on the engineering requirements, create the schematics, a two-dimensional circuit representation, for your device on reliable software. Every time you make a change to the components, nets, etc., these will have to be synced with the schematics.
Layout Preparation
Now is the time to get the schematics ready for layout. It refers to how you must specifically arrange all the components and where to connect all the nodes. Every schematic object must link to an object on the PCB layout, demonstrating the circuit diagram. This is also where you can make modifications for the optimal functioning of the board.
Setting Up the Design Environment
This step concerns the line width, via size, neck gap, differential pair, and other constraints. So, this is basically importing component data into your PCB layout to achieve an optimal output. Check out these golden rules of PCB design for more information.
Placing Components
Finally comes the step of laying out the components and routing the nets so the individual elements connect to various traces correctly. In addition to arranging the components, you must also adequately connect the pins and pads. But the job doesn’t end here. You need to produce manufacturing files as well.
Generating Artwork for the Board
Once the layout is finalised, generate the Gerber and Drill Files to see a 3D view of your PCB layout. These files also tell the manufacturer how to go about it precisely. It tells them how to lay the copper wires and the board’s drilling procedure. Although your software may generate these files automatically, ensure you haven’t misapplied any settings.
Preparation for Manufacturing
This one’s among the last steps of the PCB design process. The idea of to get the silkscreen ready with a top copper and bottom copper layer and a substrate (essentially fibreglass or FR4) in between, usually in a standard double-layer board. Some boards will also have a solder mask (on the top and bottom layer), an insulating layer that keeps components from touching each other. Lastly, there’s the silkscreen that contains text to help identify the components. You can have up to 16 layers for complex devices, but they usually remain between two to six.
Submit For Fabrication Check
This step is to check for mechanical and electrical issues and other things that can keep the circuit from working. It determines the manufacturing viability of the design and highlights mistakes or discrepancies before tooling is carried out. It also helps reduce manufacturing errors and keep costs low. Once everything looks good, your design will go into full-specs production and PCB assembly.
To Conclude
Designing a PCB is an art (and physics), and a lot goes behind manufacturing the board accurately. Some key terminology and steps are introduced above so you can understand how these specifics work. This is just an overview, and things can get quite complex with advanced devices and electronics. However, the basics remain the same, and with reliable assembly and manufacturing, you can get a PCB ready for your unique applications.
Partner With the Best
Understanding the essentials of PCB design can be complicated. So, having some help by your side won’t hurt. If you require superior-quality boards for your upcoming project, the team at ATMWA has the resources to meet your needs. We’re Western Australia’s most-trusted PCB manufacturer and assembly partner, offering full specs services to all clients. We’ll be glad to help you with your manufacturing requirements. Call +618-9444-3288 and connect with us today.