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A printed circuit board (PCB) is an essential component of most electronic devices. It provides the mechanical structure to mount and interconnect electronic components using conductive tracks and pads etched from copper sheets onto a non-conductive substrate. Test points on a PCB provide access to test and measure various signals and voltages on the board without directly probing the components or damaging the board. They are pads or holes with conductive surfaces connected to specific Read more…

Rogers Corporation pioneered some of the earliest commercial laminate materials used as insulating dielectric substrates for manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCB). Their branded materials offer enhanced electrical and thermal performance meeting demanding microwave applications. FR4 constitutes the baseline cost-effective epoxy-glass laminate grade heavily utilized across majority of electronics over many decades. We explore key differences between Rogers laminates against standard FR4 in composition, electrical characteristics, processing factors, cost considerations and typical applications benefiting from each Read more…

SMT stands for “Surface Mount Technology” referring to a method of mounting electronic components onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCB) rather than passing component leads through holes to solder on the opposite side. First appearing commercially in the 1960s, surface mount became widely adopted by the late 1980s. With miniaturization trends packing more functionality into integrated circuits (IC) in ever-shrinking packages, surface mount processes utilize robotic pick-and-place assembly to accurately populate small component Read more…

A “footprint” in printed circuit board design refers to the pattern of copper pads, lines, and holes defining the area where a component connects onto a PCB. Like a human footprint pressed into sand, this imprint outlines the physical interface bridging components to circuit boards. Standardized footprints allow reliable assembly using compatible parts. PCB footprints precisely match component packaging specifications so leads and pins align correctly with the solderable metal during fabrication. Accurate footprints ensure Read more…

Impedance describes the total measure of opposition to electrical current flow within a circuit. Managing impedance proves vital for avoiding unintended resistance that degrades signals transferred across traces in high-frequency printed circuit board (PCB) designs. By mathematically modeling a PCB stackup configuration, engineers determine expected impedance values for board layouts during the design stage itself, before prototyping. This allows optimizing circuit parameters targeting the desired impedance early when changes cost less. We will explore what Read more…

Turnkey PCB assembly refers to a streamlined service provided by electronics manufacturers where they handle the complete process of assembling printed circuit boards (PCBs). This spans from procuring components to soldering to post-production testing. The customer simply provides their finished board design files and bill of materials (BOM) to the turnkey supplier. This consolidated outsourcing approach minimizes the client’s labor for overhead-intensive manufacturing processes. The service provider oversees assembly based on pre-established quality parameters, affording Read more…

A Gerber file is a type of computer-aided design (CAD) file format used for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Gerber files are used to communicate design data from CAD software to PCB fabrication equipment. Gerber files contain vector images of the different layers of a PCB, including copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen layers, drill files, and more. The files use coordinates and aperture shapes to define these PCB images. When sent to a PCB manufacturer, the Read more…

Printed circuit boards constitute a significant portion of overall hardware costs in an electronic product. Consequently, minimizing PCB expenditures directly improves project budgets. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore pragmatic techniques to reduce PCB fabrication and assembly costs across areas like: Applying these savings methodologies requires understanding interplay between technical and logistical domains. Let’s jump in examining design considerations! Simplifying PCB Designs Streamlining board layouts constitutes the most direct path to cost reductions: Component Reduction Read more…

Electronic component manufacturing represents the process of fabricating the microscopic building blocks essential for producing all modern digital products and systems. Integrated circuits, transistors, resistors and other critically enabling components undergo sophisticated technological fabrication steps before getting incorporated into finished goods. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore key aspects of electronic component manufacturing like: Gaining familiarity with steps comprising this foundational industry assists appreciating technical underpinnings powering the trillion-dollar global electronics ecosystem. Let’s commence examining Read more…

A fiducial on a printed circuit board (PCB) acts as a precise visual reference marker for guiding assembly and inspection machines. Fiducials help align equipment to match the exact locations and orientations defined in the original PCB design data. This aids manufacturing automation and quality control. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about PCB fiducials including: Properly designing quality fiducials directly improves fabrication and assembly yields for your boards. Let’s Read more…