Author John Watson is a professor at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. People often ask me, “Can you design a perfect PCB?” At first glance, the answer seems to be yes. After all, if you follow all the rules, double-check, and use professional tools, you should achieve perfect results—right? I often use a puzzle … Read more
After completing the PCB design, to ensure smooth production and meet subsequent maintenance needs, the following key documents are typically required: 1. PCB Production Documentation • Gerber files • Drill files • IPC netlist (optional) • PCB fabrication instructions 2. SMT Placement Files (Assembly Documentation) • Coordinate files • BOM (Bill of Materials) • Assembly … Read more
In high-speed circuit design, we often hear a term—impedance matching. Especially in high-layer PCB designs, impedance control is almost an unavoidable topic. So, why is impedance matching necessary for high-layer PCBs? Today, we will discuss this “invisible killer” that engineers are concerned about. 🚀 Why is Impedance Matching Important? In low-speed signal circuits, wires behave … Read more
PCB Circuit Board Design for IoT: Development of Smart Control Mainboard PCBA Solutions for Shared Economy Charging Piles Adjustable makeup mirror circuit board for color and brightness control, PCBA LED strip control board for three-color LED dimming and color adjustment.Coaster light red, blue, and green light switch control board, LED flashing light electronic power PCB … Read more
One afternoon, I received a project from a client who needed to add components to an existing PCB. The timeline was set for 3 days, and the client, who had no technical background, naively assumed that his project was very simple… 1. Cognitive Bias: Adding Components Equals Minor Modifications The client’s insistence on a “tight … Read more
When disassembling power boards or designing power-related PCBs, we often encounter structures like this: Figure 1: Common slot hole structure on power PCBs Many people think these slot holes are just for aesthetics or mechanical structure needs. In fact, their true function is closely related to electrical safety, and the key lies in one concept—creepage … Read more
In complex PCB design, there is a seemingly inconspicuous yet crucial “small role”—the jumper. It acts like a “bridge” in the circuit, silently connecting various components and solving layout challenges. But did you know? Improper use of jumpers can lead to the collapse of the entire circuit! Today, we will unveil the classifications, functions of … Read more
▼Click the business card below to follow our public account ▼Layout In design, layout is an important step. The quality of the layout directly affects the wiring results, so it can be said that a reasonable layout is the first step to successful PCB design. Especially pre-layout, which is the process of considering the entire … Read more
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design is a crucial aspect of modern electronic products and serves as the foundation for the development and manufacturing of electronic devices. PCBs are the backbone of electronic products, providing necessary interconnections and support for various components. The PCB design process includes creating layouts to optimize component placement, routing of traces, … Read more
This article introduces resonance simulation and decoupling capacitor placement, applicable during the pre-layout design or rectification phase of power/ground planes in PCB design, to avoid board-wide resonance issues within the concerned frequency range. The software used for this simulation is SIwave from Ansys. The PCB import will not be elaborated here; it is important to … Read more