PCB design services involve specialized activities aimed at creating an optimum printed circuit board layout using CAD software and other specialized PCB design tools. There are different kinds of PCBs and the process for each one may vary a bit. Regardless of the type of board or layout, though, it's always going to be roughly the same multi-stage designing process that begins with schematic capture.
Designers typically require that clients should provide basic information regarding three key matters. The most important of them is the schematic, but it may alternatively be in the form of a netlist file. This is a file containing connectivity details and component descriptions.
The client also has to provide the BOM (bill of materials) that lists all the components to be used and their footprints, although some designers also offer assistance with component footprint capture. Then there's also the board outline that must be provided. The outline, schematic/netlist and the BOM together constitute all the necessary information that will be used for designing the PCB.
Starting from the netlist/schematic, the process is taken further using techniques including library development, signal integrity and EMI checks, stress analysis, thermal simulation, etc. The series of intermediate steps ends with the creation of the gerber file. This format is the preferred one used by the electronics industry to transfer finished PCB images that are ready to be used in the manufacturing stage.
Electrical and electronics circuit designers are expected to be able to work with and create complex designs for digital, analog, RF and mixed PCBs. The boards themselves may be single or double sided or multi-layered. They can be designed to match the customer's needs in different sizes with varying pin densities and component quantities.
The designer also has to decide the board characteristics. This is the method that must be used for mounting components and creating circuit traces. The most popular technique that is now in use is called surface-mount technology.
Using this surface-mount technique, the end caps are directly soldered now on the same side of the board. This new method has almost completely replaced the earlier through-hole boards. In these older boards, leads were inserted from one side of the board and soldered onto traces on the other side.
In addition to designing new boards, PCB designers are often called upon to perform other tasks. For instance, one common service is an evaluation of an existing design, its components and the footprint captures. They may also be asked to help out with procuring prototypes, check for availability and price information against the bill of materials.
There may, in fact, be other PCB design services required even after delivery of the end product. Customers often need to do minor changes to the design right away and on an ongoing basis, and reorders are also on the cards. Designers are sometimes asked to reverse engineer the process, starting with gerber files. Coming up with a netlist or schematic from a gerber file helps the client rebuild the circuit to implement large-scale changes.
Designers typically require that clients should provide basic information regarding three key matters. The most important of them is the schematic, but it may alternatively be in the form of a netlist file. This is a file containing connectivity details and component descriptions.
The client also has to provide the BOM (bill of materials) that lists all the components to be used and their footprints, although some designers also offer assistance with component footprint capture. Then there's also the board outline that must be provided. The outline, schematic/netlist and the BOM together constitute all the necessary information that will be used for designing the PCB.
Starting from the netlist/schematic, the process is taken further using techniques including library development, signal integrity and EMI checks, stress analysis, thermal simulation, etc. The series of intermediate steps ends with the creation of the gerber file. This format is the preferred one used by the electronics industry to transfer finished PCB images that are ready to be used in the manufacturing stage.
Electrical and electronics circuit designers are expected to be able to work with and create complex designs for digital, analog, RF and mixed PCBs. The boards themselves may be single or double sided or multi-layered. They can be designed to match the customer's needs in different sizes with varying pin densities and component quantities.
The designer also has to decide the board characteristics. This is the method that must be used for mounting components and creating circuit traces. The most popular technique that is now in use is called surface-mount technology.
Using this surface-mount technique, the end caps are directly soldered now on the same side of the board. This new method has almost completely replaced the earlier through-hole boards. In these older boards, leads were inserted from one side of the board and soldered onto traces on the other side.
In addition to designing new boards, PCB designers are often called upon to perform other tasks. For instance, one common service is an evaluation of an existing design, its components and the footprint captures. They may also be asked to help out with procuring prototypes, check for availability and price information against the bill of materials.
There may, in fact, be other PCB design services required even after delivery of the end product. Customers often need to do minor changes to the design right away and on an ongoing basis, and reorders are also on the cards. Designers are sometimes asked to reverse engineer the process, starting with gerber files. Coming up with a netlist or schematic from a gerber file helps the client rebuild the circuit to implement large-scale changes.
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