How to Make a Raspberry PI PCB for Designing?

The Raspberry Pi is a low-cost computer board (SBC); it can be said to be a small computer, similar to the size of a credit card, developed by the Raspberry PI Foundation of Cambridge University in the UK in 2011, with the primary purpose of stimulating school computers. Teaching, although it did not begin public sales until 2012. The concept is a bare computer where all accessories can be removed without affecting the essential operation; it is formed by a board that supports several necessary components in a typical computer and can behave as such. In this passage, check and read for more about Raspberry Pi.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. How to add Raspberry PI to PCB? I’ve always loved getting my hands on the latest and greatest microcontroller boards, which made today’s announcement of the Raspberry Pi microcontroller very special. Raspberry Pi just joined the ranks of Arduino with this week’s release of the Raspberry Pi Pico. This Raspberry Pi microcontroller board has a small footprint and a small price, but it can still compete with some of the best MCU modules on the market. So what can the Raspberry Pi Pico offer that other microcontrollers can’t? It all comes down to the form factor and the silicon IP in the RP2040 MCU. The board also comes with the extensive development support you’d expect from the Raspberry Pi community, taking lightweight embedded design and making it broadly accessible. Let’s look a bit closer at the specs for the Pico and some applications. Raspberry Pi Pico Microcontroller SpecsAside from the board itself, there are the specs on the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. The RP2040 is Raspberry Pi’s own Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0 MCU manufactured at the 40 nm process node. The power rating is low as one would expect with internal clocking at 133 MHz. Power regulation is applied external to the board, but there is also an on-die LDO for setting the internal core voltage and removing the need for additional regulation on the module. What isn’t on the board is also important: there is no Wifi or Bluetooth, and there is no room for an RJ45 jack. Any of these communication methods needs to be added with a hat board or on the base board for the Pico. Otherwise, you’re stuck with GPIOs to access any peripherals. There is also no internal Flash on the RP2040; everything is done with an external 16 MB Flash chip. This lack of onboard features helps keep the price point for this board so low and makes it an excellent option for lightweight embedded applications. What are the main types of Raspberry PI PCB? The Raspberry Pi PCB comes in very many versions with continuous evolution over the years. · Raspberry Pi Pico was delivered in January 2021. It has joined forces with SparkFun, Arduino, Pimoroni, and Adafruit to assemble Accessories for Raspberry Pi Pico and an assortment of different sheets utilizing RP2040 Silicon Platform. The RP2040, which Raspberry Pi planned in the UK. It was Raspberry Pi’s first board dependent on a solitary microcontroller chip. The Pico has 264 KB of RAM and 2 MB of blaze memory, and it is programmable in C, CircuitPython, and MicroPython. · Raspberry Pi 400 PCB was delivered towards the end of 2020. It is anything but a custom raspberry circuit board from the current Raspberry Pi 4 PCB, explicitly renovated with a console connected. The console PC highlights 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. A strong cooling arrangement like the one present in a Commodore 64 permits the Broadcom BCM2711C0 processor of Raspberry Pi 400 to be timed at speeds of 1.8 GHz thereby enhancing its efficiency. · Raspberry Pi 4 Model B came up in June of 2019. It has double screen support, two USB 3.0 ports, full gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5, onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and an ARM 1.5 GHz 64-cycle quad-center Cortex-A72 processor. The underlying Raspberry Pi 4 PCB hosts a plan blemish where USB cables erroneously recognize it and decline to give power. The plan’s imperfection was set in the board’s revised 1.2 version, delivered later in 2019. · Raspberry Pi 3 Model B was delivered in 2016 with USB and Bluetooth boot capabilities, onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi, and an ARM quad-core 64-bit 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 processor. In 2018, Model B+ of Raspberry Pi 3 was released with Power over Ethernet (PoE), USB boot and organization boot, 2.4/5 GHz double band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a three-times quicker gigabit Ethernet, and a quicker 1.4 GHz processor. · A Raspberry Pi Zero PCB with a more modest size and diminished I/O and universally useful GPIO capacities was delivered in November 2015. In early 2017, Raspberry Pi Zero W was dispatched. It had Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capacities. In 2018, Raspberry Pi Zero WH was dispatched, an adaptation of the Zero W with pre-bound GPIO headers. · Raspberry Pi 2 was launched in February 2015. Current versions included a 1.2 GHz 64-digit quad-center ARM Cortex-A53 processor. However, the first versions included 1 GB RAM and a 900 MHz 32-digit quad-center ARM Cortex-A7 processor.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/10/2022 09:48

How Much Does PCB Assembly Cost for PCB Manufacturer?

Sometimes, PCB assembly costs and engineering costs will be included in purchasing quotation. It needs to cover about 5% of the material loss when purchasing the components, due to the reason of material loss, like resistance and capacitance disk loading material and SMT chip. For the small batch of PCBA, engineering costs are usually covered in quotation, including the costs of processing file, stencil, Changing SMT line etc. If you are curious about the cost of PCB assembly, please follow us, check and read the content below for more professional knowledge.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. Why we need to calculate PCB assembly cost? Going for a cheap PCB assembly phase may be tempting if you are working with a tight budget or tight timeline for your next project. But it’s essential to be conscious that PCB assembly costs can differ wildly between companies. Your PCBs’ quality will have a significant impact on the way your product performs, both now and down the line. Also, anytime you are talking about PCB assembly cost, you’re talking about your PCBs’ reliability, longevity, performance, and functionality for years to come. If the last time you ordered anything was over six months ago, it’s time to talk with your supplier about pricing for new orders. You may think you know your costs, but if your costs are different from everyone else’s, that’s a sign of variability, and it doesn’t bode well for reliability and performance. It is not to say that some companies will charge more while others will charge less. It only means the cost of PCB assembly can vary hugely between companies. What are the main factors affects PCB assembly cost? For instance, a PCB assembled in South Asia is generally several times less expensive than one built in North America or Western Europe. However, overseas manufacturing can drive up costs due to shipping, handling, and communication delays. Therefore, cheap manufacturing can include unforeseen costs that need to be accounted for before contracting an overseas manufacturer. Turnaround TimeWhen we’re asked “how much does PCB assembly cost” one of the first responses that come to mind is: what is the expected turnaround time? Turnaround time refers to the span of time that is required to complete the manufacturing process and satisfy the buyer’s request. As a rule, faster turnaround expectations come at a higher cost. QuantityWhen it comes to manufacturing, higher quantities result in lower assembly costs due to economies of scale. In other words, when products are created at a larger scale, the unit price of each PCB drops significantly. This economic phenomenon occurs because many of the factors that drive up assembly prices, like startup costs and programming, only affect the initial units produced—all proceeding units can be created without swallowing these costs. TechnologyAnother key aspect of PCB assembly pricing is the type of technology used. On one hand, surface mount technology (SMT) can provide cost savings to manufacturers because setup costs are lower and automation is heavily involved. However, SMT can result in the need for through-hole drilling to fit additional surface mount devices (SMDs) which can skyrocket costs. Parts PackagingSome parts involve more labor to package and properly assemble. For instance, electric equipment like BGAs requires more time and effort to package because they must be connected to an electrical source. Since BGAs have electrical pins, assembly costs can shoot up dramatically since they must undergo an X-ray examination to check for short-circuiting. How is PCB assembly cost calculated? PCB costAll factors we have mentioned above. Component procurement costComponent procurement cost is a part of pcb board cost. Components Procurement cost is the mainly cost in PCBA SMT Processing. The PCBA manufacturer purchases the components according to the BOM. Number of solder padsSolder pads cost is a part of pcb board cost. The number of solder pads is the decisive factor in SMT price. Now the SMT quotation is basically in accordance with the number of solder pads to calculate, the more solder pads, the price is higher. The solder pads are different, the pcb assembly cost is also different. Engineering cost/set-up costEngineering cost is a part of PCB board cost. A few years ago, there were engineering cost/set-up costs, especially in the small quantity orders, factories often charged that, now these costs are included in the PCB assembly cost and SMT cost. SMT assembly cost (SMD+DIP)SMT assembly cost is a part of PCB board cost. Another key aspect of PCBA pricing is the type of assembly technology used. Surface mount technology (SMT) can save money due to low installation costs and high precision of automation. The DIP soldering will cost more as this process need more manual soldering, so labor cost will be added, and pcb assembly price will be high. PCBA testing costPCBA testing cost is a part of PCB fabrication cost. If customers need extra PCBA function test or programming, the extra PCB testing fee will be charged.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/10/2022 09:37

How to Calculate NRE Cost for PCB Manufacturing?

NRE stands for Non-Recurring Engineering Costs, which is a broad term referring to a one-time cost to develop, design, or manufacture a new product or component like a PCB. NRE (Non recurring engineering) costs do not play into the regular per-unit cost of the product. Do you know how to calculate NRE Cost for PCB? In this passage, we are providing all the details about NRE cost for PCB. If you are searching for more information about NRE cost for PCB, please check and read the content below in this passage.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What are the main factors effects NRE cost for PCB? NRE costs mostly depend on: · The complexity of the product· Level of innovation· Required Certifications NRE for PCB’s refers to specific setup costs for manufacturing a newly introduced PCB. It is generally charged for two separate categories of cost: How to prepare NRE for PCB? In the PCB industry, NRE is generally charged for two separate categories of cost: tools and programming. These costs, as with all NRE costs, do not play into the regular per-unit cost of the product. Tooling Each of the items listed below can be considered an NRE cost, because they are specially made for a specific product and for a specific customer. Solder stencils, for instance, are like finger prints. They will only be used for one kind of PCB and are therefore only manufactured to make that one PCB thereafter. Afterwards, no new stencils need to be made in order to continue manufacturing that assembly. The same goes for fixtures, presses, and the other tooling listed below. · Stencils· Artwork· Metal· Jig· Fixtures· Press-fits How to reduce NRE cost? Some NRE cost is unavoidable in any project; we must create stencils and test beds for your project, and we must take some time to program our fabrication and assembly machines according to your specific needs. All that being said, there are a number of parameters for your PCB that can affect the total NRE cost, and simple awareness of these parameters can help to reduce charges that may have previously seemed somewhat arbitrary. The three parameters having the greatest effect on NRE costs are the Physical Dimensions and Number of Layers for your particular PCB design, as well as the Quantity of your order. Minimizing NRE through Physical Dimensions & Number of LayersCreating stencils or test beds for PCBs that are physically larger, or incorporate a greater number of layers, will of course require increases in both effort expended and material consumed. Quite simply, if your aim is to reduce NRE cost, you should design for a physically small PCB, and you should only incorporate multiple layers if absolutely necessary. Minimizing NRE through Order QuantityThis next parameter may seem less intuitive at first glance, but the best way to reduce NRE is to increase the quantity of your orders, and to panelize multiple projects. The simplest way to illustrate this concept is with an example: let us assume that you have two orders to place for two separate projects, each consisting of 50 PCBs. If you were to place these orders separately, you would receive a separate NRE charge for each one; however, if you had requested panelization of your two orders, you would receive only one NRE charge. Minimizing NRE through Repeated OrdersFinally, it should be mentioned that Bittele will keep the stencils and programming files that were used in the production of your turnkey PCB assembly projects, meaning that NRE cost will be reduced for future production runs. Some NRE cost will remain to account for assembly setup and electrical testing time, but we can offer a substantial discount if we already have the stencils and programming files on hand for your design. Even in the case where a component has changed since your last run, we will work with you to reduce your NRE cost as much as possible. What are the differences of NRE and unit cost? Let’s say you want to build your PC. To do this, you know that you will need to make a PCB from scratch, using materials bought in hardware stores or online. You go to each store, or Custom PCB circuit board may, therefore, be a tall order. This article will walk you through five basic ways to land the best PCB board online merchant with the materials you need but no real idea of how much everything costs. You are faced with two choices: First, you can list how much everything costs, being very specific. It will take a lot of time but will give you an exact number of how much everything will cost. The other option you have is to take a ballpark average of how much these materials cost and work from there to determine how much you can spend on these materials.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/10/2022 09:26

How to Clean Dirty PCB & How to Process at Home?

Cleaning printed circuit boards is a very delicate process. When you are working with a printed circuit board, you are dealing with a variety of exposed components and connections that can easily be damaged if you attempt to clean the board improperly. How you will approach cleaning your printed circuit board will depend in large part on the types of contaminants you are dealing with. How to clean the dirty PCBs? Do you know the effective methods to process it? In this passage, we are providing all the information about cleaning PCB, please check and read the content below.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What are the causes of dirty PCB? Residues during ProductionHistorically, activated rosin-based fluxes were used in the manufacture of PCBs. However, since these fluxes are comprised of chlorine or bromine compounds, any residue left after soldering would cause corrosion during the product’s operation. Consequently, numerous cleaning methods were developed to get rid of the halides. A well-cleaned product would have only minimal amounts of halide compounds on the surface. Today, most PCB manufacturers use no-clean fluxes. Theoretically, these fluxes, usually composed of organic acids like adipic and citric, readily decompose when they’re heated during soldering, binding with the solder and leaving no corrosive residue behind. Influence from Working EnvironmentFlux residue contamination typically stems from negligence or inadequate cleaning after assembly. However, even if you remove the residue from your newly fabricated circuit, you still need to consider environmental pollutants. For instance, if you’re soldering in a dusty, unclean location or the outdoors, there’s a good chance that some dust particles or dirt may get trapped within the solder and cause problems down the road. PCBs in electronic gadgets that find use in harshly humid or dusty conditions also tend to deteriorate much faster than those in less extreme environments. Improper Use/OperationPCBs are delicate components that care when in use. So, while you may not fully control the environment surrounding your device, ignoring basic fabrication and usage precautions can also put your PCB at risk of contamination. For instance, a board with active components needs to be enclosed in a ventilated package to promote heat dissipation. However, it is good practice to have fins lining these airways to deny dust an express route to your circuit. How to clean dirty PCB? Many circuit board messes don’t need more than compressed air to clean out dry contaminants like dirt and dust. For more persistent messes, you can use distilled water and a soft brush or a cleaner like baking soda to help break down messes without damaging the board itself. For best results with all circuit board cleaning methods, you’ll likely need to use a screwdriver to open up the device to get better access to the circuit boards. With all that in mind, follow these methods for how to clean a circuit board strip. Compressed AirFor regular maintenance of a circuit board, get a can of compressed air and spray it inside the ventilation ports of your device to help clear away dust and debris. If you think you need to clean further, open up your device to get better access to the board. Baking Soda The sodium bicarbonate in baking soda helps to break down grime and corrosion build up on a dirty PCB (printed circuit boards) without causing damage to the circuit board. Isopropyl Alcohol Likewise, you can use isopropyl alcohol to break down sticky debris. Ninety percent or higher alcohol works best, as it dries quickly. When handling this material, you should wear gloves and goggles for protection. When and how to clean a circuit board with alcohol will depend on the mess you’re handling. Distilled Water When trying to make a circuit board cleaning solution, you should use distilled water, since it doesn’t damage electronics while cleaning. However, be sure to keep the water safely stored, as it can become contaminated. Household Cleaners If the other materials on this list don’t work for you, household cleaners can serve as a circuit board cleaner spray. If you use one, though, make sure it’s phosphate-free, as phosphates can damage circuitry.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/07/2022 17:07

How to Do Soldering on PCB in Detail during PCB Manufacturing Process?

Just because there’s machinery involved in the wave-soldering process does not mean it is any less prone to errors than soldering each joint by hand. Whether you’re using a solder tank or a hand iron, you need to treat soldering like the precise science it is, carefully controlling where and what you solder. In this passage, we will tell you everything about PCB soldering and if you are curious about it please check and read the content below for more.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What is the basic definition of PCB? PCB soldering is another term for the process of soldering electrical circuit boards. This type of soldering is one of the most basic techniques that anyone wishing to work with electronics and electrical circuits must learn. While there are many different ways you can complete the soldering process, the most basic explanation of the soldering process is that it’s a way of joining two small pieces together on the surface of the PCB, which stands for Printed Circuit Board. In other words, soldering is a way of connecting two or more different electrical components on your circuit board. At the core of the soldering process, the action itself is quite simple. All you need to complete the simplest soldering job is a soldering iron, some solder and the materials that you’re soldering together. A soldering iron looks a bit like a pen and is a tool that gets extremely hot, melting the solder and using it to join your two pieces together. While there are different types of solder, it is usually a metal alloy of lead or tin combined with brass or silver, designed to have a low melting point. As the soldering iron melts this metal, it is then used a bit like glue to stick to pieces together. As the solder metal cools, it will re-harden into one large shape that connects the two parts. What is soldering bridge in PCB soldering? When PCB soldering components are on a printed circuit board, you may encounter cases of solder bridging. Solder bridging takes place the moment two solder joints connect. When the two solder joints connect, they form an undesired connection that might eventually lead to short circuits on the board. When two or more pins bridge together, you'll encounter trouble with your boards. Some of the significant causes of solder bridging include the following: · We cannot fail to orient the same types of components in the same direction.· We cannot fail to leave enough space between the pads and the solder mask layer.· Designing and manufacturing printed circuit boards without paying attention to weight distribution. Such happens, especially when small components all sit on one side of the board. How to process the PCB soldering? Prepare Your SurfaceThe key to a good soldering job is to start with a clean surface. To ensure your PCB board is clean and ready for soldering, use an industrial cleaning pad to wipe the surface clear of any dust and debris. You may also use an acetone cleaner to give it an additional wipe down. Finally, you might try giving it a few blasts of compressed air, as these will remove any small particles stuck in the board. Place the ComponentsUnless you’re working with an exceptionally simple circuit board, you’ll likely only be soldering one or two components at once, as opposed to doing the entire board in one session. We recommend starting with the smaller pieces and working up to the larger ones. This helps keep the board flat and balanced as the process begins, rather than weighing it down on one side with a single heavy piece. Begin by selecting a few small components and placing them where they belong on the board. Bend the leads as you find you need to and insert the component into the holes where they belong. If you’re having trouble getting the piece to stay still once you aren’t holding it in place, try bending the leads so that they rest at a 45-degree angle along the bottom of the board. In the act of solderingHold your soldering iron at the base of the handle like you would with a pencil, as to not burn yourself with the tip. The soldering iron should make contact with the leg, or lead, of a component and the trace on the PCB. Next, hold the iron tip on the desired junction/joint for a couple of seconds and feed a bit of solder onto the solder tip where it’s touching the joint. The solder should melt and flow smoothly. Only use enough solder to form a tiny volcano-shaped joint. Next, remove the solder and iron, while keeping the newly joined components still for a few seconds while the joint hardens. The joint should be cone shaped and shiny. If not, reheat and feed in more solder or desolder and try again. DesolderingUnless you are a well-tested robot, you’ll need to remove the solder (desolder) a joint at some point along the way. Whether it’s to reposition, remove, or add a component, there are two ways to get the job done. The first method is to use a desoldering pump with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) nozzle. An ESD protects the ICs that can be compromised by static electricity. To begin, you’d push the spring-loaded plunger down until it locks, setting up the pump. Next, apply the iron tip and the nozzle to the joint and wait a few seconds for the solder to melt. To release the plunger and suck up the molten solder, just press the button on the desoldering pump. Remove as much solder as possible and repeat as needed. Lastly, make sure to empty the pump every once in a while by unscrewing the nozzle and shaking the little misshapen balls of solder into the trash.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/07/2022 17:02

How to Mount a PCB in the Manufacturing Process Step by Step?

Surface-mount technology was developed in the 1960s. By 1986 surface mounted components accounted for 10% of the market at most, but it was rapidly gaining popularity. By the late 1990s, the great majority of high-tech electronic printed circuit assemblies were dominated by surface mount devices. Much of the pioneering work in this technology was done by IBM. Components became much smaller and component placement on both sides of a board became far more common with surface mounting than through-hole mounting, allowing much higher circuit densities and smaller circuit boards and, in turn, machines or subassemblies containing the boards. In this passage, we will provide you all the information about PCB mounting. If you are searching for the professional knowledge about PCB mounting, please check and read the content below in this passage.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What is the basic definition of PCB surface mount? During the 1970s and 1980s the level of automation started to rise for PCB assembly for boards used in a variety of equipment. The use of traditional components with leads did not prove easy for PCB assembly. Resistors and capacitors needed to have their leads pre-formed so that they would fit through holes, and even integrated circuits needed to have their leads set to exactly the right pitch so that they could be placed through the holes easily. This approach always proved difficult as leads often missed the holes as tolerances required to ensure they fitted exactly through the holes were very tight. As a result operator intervention was frequently required to resolve the issues of components not fitting properly and stopping the machines. This slowed down the PCB assembly process and considerably increased costs. What are the main steps of PCB surface mount? Here we divided the complete SMT soldering process into 10 steps: · Printing· Adhesive Dispense· Component Placement· Pre-Reflow Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)· Reflow Soldering· Post-Reflow Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)· Conformal Coating· Final Inspection and Functional Test· Washing & Drying· Packaging & Shipping What are the advantages of PCB surface mount? Several advantages come with SMT technology that you need to know. If you are thinking of using SMT technology in your PCB assembly, then you are bound to enjoy some of its benefits. Some of its merits include the following: Reduced manufacturing costs Surface Mount Technology comes with the promise of reduced manufacturing costs. SMT gives room for the creation of small PCB designs, hence reduced manufacturing costs. By using SMT, it’s possible to place components close to each other on the board. Therefore, manufacturers who use SMT technology enjoy the advantage of highly reduced manufacturing costs. Improve work efficiency SMT technology is also one of the best circuit assembly technologies as it improves work efficiency. It’s another reason why many PCB makers lately seem to prefer it. By relying on SMT, it’s possible to complete tasks in a single workday and within the shortest time possible. Unlike PTH technology, which may take some time, such is not the case for SMT. If you choose to assemble using Surface Mount Technology, work efficiency is a significant assurance that you’ll get. The overall structure is more straightforward. The overall structure of the boards you get to manufacture under SMT is simple. Unlike PTH assembled panels, the design of SMT made boards tends to be very simple. Surface Mount Technology assembled boards don’t demand too many technicalities such as drilling. In comparison to panels manufactured using other means, those made under SMT have more superficial structures. Less error-prone There’s nothing more demanding than having to do circuit board re-works due to errors. Another advantage of SMT technology is the fact that it’s less prone to errors. Unlike detailed PTH, Surface Mount Technology isn’t into too much detail as such. It’s possible to correct small mistakes for boards made under SMT. Manufacturers prefer this method as it makes them produce many boards without many errors. How to choose PCB surface mount factory? Choose the equipmentThis is the first and most important thing to do when choosing a production facility. The factory must be located in an area with excellent communication systems. It is suggested to ask the factory owner why they chose that area. Industry experienceMany factories will claim that they have been in the industry for a very long time, but this is not always true. If you are not careful, you may be cheated. Therefore, it is suggested that you should check the company’s records and find out how long they have been in business and whether or not they have a good reputation. Delivery AbilityThe next important thing to do when choosing a factory is checking their delivery ability. If a factory cannot deliver on time, it may render your project useless. Therefore, it is very important to check the factory’s delivery ability before making a purchase.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/07/2022 10:13

What Is Thermal Aging Test and the Function for PCB Assembly?

Thermal Aging Testing is performed to determine the operational life of the PCB board. It tests the capability of PCB components to withstand extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. The reliability of components placed on a printed circuit board decreases exponentially with time. This eventually results in the failure of the PCB due to differences in coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) across the PCB material. If you are curious about the professional information about thermal aging test in PCBA process, please check and read the content below in this passage.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. Why to process thermal aging test in PCBA? The purpose of PCB aging tests is to gather data for assessing the long-term reliability of a PCBA that may be placed into continuous operation for over 100,000 hours (at least 20 years). These tests evaluate an entire PCBA, so they tell you the overall reliability of the bare circuit board, its components, solder and mechanical components, and any other materials used in the construction of the PCBA. Obviously, a PCBA cannot be tested for 20 years continuously, so test engineers will perform simulated life testing or other tests to evaluate long-term stability. With performance requirements and fabrication requirements becoming more complex over time, so has the documentation process used by PCB manufacturers and design teams. With the right design software, a design team can quickly generate their test and fabrication data directly from their PCB layout. Important requirements like the reliability of solder joints, required PCB materials, use of conformal coatings, and a range of test methods can be specified within the project documents and easily shared with manufacturers. What is the process of thermal aging test in PCBA? Thermal aging applied to PCB assemblies or end-products is at changing temperatures for 250 hours in a temperature chamber, following the ECIA - EIA-364-17 standard - "TP-17B Temperature Life with or without Electrical Load Test Procedure for Electrical Connectors and Sockets". The PCB assemblies are subjected to changes in air temperature in the thermal aging chamber with temperature elevates gradually to 105℃. Through the combined effects of high-and-low temperature changes and electric power, the defects of the assembled circuit board are exposed, such as poor welding, component parameter mismatch, temperature drift, and the faults caused during the debugging process. So we can eliminate the defects. Thermal aging also functions to stabilize the parameters of the non-defective circuit boards. What are the main steps of thermal aging test in PCBA? During PCBA production, aging test is necessary. The aging test generally simulates the external humid and high-temperature environment to test the PCBA finished product, so that the functional board is subjected to the change of air temperature in a thermal aging device with temperature changes, and through the combined effects of high temperature, low temperature, high and low-temperature changes, and electric power, Expose the defects of the functional board, such as poor welding, component parameter mismatch, temperature drift and failures caused during the debugging process, so as to eliminate it, and stabilize the parameters of the non-defective functional board. Because this situation has also occurred in electronic processing factories nowadays, PCBA boards are normal when shipped, but various defects appear after a short period of use, so in fact, it is necessary to conduct PCBA board aging tests. 1. Put the functional board at the ambient temperature into the heat aging equipment at the same temperature. 2. The PCBA board is in operation. 3. Then the temperature in the equipment should be reduced to the specified temperature value at a specified rate. 4. After the temperature in the equipment reaches a stable level, the PCBA board should be exposed to low temperature conditions for 2h. 5. Then the temperature inside the equipment should rise to the specified temperature at a specified rate. 6. After the temperature in the device reaches a stable level, the PCBA board should be exposed to high temperature for 2h. 7. Then the temperature inside the equipment should be reduced to room temperature at a prescribed rate. 8. Repeat 3 to 7 consecutively. Until the specified aging time, and the PCBA board is measured and recorded once according to the specified aging time. Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/07/2022 10:05

What Are Surface Finishes in PCB Manufacturing Process?

PCBs are made of copper to ensure electric currents flow efficiently. These metals require appropriate protection from the elements to avoid oxidation and other corrosion. A range of finish types provide different levels of protection against deterioration. They also aid in certain use, such as with soldering. Various circuit board finishes are available, from options that are affordable and easy-to-apply to expensive or difficult-to-manage finishes used in only the most advanced applications. In this passage, we are providing you all the information about surface finishes in PCB. If you are going to learn more about surface finishes in PCB, please check and read the content below in this passage.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What are the basic features of surface finishes in PCB? A PCB surface finish is an intermetallic joint between the bare copper of the solderable area of the printed circuit board and the components. Circuit boards have a base copper surface that is susceptible to oxidation if left without a protective coating, hence the requirement of the surface finish. It is also responsible for preparing the PCB surface for soldering components onto the board during assembly and enhances the shelf-life of the board. It impacts various features such as: · The quality of the inter-metallic joint· The process yield· Rework for production batches along with the scrap rate· Testing ability· Cost of the manufacturing process and also· The rate at which the board will fail while being used for its intended application What are the main types of surface finishes in PCB? With increasing demands for thin, high-density, fast speeds, and lightweight applications, the solder finish will make all the difference. Modern surface finishes are lead-free, in accordance with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives, and include: · ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold)· ENEPIG (Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold)· Electrolytic Nickel/Gold - Ni/Au (Hard/Soft Gold)· Immersion Silver· White Tin or Immersion Tin· Lead Free HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling)· OSP (Organic Solderability Preservatives) Choosing the correct PCB surface finish for your application requires taking factors into account like cost, the final application environment (e.g. high-heat/thermal, vibration/stability, RF), component density/selection, lead/lead free requirements, shelf life, shock/drop resistance, production volume, and throughput. Due to the increased demand for improved performance of electronic applications, surface finishes have also been upgrading. Because of tighter PCB topography the HASL surface finish is quickly being replaced by gold-based surface finishes like ENIG, ENEPIG, and soft/hard gold. The gold-based surface finishes have a lot to offer in terms of features and benefits when used in applications. Why surface finish is important in PCB? The selection of the surface finish could be the most important material decision made for the component assembly. Each surface finish has its own advantages and disadvantages, which influences: · Process yield· Amount of rework· Ability to test· Scrap rate· Field failure rate· Cost What are the applications of PCB surface finish in different industries? · Automotive: OSP, Silver, Immersion Tin· High-end consumer products: OSP, ENIG, Silver· Basic consumer electronics: OSP, Immersion Tin· Mil/Aerospace: HASL, Immersion tin, ENIG, ENEPIG· Telecom: Silver, OSP, ENIG· Medical: ENIG, ENEPIG, SilverWanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/07/2022 09:59

What Are the 7 Factors of High Speed PCB Layout Guidelines?

A good way to check whether you need to concern yourself with high speed board design guidelines is to layout your new device on a breadboard or a development board. If you can layout your new device on a bread board, and it works perfectly, then you can probably layout your board in any way you like and the finished PCB will still work. Do you want to know the guidelines of high speed PCB layout? Are you going to learn all the professional knowledge of high speed PCB layout? In this passage, we are providing all the details of high speed PCB layout, please check and read the content below.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. Why high speed PCB layout guideline is important? A good way to check whether you need to concern yourself with high speed board design guidelines is to layout your new device on a breadboard or a development board. If you can layout your new device on a breadboard, and it works perfectly, then you can probably layout your board in any way you like and the finished PCB will still work. However, high speed devices generally won’t work on a breadboard. This is one reason component manufacturers release development boards for their components, particularly FPGAs, MCUs, RF components, and many other components. If you can layout your peripherals on top of a development board, and the device works properly, then you can likely layout your new board however you like as long as you follow the stackup design in your development board. In this case, you should also pay attention to the signaling standards (SPI, UART, I2C, etc.) used in the board to ensure signals are not heavily degraded during routing. In many cases, you won’t be able to take such a simple approach, and everything will need to be integrated into a single PCB. In this case, you’ll need to pay attention to the following design points to ensure your high speed signals are not heavily distorted during routing When we need high speed PCB layout? You can identify a high speed PCB design by certain characteristics. So, the design is high speed if: · It uses HDMI, Ethernet, SATA, PCI Express, USB, Thunderbolt, or other high speed interfaces for the fast data transfer;· The circuit consists of several sub-circuits connected to each other through high speed interfaces (LVDS, DSI, CSI, SDIO, DDR3, etc.);· The time of signal propagation over the track is at least ⅓ of the signal rise time;· The digital signal frequency is of 50MHz and over;· The size of the printed circuit board is very small, and the location of the components becomes a real challenge (especially when you come across a high speed interface layout). To sum up, high speed PCB design is applied to devices with PCBs working at high frequencies with the use of high speed interfaces. With that, the amount of data and speed of its transfer mean the world. What are the main guidelines of high speed PCB layout? In addition to the impedance controlled design points mentioned above, traces should be carefully routed. Here are some of the important guidelines that will apply in any high speed PCB layout: Minimize use of vias. If vias are not properly designed, they can create an impedance discontinuity that causes reflections and attenuation. Ideally, the number of vias on an interconnect should be limited to no more than 2 in total. Use length equalization where necessary. For differential pairs, each end in a pair needs to have the same length within some specific tolerance. This is very important for ensuring that the receiver can cancel out common-mode noise on the interconnect. For single-ended signals, multiple signals may need to be routed in parallel (e.g., on a bus) such that the signals arrive at the destination at the same time. Prefer shorter trace lengths. Signals lose energy over time to dielectric absorption. This means you should opt to use shorter traces in order to minimize attenuation. Many signaling standards (e.g., LVDS and USB) will specify a maximum allowed PCB trace length. Pay attention to trace spacing. Signals should not be placed too close together in order to reduce the strength of crosstalk. Note that you can never eliminate crosstalk, but you can reduce it by placing the right amount of space between neighboring signals. Don’t trust the old "3W" rule here. Instead, run a crosstalk simulation in a simple layout to determine the right trace spacing. How to high speed PCB layout with software? Altium Designer also helps guide you through the entire PCB design process to ensure your board is manufacturable. Once you’ve finished your high-speed PCB layout, you can instantly generate your fabrication and assembly files thanks to an automated documentation and file creation process. You can also customize your documentation using free application extensions and additional features, such as drawing creation in Draftsman and cleaning your BOM with ActiveBOM. No other PCB design application helps you stay this productive and build advanced electronics. Take advantage of the powerful design rules engine in Altium Designer, the only application that helps you implement the best high-speed PCB layout techniques in a rules-driven design and layout environment.Learn more about Altium Designer’s complete circuit board toolset. Altium Designer’s routing engine was built to handle high-speed PCB routing requirements and interfaces directly with your design rules engine.See Altium Designer’s advanced PCB routing engine in action. Don’t use 3rd party services to share your high-speed PCB project files, use the secure cloud platform in Altium 365. You can quickly share your project data and collaborate with other designers with the Altium 365 platform.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/06/2022 09:44

What Are Vias in PCB Design & What Are the Differences among Them?

A via is a plated-through hole in a PCB that you can use to route a trace from your board's surface layer to the inner and other layers. It is essential to realize that you can drill PCB vias mechanically, and you can plate them to create electrical connections. Do you know all the detailed knowledge about vias in PCB? If you are going to learn more information about vias in PCB, please check and read the content below in this passage.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more. What are the benefits of PCB via? Because PCBs have limited amounts of space, blind and buried vias can be a huge benefit. They allow you to keep the PCB small, which is essential when working with electronics. The use of vias frees up space on the surface of the board; that space can then be used for other functions. Vias are a relatively simple solution, but you will need to be aware that the addition of blind and buried vias will add to the cost of the board. Because there are many factors that go into getting the right PCBs with the correct blind and buried vias, it is important to work with a quality manufacturer. What are the main types of vias in PCB? Through-hole viasThe hole penetrates from the top layer to the bottom layer. They can be either PTH or NPTH. For PTH, the connection is established from the top to the bottom layer. Blind ViasThe hole penetrates from an exterior layer and ends at an interior layer. Here, the hole doesn’t penetrate through the entire board but connects the PCB’s exterior layers to at least one interior layer. Either the connection is from the top layer to a layer in the center or from the bottom layer to some layer in the interior region. The other end of the hole cannot be seen once the lamination is done. Hence, they are called blind vias. Buried Vias (hidden vias)These vias are located in the interior region of the PCB. The buried vias have no paths to the outer layers. They connect the inner layers and stay hidden from sight. As per IPC standards, buried vias and blind vias must be 6 mils (150 micrometers) in diameter or less. MicroviasThe most commonly known vias are the microvias (µvias). During PCB manufacturing, microvias are drilled by lasers and have a smaller diameter compared to the standard through-hole vias. Microvias are generally implemented in High-Density Interconnection (HDI) PCBs. The depth of a microvia isn’t usually more than two layers deep since the plating of copper inside these small vias is a tedious task. The smaller the diameter of a via, the higher should be the throwing power of the plating bath to achieve electroless copper plating. Microvias can be classified into stacked vias and staggered vias based on their location in the PCB layers. · Stacked vias are piled on top of one another in different layers.· Staggered vias are scattered in the different layers. And they are more expensive.· Additionally, there is another type of microvias called skipvias. Skipvias skip one layer, meaning, they pass through a layer making no electrical contact with that specific layer. The skipped layer will not form an electric connection with that via. What Size Should Vias Be? Check with your manufacturer for their minimum drill size and minimum annular ring for the manufacturing process they will use. Typical mechanical drills don’t go much lower than 12 mil in diameter without frequent breakage, so the manufacturer will increase the cost to account for broken drills. Annular rings don’t often go below 6 mil for standard processing. So the smallest via you would create has a 12-mil diameter hole, and a 24-mil diameter pad. What are the considerations of vias in PCB? Before a PCB layout designer can start dropping vias into their board design, there are a few more details about vias to be discussed. We’ve already talked briefly about the difference in the manufacturing costs between a thru-hole via and a microvia, which can be a real wake-up call if you aren’t prepared for it. Now, here are some other considerations to keep in mind as well. Aspect RatioWhen using a mechanical drill to create a standard via, it is important to remember that the smallest acceptable drill size is based on how thick the circuit board is. Mechanical drills have a limit to how much material they can drill through before they become unreliable. This is measured by the relationship of board thickness to drill size, and PCB fabricators will usually require an aspect ratio of no more than 10:1 for their drill sizes. This means that for a circuit board that is 62 mils thick, the smallest mechanical drill size that you should use is 6 mils or 0.006 inches. If you need a hole smaller than that, you should look into using microvias which have an aspect ratio of 1:1. Annular RingThe size of the via pad is important. You need to ensure that a large enough annular ring remains after the via is drilled. A mechanical drill will wander a little while it is drilling, and without a sufficient annular ring, the via may be compromised by drill breakout. Signal IntegrityAlthough a via is very short, it is still a measurable length of the conductor which could cause problems with tight signal integrity requirements. For instance, a thru-hole via that connects the top two layers in a ten layer board will have 8 layers of unnecessary metal in it that could create interference. It is important to find problems like these and remedy them with techniques such as back-drilling the via to remove the unused metal from the line before it acts as an antenna. Here is where the signal integrity analyzers of PCB design tools like Cadence Allegro can be very helpful to the designer in finding these problems before the board goes out for manufacturing.Wanna know PCB knowledge? Check and read for more.

PCB Knowledge ⋅ 01/06/2022 09:31