Tag Archives: PCB Design

PCB fabrication using green Soldermask

PCB fabrication using green Soldermask?

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How to use green Soldermask in pcb fabrication.

As we know that printed circuit boards are the building blocks of electronic devices. It is not wrong if we say that the electronic industry is relying on the quality of printed circuit boards in order to provide better functionality and performance. Now let us move forward with the fact that the printed circuit board is something we need to understand first if we are talking about electronics. Maybe you have seen one in your computer or other commonly used gadgets. What color came to mind? Let me guess! Is it a green board we usually see on our computers? Yes! Printed circuit boards are usually designed in this color. Although there are many other colors available, a vast majority of circuits are designed in green color.

There are a number of reasons for choosing green and we will discuss it further.
But before that let us make one thing clear. The green color of the PC board doesn’t mean that it is green all the way through. It is the outer part that is visible. And that other part is the solder mask of the circuit. So now we have another point. If you want to understand the color philosophy of the circuit, you need to understand what solder masking is. And why it is needed in the circuit.

In the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards, the copper circuitry is etched on the glass fiber interior. This circuitry helps the circuit in avoiding short circuits and soldering errors. The hue of the solder mask is used to protect that copper circuitry and it is the reason that the printed circuit board looks green. But the green color can be modified according to the need and to differentiate multiple printed circuit boards. For example, there is variation in the circuitry of colors provided by design companies. Black, blue, green, and red is provided as standard and commercial color for the solder masking. The electrical traces inside the board are shielded from contamination and moisture with the help of the solder mask.

Moreover, it helps in regulating the process of molten solder flux. There is a plain drab and yellow core of the conventional FR-4 circuits. But there is a variation for the solder masking. We have a number of colors available for solder masking such as white, black, blue, red, and yellow and usually decided during the PCB design portion of the job. Moreover, it is interesting to know that many uncommon colors are also in the hue list such as purple, orange, smooth, red, etc. similarly most combined colors are also available as an extravagant for the boards. So now when we have known that the number of choices is available then the question is even more strongly that why green? Or you can simply say why green is preferred when we have other choices too.

Now we are going to see the reasons why green is the most commonly used color for the solder masking of the printed circuit boards. There are a number of reasons, and we will see the important ones.

Reasons for the green color of PCB

In the early era of technical constraints, humans were controlling the quality of the circuit manually by verifying the board. So, many factors explain the green color of the PCB. As we have discussed before the green color means only the exterior of the printed circuit board. This does not mean that the inner PCB would also be of the same color. The exterior sheet is solder masking.

There are a number of factors that affect the copper traces present inside the circuit board such as oxidation, humidity, contamination, and FOD. The solder mask is the role that reduces the chance of these effects on the circuit board. Now let’s see the reasons for overlying the green sheet over the exterior sheet of the printed circuit board.

Visually relieve color:

Colors may relieve you or exhaust you depending upon their tendency to affect your sight. It may exhaust your min dot work on tiny circuits. But it is proved by psychologists and neurologists that the spectrum of green color has a relieving and smoothie impact on your body and mind. The green color may help in relieving tiredness and fatigue. Squinting at the tiny circuit is difficult but green wavelength has relaxing effects on the body, so it is easy to work on this layer.

Moreover, it is medically proved that the human eyes and cones are most sensitive to the green color. It is easy to distinguish green color as the eyes are robust to green color. Therefore, the traces, empty areas, silkscreens, electrodes, pads, and printings have greater contrast especially during the pcb assembly process. It is easy to detect the flaws in the outer layer if one looks simply at the outer layer. This is easy because of the color contrast used in the outer layer. If you compare the green color solder mask with others such as white, black, red. You will notice that it is easy to distinguish spots in the green color because of high contrasts. Although there are a number of techniques that are being used for spot detection such as flying probe technique and automatic optical inspection. These techniques are highly effective in spotting errors. But the technical reason for using green color remains the same.

Physical superiority of green color:

R&D is preferring green color for making high-quality solder mask oils because of the typical convention of using green hues. The functionality of the resin is impacted in the duration and the actual environment by organic chemical pigmentation. When the demand is reaching the limitation then there is no restriction for choosing a pink board. But the fact is, no other color in the aesthetic palette possesses the qualities same as green color. Moreover, the solder mask dams of 0.1mm can only be produced reliably by commercial green color. On the other hand, 0.12mm can be achieved by red, blue and yellow.

Additionally white and black can produce 0.15mm dams. Solder mask dams play an important role in fine pitch components and integrated circuits. Both ICs and fine pitch components are essential in shielding solder masks from forming.
It is also interesting to know that chlorine is the basis of the green color in the green solder oil. Halogens are made in PCB substrate when chlorine is combined with bromine. Halogens have a severe impact on health and also affect the environment if disposed of inappropriately. But you can also go for halogen-free solder masks as they are also available in the market. But you have to switch to some other color for a halogen-free solder mask.

Cost:

Silkscreen techniques are used when we need to apply solder masking. Across the screen mesh, a large glob of oil is dragged. There is a circuit board underneath which is sent for the curing and another board is pulled under the solder mesh. But there is a pause if you want to apply another color. Because for this purpose you need to wash the silkscreen in order to remove excess oil from the solder mask and then you can apply a new color. Moreover, you need a silkscreen station for each color.

The cost of the circuit board would be affected if you are changing color, increasing the thickness of the board, using multiple pictures, and increasing the number of possible combinations. The wastage of material would also be increased in this way. If the industry is not refusing to take your circuit board, even then you are paying more than your budget in this case which is of course not a good choice. But you can save your cost if you are going for the commercial green colors and their features. Moreover, you should also keep in mind that making a new solder mask that is visually appealing, cures well, applies, and adheres well and a good insulator is not an easy process at all. For your special request such as for matte color, you need to pay an extra amount.

So, there are a number of choices available for you to consider in the case of the colors of the printed circuit board. Every color has its pros and cons. Commonly green is preferred because of its efficiency over other colors but you can choose as per your need.

PNC is the market leader in providing cost-effective pcb assembly services. Just email us at sales@pnconline.com to get your query sorted.

Printed Circuit Board Signal Conditioning Process

Printed Circuit Board Signal Conditioning Process

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The process of data acquisition is known as signal processing. This acquisition is done by an instrument which is known as the signal conditioner. There is a conversion of signals that happened in this process. The signal conditioner converts the signal from one form such as electrical or mechanical to another form. The input signal is converted into the output signal in the signal conditioning process. Now the question may arise why do we need to convert the input signal into an output signal? The simple answer is that the signal needs to be amplified.

This amplification helps the signal to be converted into a compatible and easy-to-read form. This form of signal helps in data acquisition and machine control. Analog signals are converted into digital signals but before that, correct preparation is made. In the signal conditioning process, we manipulate a signal in a way that it can be converted and further proceed for the next step. Mechanical and environmental measurements are made in many electronic acquisitions for the measure. These measurements are done with the angle of specific sensors such as temperature and vibrations. But these sensors cannot work accurately for the measurement of the signals if the signal conditioning is not compelled yet.

Certain signals tend to have a very low voltage level. For these types of signals, amplification is required before they can be digitized properly. The best example of these signals is thermocouple signals. Some of the other sensors such as accelerometer, strain gauges, and resistance temperature detector cannot work until the excitation to operate is not completed. All these technologies are the best example of signal conditioning.

Because of its importance, we can say that signal conditional can be considered as the fundamental block of modern data acquisitions taken in consideration during the PCB design step. Physical measurement is the end goal of the data acquisition system. The following basic components are achieved by the signal conditioning process:

• Analog to digital convertor
• Sensor
• Signal conditioning
• Computer with DAQ

Use Of signal conditioning:

As discussed before, the basic task of signal conditioning is the conversion of the signal. The signals are converted from the input form to the output form. Most commonly, the input signals are of the electric type. Now why the conversion is required. This conversion is needed when the conventional signals cannot process the actual signal easily and it needs to be converted so that interpretation can be done correctly.

Frequency, electric charge, AC voltage, electric current, DC voltage, and current are basic signals that are accepted by the signal conditioning process.

A data acquisition system cannot work until it is connected to several signals and a wide variety of sensors. The arranged process is happened for the signal converting. The analog signal is taken by the signal conditioner for better manipulation. Once the signal is manipulated, it is then sent to the analog to digital converter system. The analog to the digital converted system is the end resource and it helps in digitizing the signal so it can be used in further processing. The basic purpose of the signal conditioning business is the conversion from analog to digital signals.

The digital domain is achieved by this process and this domain is then represented, displayed, stored, and analyzed. Input can be measured from a sensor that is used to measure strain, temperature, resistance, and acceleration. Moreover, the input can also be achieved by relays, switches, encoders, and clocks. A huge number of varieties can be interpreted from signal conditioners, this variety of signals include the output type.

There are some basic functionalities of the signal conditioning process. We will see the functionalities later. First, we need to understand the process of signal conditioning after the Printed Circuit board Fabrication is done.

Process of signal conditioning:

Following are the steps that are included in the signal conditioning process. The detail of every step is given for better understanding.

Step 1: Adjustment of a signal according to noise ratio:
The signal is adjusted to the noise ratio with the help of amplification and attenuation. In the electronic dictionary, you can say that amplification and attenuation are two opposite subjects. The deterioration of analog signals happens because of the background noise in the transmission process.

There comes the term signal-to-noise ratio. This means the signal strength ratio to unwanted background interference. This ratio is then increased with the help of amplification by magnifying the voltage level of the input signal. For example, in amplification, a signal of 0-1mv is converted into 0-10v.

On the other hand, in the attenuation process, the input amplitude is decreased. This process is done so that the signal can be fit in the optimal range of the device digitizer.

Step 2: removal of voltage signal for the prevention of equipment from damage:
The filtration and isolation of the input signal are required by the signal conditioning process. This is done because the unwanted background noise that is unwanted needs to be removed. Moreover, the removal of voltage signals that are far beyond the in-line digitizer is also compulsory.

There is a considerable difference in filtering and isolating processes. The filtering is done when noise needs to be rejected from a predefined frequency range. We can say that the isolation process is somehow similar. But the difference is a protection step of data acquisition and control system form the from voltage spikes is done. These voltage spikes can damage the entire data acquisition system.

Step 3: using controlled current or voltage for excitation technique:
Transducers and their subtypes require the excitation process. The operation of an active sensor is done with the help of the external sensor. A few types of signals that require external power to proceed further are strain gauges, accelerometers, transmitters, resistors, thermistors, and RTDs.

Step 4: signal linearization
Sometimes a signal cannot exhibit a linear relationship to the actual measurement. These types of signals can also be produced by some sensor equipment. To overcome this problem, we need a linearization process. As clear from the name linearization is done to optimize this signal according to the actual measurement.

The voltage of the input signal is mapped with the corresponding value requirement by physical measurement. Linearization is a very common signal connection process. The most important use of linearization is in industrial temperature measurement.

Now you have understood the process of signal conditioning in depth. Above mentioned steps need to be followed step by step for better signal conversion. Now it is necessary to understand the basic function of signal conditioning. How it is done and what are the benefits of signal conditioning.

Let’s understand the functionality and the benefits of this process now.

Functions of signal conditioners:

As we have discussed before, the main functions of signal conditioners are filtering, isolation and amplification. If these steps are not done correctly then inefficiencies and inaccuracy can happen. These can lead to incorrect output, loss of data, and other problems. So, the question arises how you can avoid these problems?

Now how would you know which type of signal conditioning is best for you? Well, the type of input signal you are going to use for processing will decide this. The other factors that make an impact on the type of signal conditioning process are desired type of output, available power for isolation in the quality criteria of the signal.

Now let’s understand the basic PC BOARD functions such as accuracy, flexibility, and the isolation required by signal conditioning.

Accuracy:

Accuracy is the main thing to be noticed in the signal conditioning process. There is a broad variety of accuracy along with signal conditioning. There is a direct relation of accuracy between the conditioner and the accuracy of the other equipment. For example, the sensor that is used to provide the signal. An extremely accurate signal conditioner cannot perform well if the sensor is used in the process is not precise and working correctly. So, in a nutshell, you can say that to get the highly correct and efficient output, every degree of accuracy should be the same in the signal conditioner and other parts of the system. Otherwise, the device and cost would be wasted with a high level of precision.

Flexibility:

As clear from the name flexibility in the signal conditioner means processing with a number of signals. A wider range of signal types can be processed with the flexibility feature. It is often considered as an additional advantage. Many designers and manufacturers add this feature to the product just to increase its functionality and efficiency.

Because if the device is dealing with a wide range of signals, it is likely to be more precise and calibrated for sensors. The replacement and change of other important parts of the system can be done with the help of flexibility. This will not affect the other part of the system.

Isolation:

Isolation is used in the signal conditioning process at more than one point. As a clear from the name, this process isolates the components and encourages that there is no interconnection between electric and other parts of the devices. The isolation process is required because it will enhance the common quality of the system. Moreover, the signal that needs to be isolated would also be decided according to configuration.
Should you have any further questions regarding the Signal Conditioning Process, feel free to contact us at sales@pnconline.com

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PC BOARD Electronics Components Optimization

PC BOARD Electronics Components Optimization

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Can you imagine yourself all dressed up, but you have no place to go? Well, that’s awkward because we all need to do something but for a reason. And that reason should be enough strong that could stop us not to distracted by other various factors. The same happens to the engineer in the circuit board design. Sometimes, an engineer would do a mistake. What’s that mistake? He would probably be all dressed up, but he would not pay attention to the end goal. Instead, he would get distracted by other external factors and end up with nothing. And as a result, he would have a body of the circuit without a soul. That’s sounds bad right? So, what is that one thing that an engineer can apply to avoid this type of situation?

A clear answer, keep an eye on designing and optimizing. Before you launch your electronic component or product, you need to pay attention to the reasonable amount of material used in it.The fact that is overlooked in the virtual designing of the circuit board is that the product would have a physical structure also. The virtual designing process may include the components and design that are not beneficial or may not be available anymore. The database of virtual designing usually includes these components, and an engineer can get some hiccups in their assembly and prototyping process. And if these critical and useful components remain in the PCB design till the end of the designing then many severe problems can also occur.

For example, a delay in production can happen and the client may be unhappy. But the good news is, all these problems can be reduced if you take some steps and make some efforts to optimize your electric component section. But before we discuss the tips and tricks that need to be taken for better optimization of electronic components, one should understand how component procurement takes place.

Component selection and procurement:

You can get ease and freedom to work if the electronic components are placed on the circuit board correctly at a low frequency. The difficulty may arise when final design and heat dissipation occurs. Well, it is easy to deal with low frequency. But in the case of high frequency, the slightest mistake and wrong positioning of electric components that may be valid electrically would end in compromising the overall functionality of the circuit board. So, in a nutshell, it is being said that positioning any electric component in the circuit board is a crucial task to perform. In the case of high frequency, the requirement is also high for good positioning of the components. This will help in optimizing the signal path and improving the circuit operation.

The best placement for the circuit board can only be obtained by following the strict theoretical rules and some powerful software that helps designers in creating a sophisticated circuit. The length of the critical path should be reduced typically. If all the electric components are placed in the right arrangement, then the overall functionality of the circuit board can also be increased. And the physical size would be reduced accordingly.

Component selection is one of the most significant tasks that happen in circuit design and in the lifecycle of product development that may affect printed circuit board assembly. Then, the other tasks are performed to check if the components are integrated, and the device is performing the required functionality or not. Each component is available for a certain period and a graph is made for clear understanding. The product would be available in variation. A new production would be distributed modestly and then it would go to the peak once established and then decline because it is replaced with new technologies.

Following are the few terms that need to be taken care of while optimizing an electronic circuit. Some of them are related to the positioning of the components and some explain the optimization of the signal in any electronic circuit. An engineer should take care of every step so that the outcome of the circuit can work efficiently and effectively.

Placement of components for heat dissipation:

The positioning of components and optimization of a circuit board is not that easy task to do. It is always demanding and delicate to perform. The general recommendation is that the number of elements such as resistor, inductor, capacitor, indicator, and others should be connected with an extremely short track and device connected very close together. This is beneficial when the circuit is operating at a high frequency.

The rule is compulsory to follow for better functionality but sometimes, minimizing the length of the circuit may result in several thermal problems, and uneven accumulation of heat can happen, and some other unexplainable faults can also damage the entire functionality of the circuit board. So, to avoid these types of consequences, it is recommended to use the thermal ducts and go for the parallel positioning of the components.

With the advancement in technology, some techniques rapidly suggest an optimal positioning for components and then a uniform distribution so heat flow can be maintained. This ends up with the excellent thermal performance of the entire Printed Circuit Board circuit.

Placement of high-frequency components:

It is difficult to handle a system if it exceeds the frequency of 1 MHZ. The positioning of capacitive and inductive electrical and electronic components is critical to manage. The components may act differently even if they are arranged and electrically converted. So, the performance of the circuit board would be compromised. The motion of the capacitor and inductance of just a few centimeters can change the game by changing the functionality of the circuit. For example, you must have seen the transistors and receivers on the radio. HF amplifiers and other equipment that work in the high frequency.

Their frequency can be changed accordingly, and they will catch signals from the set frequency. The signal may be spread in the surrounding leaving the circuit in the order of MHz the positioning of the circuit board can be compromised (positively or negatively) with a small variation in the wiring connection. The resistors are difficult to manage and should be done in the most attentive environment.

Genetic algorithms:

As artificial intelligence is covering many other aspects of technology successfully, it had its impact on the world of electronics also. Some techniques help in the implementation of genetic algorithms so that the positioned components can be optimized, and thermal degree can be evaluated in the duration of the operation.

The convection can be cooled by airflow if the genetic algorithms are present on the surface of the board. The thermal model of the circuit acts in two dimensions. So, the optimization of the circuit and position of this differently acting thermal criteria is handled by the algorithm genetic. And this would result in the optimization of electronic components and positioning of components on the circuit board in a three-dimensional way.

All this would be done with the help of genetic algorithms. But arranging and finding the right arrangement is not a piece of cake. There are hundreds and thousands of arrangements that can take place in the circuit. For this purpose, the software has to manage the million permutations and combinations to find the right arrangement. Once the right arrangement is found, it is implemented for the efficient functionality of the circuit board.

Optimizing electrical components selection:

The impact of the component positioning on a circuit board is often undervalued. But the truth is your component choice can affect the assembly of the circuit board in a significant manner. The right choice for component packages can reduce pc board steps in the circuit board either through-hole or surface mount devices. However, some specific steps need to be followed for the overall functionality and optimization of the electric circuit board.

Determine the quantity available in the designing process:

Checking the quantity of the component is important because it helps in manufacturing delays of the circuit in searching for alternatives that perform equally well to the components from alternative markets.

Choose reputable suppliers for components:

Your product quality is depending on the components you are going to use in the circuit. So, selecting reputable suppliers and distributors is equally important to manufacturing. It should be mentioned in the manufacturing procedure which suppliers you are going to deal with for your product components.

Components should have comparable replacements:

Choosing components with replacement can help in minimizing a lot of tasks. Such as requirement gathering and redesigning and redefinition in case of components contingency. The need to update can also be managed.

Maintain access to the current component of the lifecycle:

Having a quick view of the current data rate is important. As the process proceeds further, you will need to check if the particular component is doing great or not. Similarly, this choice is important so you can check if you want to go with the particular component or you should select any other alternative.

Investigate the component:

This step is important to ensure the quality of your component.

Get your pcb fabrication and complete assembling done at PNC. Just contact us at sales@pnconline.com to get a customized quote.

Printed Circuit Board Designing Issues

Printed Circuit Board Designing Issues

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Printed Circuit Board
Printed Circuit Board

PCB’s play the role of heart and soul for any electronic device. This is the skeleton of any electronic device that applies to almost every field’s tools. Such as telecommunications, big to small computers, hardware, and military equipment. In a nutshell, you can say that an electronic device is completely dependent on its skeleton structure (in other words, on a printed circuit board) in order to perform well. As the PC board is the way to connect the within components as well as it maintains a healthy communication with the outside world so the electronic device can perform its functions, a simple or a slight mistake can lead to complete failure of the circuit or device and malfunction also.

It’s not an easy task to manage the designing of the circuit board, its internal associations, components, and layers. The chances of catastrophe and failure of the circuit are high when the layout design of the circuit is bad. Although the modern tools are assuring the innovative designs as compared to past designs. These tools also ensure the better design at the proper cost because in some cases, bad designing of the printed circuit board can lead to an expensive manufacturing process of the board. With that being said it is obvious that errors are more likely if the circuit designing is not done properly or in a timely. That’s the reason designing should be done on time before the manufacturing process. Reviewing the designing process before prototyping is also crucial.

Once the designs are reviewed independently then the prototyping process should come forward. This will reduce the overall cost of the manufacturing process as well as the failure of the circuit. We will discuss the common errors and design issues that occur during the process and lead to system failure. Moreover, in this article, we will discuss a few things that need to be kept in mind while designing a PCB for any circuit board manufacturer.
Some of the most common issues that happen during the manufacturing and designing process are discussed below.

The improper layout of circuit board:

As we know that devices are becoming smaller and smaller. This smaller requirement forces the combination of complex and thin development of the devices. Designers are also forced to make the design using smaller components and minimizing the distance between these components. Similarly, it is appreciated that minimal footprints are being used in the designing process. The smaller components used in designing reduce the footprints in the layout. For this purpose, a designer usually selects a layout in which components are placed very close. But this may result in an inefficient layout which further causes non-compliance and connection issues. The connection may go wrong in an incomplete layout. To get the desired functionality it is important that the defined layout of the circuit suits its needs also.

Moreover, the other thing that needs to be considered is that there should be enough space in the circuit to add some additional components or any other alternatives. If there is no need to add additional components, then these can always be removed before the manufacturing process takes place. So, a suitable and maintainable layout is required when you are working on high pin count and small pitch.

The decoupling capacitor is not in the right position:

There is no hard and fast definition that strictly explains the decoupling of capacitors. But for better understanding, we say that decoupling of a capacitor refers to the functionality of a capacitor in an electronic circuit. The decoupling capacitor maintains the stability of voltage in the circuit plane. So, in a designing process, a designer needs to make sure that capacitors are placed in the right position so that the transient or oscillation is providing enough power supply to all the other components of the board. For this purpose, the capacitor should be placed in a parallel position. It is also necessary that the position of the capacitor is as close to the components as possible in your PCB design.

The power source that provides the actual power must be properly routed on a printed circuit board for decoupling of the capacitor and the pin which requires a stable voltage supply. If a circuit is unable to do so, then decoupling of the capacitor cannot work properly. A series of inductors is also added if the circuit has some sensitive components such as analog to digital converter. In this case, the supply noise needs to be removed. This is done by using LC filters.

Antenna layout:

The antenna layout is one of the most critical tasks if your designed product is based on wireless technology. As this is the most critical part of the circuit board design, it is done incorrectly by common electrical engineers.

Also, transceivers transfer the maximum power between the antenna terminals when the impedance is matched perfectly. The impedance means the complexity of the circuit and not the simple resistance. The transceiver and the antenna can only be connected by a proper transmission line.

Mostly it is said that a 50-ohm impedance is enough in the transmission line for maximum power transfer in the antenna. The microstrip (having 50-ohm resistance) is used to attach both the transceiver and the antenna. Some free tools and calculators are there that can determine the printed circuit board transmission line dimension so that a user can achieve maximum and proper impedance. These tools are recommended if the designer is supposed to handle multiple types of transmission lines.

Acid Traps:

Acid trap used for the acute angles in the circuit board. These acute angles can trap acid in the etching process of printed circuit boards. These acute angles can place the acid in a specific corner for more than desired time and this results in eating more acid than intended. The circuit can become more defective and can cause a severe issue and the connection can be compromised.

This acid can also remove copper from the blackboard. Acid traps are commonly occurring problems are most designers are aware of them. That’s the reason. Designers are trained to avoid them also. But mistakes are always there to happen. Most of the time, acid trap errors happen because of human errors. And some software designs are also used to set the circuit if the setting is not done properly.

Acid traps can easily be caught in the second review of work, but oversight is possible. Moreover, the recent circuit tends to have less acid trap ratio than the previous ones because fabrication is switched by photo activated etching solution during the PC Board fabrication process.

Starved Thermal:

In the printed circuit board, the plane is connected to the pad by thermals. These pads are surrounded by thermals in the circuit. Thermals are an important component in the soldering process and are helpful for the pads in dispersing more heat effectively. But sometimes an error can happen because of an incomplete connection between thermal pads or the rest of the plane. This reduces the effective heat release or transfer by the system. And as a result, the circuit can catch various function problems. Starved thermal is a problem that does not allow the transfer of heat from the pad to the entire plane. This is more problematic if the circuit is under heat and in the soldering process. The assembly process will be slowed down and the pad will take more time to reflow and in heat transfer. In the end, the circuits having starved thermal can go through heat prone, insufficient heat transfer, and heat damages.

Starved thermal happens because of the defect present in the manufacturing process. These thermals are connected correctly in the computer-aided design system, but they have a weak connection with the entire plane board. This results in over machining and improper modeling in the circuit. The problem can be solved by replacing the thermal, but this is time-consuming and cost-consuming. But these thermals can be spotted before they make severe damage to the circuit.

Silvers:

Some narrow wages of copper and silver are used in printed circuit board manufacturing and can cause some serious problems during PCB manufacturing. These silvers occur in one or two ways and are produced in the etching process. The first way to produce silver is by etching the long thin feature of copper and solder mask.

On the other hand, silver can also be produced when a section of the printed circuit board is cut down too low or too deeply. The only way to reduce silver is to avoid the chance of producing them. The section width should be minimum. The producer can check the silvering defect by DFM.

These were just a few issues that commonly happen during printed circuit board designing and can be checked by the manufacturing committee. But sometimes, these issues have been overlooked that cause the problem in the end. The functionality of the circuit board fails, and the company and the user have to pay the cost for it. The only way to avoid these issues is by understanding the design properly.

Get your PCB design sorted with PNC. PNC is providing a turnkey solution to sort all your PCB design issues under one roof. Just contact us now at sales@pnconline.com.

Basics of PC Board Components

Basics of PC Board Components

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How many times in a day did you catch yourself using an electronic device? Have you ever opened an old electronic device such as a remote or an LCD? If so, then you must have seen that green board (maybe red or blue) having many components on it. That is nothing but a printed circuit board (PCB). Because you can find them in almost every modern electronic device. PCBs are present in complex devices such as remote, TVs, LCDs, etc.

The purpose of introducing PCB’s were to make these electronic devices smaller. Printed circuit boards are designed in various layers depending on the complexity of the electronic device. Now you have understood that PCBs are the basic building blocks of any electronic device. Let’s have a look at its proper definition for a better understanding.

Pc board are the basic building blocks of any electronic device. A simple six-layered circuit being used in your smartwatch to the complex multilayered circuit being used in servers and supercomputers, all comes under the category of printed circuit boards. These circuits are used in electronic devices to make them more efficient, thin, and reliable.

The basic setup of printed circuit board:

Printed circuit boards are common in the electronics world and can be found almost anywhere. You can even find one on the device you are using right now. But understanding the technology behind electronic devices may sound like a boring idea. That’s why we have explained the basic components and designing of printed circuit boards to help you understand how these electronic devices are operating. Let’s imagine a green (or red or blue) plastic sheet reinforced glass. The copper pads and traces are attached to this board for current flow. These copper traces are used for attaching different components situated systematically and the electric power flow within these components. The copper traces guide the electric charges to the right destination.

This was the basic design of printed circuit boards. Now comes the layers of PCB. Let’s imagine a big burger having multiple layers of vegetables and cheese. There is a substrate, copper lamination, solder mask layer, and then a silkscreen used for pcb assembly.
Let’s have a look at these terms.

The solder mask is the colored dielectric material you see on your PCB. This is a non-conducting layer that is used as a shield to protect printed circuit boards from short circuiting. The silkscreen is the white nomenclature that is used for guiding purposes. The company’s logo, letters, and symbolic information are written on it for user understanding. This is the first layer you will see on the printed circuit board. After that, every layer of PCB is laminated. The outer layer is for soldering and masking purposes. While the inner layer is used for internal connection. The net of copper wires is spread on the PCB for the flow of electric charges within the circuit board.

Components of Printed Circuit Board:

Although we are using electronic gadgets every day, still understanding how they work is a mystery. It is not that easy to understand how current is flowing in a printed circuit board while no physical action is happening. That may sound weird as well as interesting. But when you dive deep into the electronics world, you will find it exciting. Now you can ask why understanding electronics is important? Yes, that’s the right question, why do you need to understand those complex terms? This is because you cannot do big projects with a basic understanding of electronics. You need to get a deep understanding of PCB’s components. These components are the basic working employees of any PCB. They work together and run the entire circuit board. That is why we are going to explain the basic terminologies and components used in printed circuit boards:

1. Capacitor:
Capacitors are the most common components in any PCB design. You can say that capacitors play the role of an emergency powerhouse. They are used for holding power temporarily. So, whenever power is needed, the capacitor releases the power for the circuit boards. Capacitors are categorized according to the dielectric material and conductor used in them.
These conductors and dielectric material are used to give a rise to the capacitance in electrolyte capacitors, stable ceramic capacitors, and polymer capacitors. Typically, two opposite charges are collected in the capacitor separated by insulating layers or a dielectric layer.

2. Resistor:
Resistors are the simplest to understand components in any electronic device. As a clear form name, resistors are used for resisting purposes. In this case, resistors are used to resist the current flow in the circuit board and electric power is dissipated in the form of heat. Resistors are of different types and made of various ranges for fulfilling the device requirement. But the generally used resistors in most devices are of the axial type having colored rings around its body and leads on both long ends. These colored rings are used to understand the resistance power of any resistor.

3. Transformer:
As clear from the term, transformers are used for transformation purposes. In printed circuit boards, transformers are used for transforming electric current from one component to another with a little decrease or increase in voltage. Transformers consist of a soft metal core and at least two wires are wound around it. One is the primary coil and the other is the secondary coil. The primary coil is for the first source circuit and the secondary coil is used for the transfer circuit for transferring voltage. Similarly large industrial transformers are used to step down the voltage from the transmission lines. They are used for decreasing the voltage from several hundred thousand volts to a few hundred volts for daily household usage.

4. Inductors:
Inductors are somehow similar to capacitors, and they are the last member in the family of linear passive components. Same as capacitors, inductors are used for storing power but there is a difference. The capacitor is used to store electrostatic energy. On the other hand, an inductor is used to store energy in the form of a magnetic field which generates energy when electric current flows from it. So, the inductance will increase with the increase in electric wounding because this will generate a strong magnetic field. Inductors are also used when we are concerned with blocking certain types of signals. For example, interference is blocked in radio signals.

5. Diodes:
A diode is used for one-way flow. They are used in electric devices when we want the current flow from anode to cathode. Diodes are available in bounded shape; one end is the anode and the other is the cathode. There is zero resistance in one direction and heavy resistance in the other direction. This can help to avoid the flowing of current in the wrong direction. There are many types of diodes available but the most famous one you have probably seen is the light-emitting diode also known as LEDs. As clear from names, these diodes are used for light-emitting purposes.

6. Potentiometer:
It can be said that potentiometers are the advanced type of resistors. Because they are used when we need variable resistance. They are available in linear and rotating forms. The resistance may vary by rotating the knob of the potentiometer. An easy example of a potentiometer you have probably experienced is the volume knob of a radio. You can set volume frequency by rotating the knob of the radio. The linear potentiometer works the same, but we just have to move the slider on it for adjusting the resisting frequency.

7. Transistors:
Transistors are amplifiers. They are also used for electric switches. They are the basic building blocks of any electronic device. You can find many transistors in your single IC chip. Several types of transistors are available, the most famous one is bipolar transistors. There are further types of bipolar transistors known as NPN (that is used for relatively small amounts of current) and PNP (that is used for large amounts of current).

8. Integrated Circuits:
ICs or the integrated are the most common components of PCBs. integrated circuits are composed of many electronic circuits in one single chip. ICs are made with semiconductor materials and several capacitors, inductors, and resistors are fabricated over its layer. Integrated circuits perform as an oscillator and amplifier in electronic devices.

For a better understanding of electronic devices, their functionality, and other factors, these components are a way to go. PNCONLINE is the leading PCB manufacturing company located in New Jersey, United States.

Are you in need of a pcb assembly services or PCB manufacturing? Just write us at sales@PNConline.com