Why is PCB layout important? Printed circuit board, or simply PCB, is a substrate containing layers of fiberglass sheet.

On the sheet are etched the conductive pathways or traces. The board is primarily used to accumulate various electronic components that support communications through these etched traces. There are several tasks involved in the making of a PCB board. The most common tasks are circuit pattern designing, etching traces and reducing the PCB assembly design cost. That said, the layout of a PCB unit is very important in order to make sure assembly cost is low and the quality of the board is on a high level. As a rule of thumb, when designing a PCB it is important to base design on a snap grid or a fixed grip so that the tracks and components will be able to snap into place. In addition, using the grid allows you to use free space wisely and allows you to have fluid copper tracks rather than pieces and bits all over the place. Design rules: The design rules address component placements, layer allocation, crosstalk budgets, length matching and so on. In other words, these design rules ensure the finished layout can be actually manufactured on a high scale. PCB stack-up: The PCB stack-up is the keystone of the entire board. The stack-up defines the number of layers within the PCB as more layers can increase the cost of the product. The PCB stack-up as a factor determines characteristic impedances on the various layers. In engineering this actually becomes a trade-off between layer count and fabrication processes to achieve the desired yield, cost and reliability. Via types: Vias actually enable interconnections between the components and layers. There are several types of vias: Buried, Through, Micro and Blind. Generally speaking, the best design minimizes the different types of via. Close discussion with your favourite PCB supplier is also important in order to ensure that the via types you are looking for are within their capabilities. It is important to mention vias should not be placed under the components. Signal integrity:

Typically, an engineer considers things like fall times and signal rise, characteristic impedances and track lengths to ensure the best performance of signal-integrity simulations. Power performance: High-performance devices, especially modern ASICs and FPGAs may require large currents at low voltages. That's why it is vital to take care of both the DC and AC performance of the power distribution network. There are other several factors involved the final PCB design. In the first place, high frequency tracks should be kept short to ensure longevity of the product. Digital circuits and analogue circuits should be kept separated. Ground and power tracks should be wide so that they have a higher current limit. Additionally, there should not be any copper fills unconnected on a PCB. They can be either completely removed or grounded to act as a heat sink. Finally, PCB design is a delicate work as it requires extensive patience and care. That said, if you can pay attention to details, develop a good work habits and increase personal capacity, you will surely increase your knowledge regarding the PCB design. For more information, please visit Gemini Tec