PCB design services involve specialized activities aimed at creating an optimum printed circuit board layout using CAD software and other specialized PCB design tools. There are different kinds of PCBs and the process for each one may vary a bit. Regardless of the type of board or layout, though, it's always going to be roughly the same multi-stage designing process that begins with schematic capture.
Information about three key aspects of the project must be provided by the client to the designer. The schematic is obviously the most important thing. Note that it may also be in the netlist format. The netlist file contains the circuit's connectivity details and descriptions for the components.
Another thing the client is required to provide is the bill of materials (BOM) specifying each component used and its footprint. Designers are sometimes asked to help with component footprint capture. The client is also expected to provide the board outline. Once they have the schematic or netlist, BOM and the board outline, the designer should be able to do the rest.
Starting from the netlist/schematic, the process is taken further using techniques including library development, signal integrity and EMI checks, stress analysis, thermal simulation, etc. The series of intermediate steps ends with the creation of the gerber file. This format is the preferred one used by the electronics industry to transfer finished PCB images that are ready to be used in the manufacturing stage.
The designer must be capable of coming up with solutions for complicated analog, digital, RF and mixed PCBs. Then there's also the type of board, which can be single-sided, double-sided or multi-layered. The board's size may vary, and so can the pin densities and component quantities.
The designer also has to decide the board characteristics. This is the method that must be used for mounting components and creating circuit traces. The most popular technique that is now in use is called surface-mount technology.
Using this surface-mount technique, the end caps are directly soldered now on the same side of the board. This new method has almost completely replaced the earlier through-hole boards. In these older boards, leads were inserted from one side of the board and soldered onto traces on the other side.
Apart from the schematic capture and subsequent board designing steps, the designer may also be called upon to evaluate existing designs, components and footprint captures. Sometimes they're also involved in prototype procurement, and may be asked to do availability checks and collect pricing information against the BOM.
There may, in fact, be other PCB design services required even after delivery of the end product. Customers often need to do minor changes to the design right away and on an ongoing basis, and reorders are also on the cards. Designers are sometimes asked to reverse engineer the process, starting with gerber files. Coming up with a netlist or schematic from a gerber file helps the client rebuild the circuit to implement large-scale changes.
Information about three key aspects of the project must be provided by the client to the designer. The schematic is obviously the most important thing. Note that it may also be in the netlist format. The netlist file contains the circuit's connectivity details and descriptions for the components.
Another thing the client is required to provide is the bill of materials (BOM) specifying each component used and its footprint. Designers are sometimes asked to help with component footprint capture. The client is also expected to provide the board outline. Once they have the schematic or netlist, BOM and the board outline, the designer should be able to do the rest.
Starting from the netlist/schematic, the process is taken further using techniques including library development, signal integrity and EMI checks, stress analysis, thermal simulation, etc. The series of intermediate steps ends with the creation of the gerber file. This format is the preferred one used by the electronics industry to transfer finished PCB images that are ready to be used in the manufacturing stage.
The designer must be capable of coming up with solutions for complicated analog, digital, RF and mixed PCBs. Then there's also the type of board, which can be single-sided, double-sided or multi-layered. The board's size may vary, and so can the pin densities and component quantities.
The designer also has to decide the board characteristics. This is the method that must be used for mounting components and creating circuit traces. The most popular technique that is now in use is called surface-mount technology.
Using this surface-mount technique, the end caps are directly soldered now on the same side of the board. This new method has almost completely replaced the earlier through-hole boards. In these older boards, leads were inserted from one side of the board and soldered onto traces on the other side.
Apart from the schematic capture and subsequent board designing steps, the designer may also be called upon to evaluate existing designs, components and footprint captures. Sometimes they're also involved in prototype procurement, and may be asked to do availability checks and collect pricing information against the BOM.
There may, in fact, be other PCB design services required even after delivery of the end product. Customers often need to do minor changes to the design right away and on an ongoing basis, and reorders are also on the cards. Designers are sometimes asked to reverse engineer the process, starting with gerber files. Coming up with a netlist or schematic from a gerber file helps the client rebuild the circuit to implement large-scale changes.
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