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PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Prototype

PCB Prototype is a process in which a working model or prototype is developed for the purpose of testing the various design aspects like features, ideas, viability, functionality, output and performance. Before PCB circuit manufacturing, the Prototype will help in getting a quick user feedback. Prototype is considered to be an essential element of the process of system designing. A PCB prototype is the first circuit board that is invented for a new electronic device. By using this prototype in the electronic device, the inventor can see if the prototype serves its purpose in the invention. Once the electronic device is made to function with the prototype, any mistakes that take place can be rectified in the prototype. In this way, the PCB prototype saves the inventor of the electronic appliance lots of money, as any mistakes that may be present in the PCB will be pinpointed before the actual commercial manufacture of the PCB.

There is a vast difference between PCB fabricate and PCB prototypes. Characteristics of a PCB prototype line differ in several respects from those of a production line.

A prototype line must be flexible in terms of accepting different sizes of boards and different complexity levels. Prototype for both PCB(printed circuit board) fabrication and assembly is, in effect, R&D since a product is not yet mature. It deals with a number of design changes involving specifications, features, and countless product aspects. For instance, a re-programmable FPGA's power and ground pin-outs may change to comply with different power and voltage requirements on a PCB. Or strip planes between analog and digital sections may need to be changed, depending on the impedance control requirements on the board. Flexibility to do machine loading versus hand loading is also important. That's because the project may deal with small quantities involving moderate technology. Hence, it may be easier and faster to hand load the project.

For PCB(printed circuit board) Prototype, there are steps including circuit design, core laminate, drilling, photo imaging process, photo tools, solder mask, finishes, legend and routing. PCB Prototype can be done using various materials nowadays, they are FR4, metal core, telfon, arlon 85n, polyminde, isola FR408, etc.

Printed Circuit Board Prototype is the process of removing areas of copper from a sheet of printed circuit board material to recreate the pads, traces and structures found in the PC board's layout file data. Like the more common and well known chemical PCB etching process the PCB milling process is subtractive, material is removed to create the electrical isolation and ground planes required. However, unlike the chemical etch process PCB Milling is typically a chemical free process and as such it can be used in a typical office or lab environment without worry. High quality boards can be produced using either process. In the chemical etch process the quality of a board is governed by the accuracy / quality of the photo masking and the state of the etching chemicals, both of which are the board designers control. In the case of PCB milling the quality of a board is chiefly determined by the system's true, or weighted, milling accuracy and control as well as the condition (sharpness, temper) of the milling bits and their respective feed / rotational speeds all of which are directly under user control.

The ideal PCB(Printed Circuit Board) fabrication shop turns product around within 24 to 48 hours, if extra fast turn around is required. It possesses current technology to effectively handle components like fine pitch BGAs and CSPs and turns out cutting edge PCB's with finer capabilities. This means fabricating boards with 3 mil trace spacing and 3 mil air gaps between traces, plus making a BGA with 0.5 mil pitch, which is difficult to fabricate.

Check your PCB Prototype service company and find out whether they are capable of doing it. D-Ying responds quickly if anything is wrong with the design.

PCB Prototype TIPS - A few examples can help guide engineers to success when you need PCB prototype boards

1). Check the hole and pad diameters of plated-through vias. If you need a 12-mil-diameter plated-through hole, for example, a PCB vendor will likely drill a 17-mil hole and the internal plating will reduce the hole to 12 mils. But drills do not always hit dead center. To ensure you still have sufficient pad area at the top and bottom of the hole, make the pad diameter 10 mils bigger than the drill size. If tight spacing prevents beefing up the pad diameter, try to use a smaller hole. In all cases, you want a large enough annular ring of copper on both sides of the board to ensure good conductivity through the via.

4 layer BGA PTH holes unplugged immersion gold 3u" and black solder mask

2). Making diameters of openings in a solder mask is recommended. 5 Mils larger than their associated pads. The larger opening helps ensure the solder mask doesn't encroach on the electrical pad.

3). Whenever possible, set your PCB layout software to "flash" pads rather than draw them. A flashed pad exists as a single geometric entity while a drawn pad comprises many lines used to fill an area. The latter markedly increases the size of Gerber files and can cause production problems.

4). Carefully choose the type of plating you need. An immersion-plated finish that would produce smooth, flat pads. "An inexpensive HASL solder coat, with its 'bumpy' domed-pad topography, might result in a higher project cost because of assembly challenges."

4 layer pcb board with impendence control Lead Free HASL finish

5). What the maximum thickness of copper? "Learn about industry standards, and remember PCB manufacturers often have different capabilities. For best economy, try to design a PCB without exceeding normal limits."

6). Give PCB vendors complete "contact" information. Provide detail contact information if you want a quick response.

7). Always include an accurate board outline on at least one layer, also clearly show any slots or cutouts on this layer. Vendors can use this information to create routing and scoring programs, which saves time and money.

8). Use a minimum 5-mil line width for legends and lines used for component outlines.

9). Circuit designers should try to keep traces and pads at least 20 mils from their PCB edges. Board-dimension tolerances of ±5 mils are common, and you don’t want traces cut or damaged during production. PCB prototype maker will look at the PCB traces and pads and if possible try to move them slightly away from edges. But with some layouts, that is not possible.

PCB Laminate

PCB