PCB Layout: Guidelines For Design

A Printed circuit board is the backbone of any electronic product. It acts as a strong pillar upon which performance, life span and consistency of the end product depends. It is a systematic arrangement of huge number of active and passive components, connected through races. PCB layout software also, plays an important role in proper operation of any electronics application, both from the perspective of the power supply and actual load.

For PCB layout, planning acts a major role in success of any design, as errors in the layout cause a variety of problems like poor output voltage regulation, or device failure. However, when handled correctly with the right tools, you have a great chance creating a perfect PCB design and structure for your product. Here are some guidelines to be followed while designing its layout:

• Perfect & Systematic Board Design

The top task to manage for a functional layout is the planning and designing of a systematic board. As we know that a PCB minimizes electronics noise, when the electrical components are organized, it must be taken into consideration that they are managed in such a way that path lengths of the electrical current are minimized, thereby leading to low radiation. It must be precise, easy to use, and incorporated with the right layout for the design to be successful.

• Overall Layout Design& Routing

PCB Layout design requires a better administration for quickly selecting optimal parts and placing them within the design. The design should be highly flexible with the assurance that no engineering rule is violated, thereby reducing the chance of rework after completion of the board. Use auto routing and placement strategy instead of manual routing as it is more efficient. Auto routing can help to solve difficult tasks like differential pair routing, net tuning, manufacturing optimization and build-up technology.

• Managing Layers& Tracks

Make sure you use a complete layer to manage electrical noise and current capability for minimizing the chances of functional failure. It is necessary to avoid a large gap in power layers or having partial layers in certain areas of the board. And it is recommended that the minimum limit of a track should be 0.3 mm. However, if it needs to carry significant current then thicker tracks works better. This is because thin tracks will get hot, and cause voltage drops if significant current flows. It is also advisable to avoid the use of tracks at right angles, as they are a common point of failure when the board is being routed.

• Overall Management

Successful connection requires careful management. Try to make all connections with the latest multi-net connections feature. Layout management also needs to determine the optimum pad sizes for soldering. It is advisable to use oval shaped solder pads instead of circular. However thermal issues also become a hurdle sometimes, so sufficient space for heat sinks should be provided. As we know, PCB layout software manages trace, routing, topology and signal delays, so it must be set carefully in the design flow so that printed circuit board will meet the required goals effectively and efficiently.

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About The Author

James Whitehall is an expert when it comes to printed circuit board manufacturing and design. He loves writing interesting articles and blogs about the topic and recommends PCBCart.com as the name to trust if you are looking printed circuit board fabrication services and support.