PCB Protoypes: Getting Started

Printed circuit boards are the control room of any electronic item. They govern the functions of all the electronic components housed on them; in a way, printed circuit boards govern how an electronic gadget will work. If your remote-controlled toy car is malfunctioning, it is probably because of some fault in the printed circuit board in there.

The fact that PCBs need to be manufactured flawless in order for the electronic item to work at its full potential, it is necessary to do some field testing first. However, with all the costly material going into making a PCB, testing may not seem all that viable. The answer to this problem is prototype PCB assembly. We are all aware of the concept of prototyping. A prototype is a model developed as per original design in order to test whether it works as desired. These models can be scaled as convenient in order to see the results of the design. The same concept has been adopted into the electronics industry in the form of prototype PCB.

If you are also an avid PCB maker, here is the basic information you need to get started in making a prototype of your PCB design. First off, you need to know that it is not necessary to use a full-fledged circuit board to make your prototype. You can use a "perfboard" (short for perforated board), which is much cheaper. You would need Kynar wires in order to label your connections. Normally people use blue for earthed connections, red for positive and orange/yellows for all other kinds of connections. Next, you would need tools to handle these wires, like wire cutters, strippers, pliers, etc. The inventory is a small one. In order to solder your connections, you would need the complete soldering gear.

Prototyping PCBs begins by thoroughly studying your design and planning it out on the perfboard. This board contains perforations aligned in rows and columns, and these perforations are numbered, enabling you to plan better. Planning out your design on the perfboard helps you to minimize the use of your resources.

Once your planning is complete, you can start placing the components on this perfboard. In order to keep the components securely on the board, you can try bending the component legs a little outwards on the other side of the board. If this seems too risky, you can use a glue on the front side. However, it is advised to be careful with the glue to make sure that the portions meant for electrical connections do not come in contact with it.

The next step is to make a wiring plan sheet. This is the most crucial step of the entire process. Doing this correctly will ensure that all the right connections are in place and errors are avoided. This plan sheet should represent the back of the perfboard, where all the wires will run. Always keep this schematic handy.

In the last step, make all the connections with Kynar wires. Make sure you stick to your design, so that any errors that occur can be pinpointed on the perfboard easily. Make your own prototype this way, or hire professionals to do it online! For more information on PCB assembly, visit Bestproto.com.

About The Company

BESTProto is a group of professional soldering technicians, SMT (surface mount technology) process engineers and business people who are committed to rapidly building electromechanical and PCB prototypes while providing small highly specialized businesses, start-ups and incubator companies with small production or specialty build capabilities.