Effective PCB Design

Successful PCB assembly requires effective printed circuit board design. To meet the exacting requirements of our clients, it is essential to go through a careful planning and PCB design process.

PCB design is not carried out by MPE Electronics, although we have a series of trusted and longstanding expert contacts who we are able to make use of when this work is required.

The design of a PCB involves a series of steps. Each step offers reliability and effectiveness in PCB fabrication.

Defining Printed Circuit Board Design Requirements

Every PCB design project begins with a set of requirements. Some questions need to be answered before the printed circuit board design can proceed.

  1. What is the PCB assembly required to do?
  2. What size of PCB is required?
  3. Is the PCB to be connected to other parts of an embedded system?
  4. What kind of environmental conditions will the PCB be subjected to?

Each of these factors impacts the design of the PCB.

Creating A Schematic

Once requirements are established, the designer will draw up a schematic. A schematic is a diagram representing the details of the PCB design. It will include the components required, where they should be placed and how they need to be connected.

Part of planning will be the costing of materials, as well as assessing the availability of the supply of components.

Electronic PCB Design Automation Software

Once the designer has created the schematic, the details of the printed circuit board design are entered into an electronic design automation software package. This software creates and collates a set of documents called a Gerber or CAD file. This is the set of instructions to fabricate the PCB assembly.

Select The Fabrication Method

The next step in the PCB design process is the choice of fabrication method. This method will depend on the original requirements defined with the client. It will also depend on the resources available, the timeline and the budget.

Testing

Part of the printed circuit board design is to prescribe the tests needed to ensure the design requirements are met. We employ different testing techniques to ensure our PCB assemblies will perform as required.

Learn more about how we can work to help you design the best printed circuit boards, contact us today for a consultation.

Specialist equipment produces surface mount and through-hole assemblies at any level of complexity. Our versatility and high standards mean we can deliver highly reliable, low and medium volume assemblies.

We assemble and test complete products on our customers’ behalf and will deliver them directly to their customers if required.