Testing your schematic design and prototyping it is a very significant stage during the process of PCB manufacturing. With prototype printed circuit boards, you will be able to spot any design flaw and find solutions to them.
Before sending your product to the PCB manufacturer, you have to ensure that you’ve checked out all the design flaws and bugs. You definitely don’t want lots of defected or faulty products attributed to your name.
Furthermore, when you prototype the pattern of your circuit board, this is another concept proof. Both is useful in showing proof of your property and demonstrating this product to your potential buyers and investors.
But, what does prototype PCB board mean? Here, we will address what prototype pcbs are, their uses as well as the build requirements they are involved with.
What is a Prototype Circuit Board?
Prototype printed circuit boards form an important step in the process of designing an electrical item. Furthermore, they utilize conductive tracks in connecting components.
Also, in contrast to the traditional circuit boards, the printed circuit boards feature lower costs of manufacturing. Due to their printed nature, process of complex wiring isn’t necessary.
Furthermore, businesses offering electronic design can get some benefit from quicker turnaround time, because the process of PCB manufacturing is less labor-intensive compared to the traditional circuit boards.
Because of the absence of wiring, the PCBs are usually more reliable and safer. Furthermore, using PCBs will also prevent the wires from breaking loose or snapping.
Differences Between Solderless Breadboards and Prototype PCBs
A breadboard without solder is very useful in the development of electronics. They have been useful since the 1970s. The breadboards are made up of spring-loaded clips, which allow electrical connections. Also, the breadboards are not permanent and you can reuse it for different designs. This makes this tool very important for prototyping.
Furthermore, they are useful in testing a design’s functions before you can make up the printed circuit board later. Some limitations come with breadboards. They can only function with the through hole components. However, a PCB typically makes use of surface-mount components.
Though breadboards may be used for some circuits, it could cause issues when using breadboards as a prototype due to the absence of surface mount components.
In majority of cases, the modern circuitry ought to feature prototype PCBs that are made up instead of going for breadboard prototypes.
The Make up of a Circuit Board
Circuit boards come in different types. The most known of them are the single-sided ones, that feature copper tracks that connects the components on just one of the sides of the printed circuit board. These are referred to as the one layer PCBs. You can also see multi-layered PCBs and double-sides PCBs.
Printed circuit boards are composed of several elements. These include silkscreen, solder mask, copper, and FR4.
Silkscreen
The silkscreen is the last or final layer present on the PCB. This helps in printing numbers and letters to the PCB. This helps during the PCB assembly process. The most accepted color is white; however, you can use any color.
Soldermask
The function of the solder mask is to help in insulating the copper traces. The solder mask helps in preventing solder jumpers. It also ensures that the copper doesn’t come in contact with other metals.
Copper
This is laminated onto the circuit board. The process involves adhesive and heat. The copper plates utilized helps in determining of the board is a one-layer type or double-layered or two layer or multilayer.
FR4
This is also called flame retardant. It is an epoxy resin laminate that is glass-reinforced. This is the major element of a circuit board. It os the part that give the board rigidity
What is the Manufacturing Process for Printed Circuit Boards?
Two different processes exist during PCB fabrication. These are surface mount and through hole.
For surface mount, the soldering is done directly to the board. For this, you don’t have to use leads. The benefit of this technology over the through hole method is that creating smaller PCBs, which have the ability to perform complicated processes is possible.
For through hole technology, it makes use of leads that are inserted into the holes on one of the sides of the circuit boards. Then, these are soldered onto the copper layer present on the other side.
Requirements for Building a PCB Prototype
There are some things you need to put in place before building circuit board prototypes. Most especially, the right documentation must be ready.
Focus more on creating easy-to-follow and readable documentation. This will make sure you have the right design. Furthermore, the documentation for your PCB manufacturing must not be an afterthought.
In addition, this PCB documentation has to have some context. Now, this is relevant when these designs are meant for proprietary or innovative technologies.
To make sure that you have the right documentation for your PCB, and ensuring that the entire process is very easy, follow the steps outlined below.
- Make use of templates to help save time
- Make sure you take note of all the deletions and edits that you have made when making use of copies based on the older documentation.
- Ensure that you review and have a sign-off process. This ensures accuracy
- Make sure that the documentation matches your completed design
- Ensure that the part numbers are updated.
Summarizing this section, I will say that while seeking out prototype circuit boards that are professionally made, you must ensure that the information you are giving out is checked thoroughly.
When there are errors present on the page, this can lead to faults affecting the prototype. Furthermore, this can result into a testing process that is more expensive and more protracted.
Necessary Files for PCB Prototyping
The files outlines below are very important in pcb prototyping. This helps you to achieve the PCB design easily and successfully.
Asides from this, ensure that the board outline is incorporated within the drill drawing and solder mask images. These files include
- NC Drill File
- Centroid File
- Gerber File or gerber files
- ReadMe Text File
- Assembly Drawings
- Bill of Materials
How to Avoid Issues with RF & Signal Integrity When Utilizing PCB Prototype
Lots of issues may area with the design for prototype boards. This relates to signal integrity, RF and EMC considerations. There are many ways by which you can avoid these issues, which relates to trace routing. These include:
Cross Traces at 90 degrees
If the crossing of two signal tracks happen, then it must be done at right angle (90 degrees). With this, you are reducing the possible level of mutual capacitance and inductance between the signal lines.
Routing of the Traces should not be done in Parallel
When traces run in parallel via any length, it will experience a crosstalk level that is higher. For this scenario, the signals present on one of the traces will appear on another.
Factors Affecting the Overall Cost of PCB Prototype
You will find it hard to estimate what your PCB prototypes will cost until you engage the manufacturer. The price that the prototyping service will charge depends on the size, complexity, design, components, and materials. This is one reason why having a general estimate for price is difficult.
If the production batch you have is smaller, you will incur higher costs for PCB prototyping. Below are the factors that affect the cost of your printed circuit board prototypes.
Material
Some PCB laminate materials and substrate have more costs compared to the others. Obviously, the material for your PCB prototypes will be more expensive when you give high performance a priority.
Size of the board
When your prototype PCB has a larger board, then expect it to be more expensive and vice versa.
Speed
If you need your prototype pcbs to be handled faster, then expect to be spend more.
How to Ensure High Quality of PCB Prototype Services
Before the shipping of the board to you, there are some control tests that happen during the process of PCB prototyping. These include:
Aging Screening
This helps you evaluate the reliability of the PCB prototype, which may be in continuous operation for more than 100,000 hours. Furthermore, the test helps you examine the entire PCB assembly.
Functional Testing
This is to help pinpoint manufacturing issues and flaws that can affect missing or incorrect parts, reliability, and opens/shorts in nets or solder connections.
Vibration Testing
This involves the shaking or shocking of the components of PCBA to observe the way in which they can cope with the real environment.
In-Circuit Testing
This method is the moist common and robust method of checking PCB quality control. This automated testing checks for shorts and opens present in circuit boards. Also, it helps in detecting 98% of faults.
Conclusion
Here comes the end of our article on prototype PCB. We have discussed the make up, manufacturing process, as well as the requirements before creating one. Contact us today at Rayming PCB for your prototype pcbs
