Printed circuit boards have continued to advance and evolve since their invention back in the 1940’s. Today, PCBs are smaller, thinner, and denser in circuitry, than could ever be imagined at the beginning. They are also produced more efficiently and at higher volumes due to enhanced manufacturing technology and design software sophistication. As a key […]
Key material performance parameters are used to determine suitability of PCB materials for high frequency PCB applications. These include dissipation factor (Df), and dielectric constant (Dk). For digital circuits, and their steadily rising speed requirements, choosing the wrong PCB materials can have devastating results (such as poor plated-through holes or impedance discontinuities). Material selection based on these […]
PCBs are simply an electronic component base where various components are positioned and soldered in place. PCBs are made by etching the copper layer on the core laminate with the electrical circuit (layout). The most popular method is based on utilizing a ferric chloride solution, although there are methods available as well. If etching is improper, […]
PCB material selection and manufacturing process understanding is important to consider when contemplating a new project. One question is often, the difference between PCB core and prepreg materials. Once the difference between core and prepreg is understood, then what exact materials should be used for your application? What’s the impact on electrical parameters during plating, etching, […]
Halogen Free PCBs are printed circuit board without halogens in their construction. Halogens include Chlorine, Bromine, Fluorine, Iodine, and Astatine, which have health & safety concerns. For a PCB to be considered “Halogen-Free,” there must either be less than 900 parts per million of chlorine or bromine, or fewer than 1500 parts per million of […]
In PCB application, all gold is 99.9% pure. So efficiency in selecting the most appropriate process and thickness is very important to keep your product as cost-effective as possible. There are multiple types of gold finishes which can be applied to printed circuit boards, depending on the functionality required. ENIG (Electroless Nickel plating under Immersion […]
PCB gold fingers are a common PCB manufacturing requirement of memory sticks, graphics cards, and other product designs requiring edge connections or contact points. “Fingers” are neat, narrow, usually, long row of PCB pads along the edge of a PCB card (either on one or both, sides of the PCB).The rectangular row of conductive PCB […]
Solder paste is a combination of small metal solder particles and flux used in printed circuit board assembly & manufacturing. The purpose of solder paste is to create a stable bond between the plated connection pads on the PCB board and the electronic components being added to form a working electrical circuit. Size, composition, and flux density […]
The circuit board base material comprises the substrate (or core) and the PCB laminate. The substrate is the non-conductive dielectric material, typically chosen based upon the dielectric constant (dk). Laminates when used in conjunction with substrates provide the copper foil or surface material. However, laminates may themselves be used as core material in some board […]
It’s easy to leave the PCB design guidelines as an afterthought, spending most of your time focusing on circuit design, functionality, and component selection. However, not providing attention to PCB layout basics can lead to a design that translates poorly from the digital domain to physical reality. Thereby making it more difficult to fabricate. The […]
