RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

Tutorial — A Complete PCB Design

Walkthrough
Printed circuit board (PCB) design entails far more than just layout routing. To
successfully transform concepts into manufacturable boards, engineers must
methodically progress through a series of logical development steps:

1. Requirements Gathering

 Define design rules, specs and constraints upfront guiding all

downstream efforts

2. Schematic Capture

 Build board schematics with target components defining connectivity

3. Component Selection

 Research suitable parts meeting functionality needs within parameters

4. PCB Layout

 Route traces obeying layout rules delivering nets between pads

5.Verification and Testing

 Validate designs through ERC checks, simulations and prototyping

This guide walks through considerations at each step culminating in assembled

boards ready for deployment.

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

1. Requirements Gathering

The first phase establishes core specifications, constraints and preferences

dictating all subsequent design decisions through final testing validation gates.

Key Parameters

 Functionality — Define essential operational capabilities

 Environment — Expected operating conditions

 Regulations — Applicable safety or EMI rules

 Size — Physical board dimensions and form factor

 Interfaces — External connectors required

 Testing — Validation methodologies to employ

 Budgets — Cost ceilings for BOM or fabrication

 Schedule — Project development pace and duration

As requirements evolve through early concept refinement, frequently revisit

and update documentation keeping stakeholders aligned. Unexpected late

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

stage alterations prove vastly more expensive to accommodate than early

pivots.

2. Schematic Design

With specifications set, schematic capture converts proposed architectures into

symbolic representations defining circuit connectivity and component
selection.

Drafting the Schematic

 Placement — Logically group associated functions

 Annotations — Layer metadata like reference designators

 Pages — Partition complex designs across sheets

 Buses — Declare bus structures with bus entries

 No Connects — Specify disconnected pins

 Wire Connections — Join interrelating nodes

Review results versus intended block diagrams and topology plans to ensure
accurate translation from abstract concepts to concrete schematics.

Component Selection

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

 Libraries — Import manufacturer parts into databases

 Parametric — Filter by attributes to narrow large lists

 Ratings — Verify tolerances and electrical operation ranges suit needs

 Footprints — Assess physical dimensions and pinouts

 Alternates — Design in backups meeting key parameters

 Procurement — Check availability, lead times and budgets

Correct device selection greatly smoothes subsequent implementation stages.

Strategically choosing parts with onboard programming firmware simplifies
development.

Validation Checks

 ERC — Electronic rules checking finds missing annotations and

unconnected pins

 DRC — Design rule checking validates proper widths and spacing

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

 LVS — Circuit simulation contrasts schematic vs resulting netlist

 DFA — Manual review confirming assembly achievability

Address flagged issues before proceeding to layout routing to prevent costly

backtracking.

3. PCB Layout Routing

With schematics and components finalized, board routing converts symbolic

connective representations into physical trace geometries linking pads based
on design rules.

Planning and Placement

 Board Outline — Dimension board shape and local feature keepouts

 Layer Stack — Define layer types and quantities

 High Speed — Plan impedance matched traces and constraint regions

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

 Components — Place parts with grouping and orientation

considerations

 Nets — Name signal groups traced together post routing

 Power — Map power entrance and decoupling stratagems

Thoughtful preparations during floor-planning vastly simplify subsequent

routing.

Trace Routing

 Fanout — Propagate traces from pads obeying spacing/widths

 Escape — Route heavily trafficked zones first

 Review — Visually inspect post-routing to catch errors

 Tuning — Refine traces failing design rules

 Planes — Fill unused areas with ground/power planes

Iteratively route traces in order of criticality until all connections complete.

Finalization and Output

 Gibberish — Validate no dangling tracks or orphaned pads

 ECOs — Issue and integrate engineering change orders

 RC Extraction — Extract parasitic trace resistance/capacitance

 Generate Files — Export Gerber and drill files for fabrication

With all checks passed and data packages completed, PCB layout concludes
ready for prototyping.

4. Verification Testing
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/
 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

Prior to full production, engineers verify boards operate as intended through

bench debugging and environmental testing:

Simulation

 SPICE — Simulate electrical performance with extracted netlist

 Thermal — Model heating dissipation across layout

 Signal — Assess EMI, resonance and transmission line effects

 Stress — Estimate reliability lifetimes under use conditions

Prototyping

 Visual — Inspect bare PCBs for flaws post fabrication

 Monitoring — Probe signals and performance data

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

 Debugging — Diagnose and correct malfunctions

 Environmental — Test in deployment contexts

 Compliance — Formally certify safety or wireless functionality

Iteratively resolving findings from intensive verification efforts qualifies

designs before high volume manufacturing.

Conclusion

By progressing circuit designs through iterative phases spanning requirements,

schematic capture, layout routing and intensive validations, engineers
transform ideas into functioning PCBs ready for end product integration.
Upfront planning and continual testing saves substantial costs and
development time while ensuring reliable performance meeting specifications
under application operating conditions. Adopting methodical design
walkthrough best practices leads to successful printed circuit board
implementations.

Frequently Asked PCB Design Questions

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

What are the first steps when starting a new PCB design?

The first steps include building requirements documentation clarifying

essential parameters, constraints and regulatory compliance needs providing
the framework guiding all subsequent development decisions down selecting
ideal components.

What is the difference between library parts and footprints?

Library parts contain abstract behavioral models and parametric data

representing components in schematics, while footprints define physical pad
geometries and dimensions used for PCB population during layout.

How can I check PCB design rules?

EDA tools contain design rule checking functions validating trace geometry
spacing and widths meet fabrication and functional specifications provided by
engineers to enforce constraints.

What files do PCB manufacturers need?

The Gerber files specifying traces, drills along with bill of materials generating
from EDA tools comprise the primary outputs supplied to manufacturers when
completing PCB layouts to begin physical board fabrication.

Why is simulation important in PCB design?

Simulation allows modeled confirmation of electrical performance plus

characterization of effects absent from pure schematic views like resonant
behaviors or radiated emissions essential for high speed digital and analog
layouts before committing costly fabrication iteration cycles.

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/