A step by Step guide to PCB Routing Design for Manufacturing Analysis

Circuit board creation: A brief introduction to the subject

Printed circuit boards are the heart of every electrical device that’s why the importance of Design for manufacturing analysis is increased. They are responsible for connecting the individual electrical components.

The increasing number of electrical devices existing in the area gives the circuit board industry a new high. Almost everyone today has a smartphone, computer, and other electrical extras.

Just imagine how small and incredibly complicated those in Apple’s watches or smart watches have to be! Of course, as a student or as a young professional, you can’t model something like that yet. But how can the high-performance signal carriers be produced reasonably efficiently? We want to briefly summarize and explain the most important steps for you.

The art lies in excellent design for manufacturing analysis

When creating a circuit board for a specific device, the first thing to do is to capture all of the design requirements. These contain all the requirements that the circuit board in the end device must meet. For example, the size, the number of layers and the complexity of the board. one begins with the circuit diagram of the circuit board.

What is design for manufacturing analysis and its importance?

The circuit diagram resembles the floor plan of a house. Once the circuit diagram is in place, the actual design process begins. Depending on the complexity of the circuit board, you should of course use the appropriate software to create the design. If it is a technically complex circuit board, you should definitely use professional PCB design programs.

How to test the design?

When creating design for manufacturing analysis, there are “Dos” and “Don’ts”. For example, if you have created a first draft of a design, you should first test it out in detail. Once the design has been approved for production, there is no turning back. If design errors emerge during production, this can have serious financial consequences. So test the circuit board design extensively and precisely.

The production of the printed circuit board

Finally, we will give you an insight into the production of circuit boards: Once the design is in place, you have to create and export the production files. These are common by the factory to make the circuit board.

The largest design for manufacturing analysis and PCB producers are: China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. In the three countries, printed circuit boards with a total value of over 300 billion dollars are produced annually.

What is the role of humans during production of design for manufacturing analysis?

Almost all production steps are automated. The human workers in production are responsible for quality control and for setting up and maintaining the machines. It would also not be possible to create a complex circuit board by hand. Today’s printed circuit boards can have up to 80 layers and must therefore be pressed together with absolute precision.

Such precise work is easy to do by machines for design for manufacturing analysis.

What is PCB routing?

In any electronic system, PCB routing is an essential parameter to guarantee easier communication. PCB routing takes care of a large amount of data transmitted over an electronic network. It is a system. But to ensure the quality of your routing, it is essential to provide your manufacturer with accurate and precise information.

This article is helpful to understand and to discover the different elements essential to the design for manufacturing analysis and optimal manufacture of a route. This comes on the following steps.

• 1 PCB routing design and adjustment of component placement
• Orientation
• Positioning
• The organization
• PCB routing design: the routing of power, signal and ground tracks
• Orientation of ground and power planes
• The signal track connection
• Determining the width of the network
• PCB routing design: component separation
• the fight against overheating difficulties
• PCB Routing Design: Checking Your Work
• The main parameters of the design for manufacturing analysisand a PCB routing
• The different phases of PCB routing design
• Recommended best practices for PCB router design

What is PCB routing?

Indeed, routing refers to a process through which it is possible to select the passages in a network with the objective of transmitting information from a sender to one or more receivers. The printed circuit, the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) has a design procedure that is sometimes complex.

But you will have an easier time design for manufacturing analysis and PCB routing if you learn the rules. The rule of component placement during routing is at the same time a science and a technical practice. It requires methodological thinking in view of the precious free space on your map. It is not a simple operation.

How the components are arranged?

Usually, a rule provides that the components come in the following basic arrangement:

• the connectors
• the power supply circuit
• the precision circuit
• the critical circuit
• and others

What are standards which are being followed during design for manufacturing analysis?

However, there are special standards that are also important to take into account in the design for manufacturing analysis and of a PCB routing. You should take into consideration some points such as:

Orientation

This rule recommends that you keep an open mind about the direction of identical components. That is, you need to make sure that similar items are pointing in the same direction. This guarantees an efficient and non-faulty weld.

The organization

At the same time, it is also advisable to install all the through elements (TH) on the upper side of the card. All this makes it possible to reduce the number of design for manufacturing analysis steps as much as possible.

PCB Routing Design: Routing power, signal and ground tracks                       

When the components are in place comes the turn of tracing the power, signal and ground tracks. This allows you to ensure that the signals take a much more unoccupied and clutter free path. To succeed in this routing phase, you must remember the following rules:

Orientation of ground and power planes

This has the advantage of protecting your card against folds. It promotes excellent component placement. But the supply of a printed circuit is done by means of the universal ramps for each source.

For this, you must ensure the width and content of your tracks without forgetting to mount the power lines in series.