ELE 2573

Electric Circuit Design and PCB

Manufacturing
Dr. Nicolae Galupa
Higher Colleges of Technology - UAE
Spring 2019
In this class, you will learn how to design a custom printed circuit board
from a breadboard prototype.

This is useful if you want to make multiple copies of a circuit board for
your project, or simply want to add a level of polish and
professionalism to your work.

By creating your own custom circuit boards, you are elevating your
project to more refined levels of design and fabrication.
 Outline
• PCB introduction
• CAD software introduction
• Schematic design
• Board layout and routing
• CAM processor export
• DFM
• Fabrication
• Assembly
 PCB Concepts and Materials
Introduction:

The goal of this class is to learn and understand how to convert a circuit
from a mess of wires on a breadboard into a custom printed circuit board.

The main benefit of designing a printed circuit board is that it is cleaner

and more reliable than a circuit built on a breadboard or perf-board.

The other main benefit is that it is repeatable.

 What Is a PCB?
PCB stands for "Printed Circuit Board."
This is the standard circuit board you will find inside of most electronic
consumer products.

A PCB consists of a fiberglass board with conductive copper pathways or

traces that connect together electronic components that are soldered to
them. The totality of connections between components is what constitutes
the circuit.

A standard circuit board has 4 layers that we need to concern ourselves with.
This includes the base, copper layer, soldermask and silkscreen layer.
• The circuit board's base is typically made out of a
type of fiberglass called FR4.
• This material provides rigidity, and has good heat
resistance properties.
• Thicknesses vary from board to board, but 1.6mm
is fairly common.
PCB base
• The copper layer is laid atop the fiberglass base.
• This is the layer that conducts electricity and the
circuit's components are soldered to.
• All of the circuit's connections occur on the copper
layer.
Copper clad not visible (single layer – bottom)
Copper clad
• The soldermask is a layer of colored resin strategically laid over the copper
layer to insulate the parts of the circuit that do not
get soldered to.
• Typically the soldermask is green, but it can be all
kinds of different colors.
No solder mask used
Green solder mask
The silkscreen layer is printed atop the soldermask and serves as a guide for
assembling the board

No silk screen used

silkscreen
Solder mask and Silkscreen continued

Soldermask expansion (a) and silkscreen (b)

 Layers continued
• Typically, a circuit board will have two sides, which means there will be a top
side and bottom side. Each side can have all four of these layers, but the
bottom often excludes a silkscreen layer since it is often unnecessary (which
also reduces manufacturing cost).
•
More advanced circuit boards, such as you might find in a laptop or
smartphone can have many conductive layers or "sides" sandwiched together.
 Layer Stackup
The CAD Layer stackup is the following:

CAD Layer (conductive and

CAD Layer description
nonconductive)
1 Top silkscreen/overlay ( nonconductive )
2 Top soldermask ( nonconductive )
3 Top paste mask ( nonconductive )
4 Layer 1 ( conductive )
5 Sustrate ( nonconductive )
6 Layer 2 ( conductive )
... ...
n-1 Sustrate ( nonconductive )
n Layer n ( conductive )
n+1 Bottom paste mask ( nonconductive )
n+2 Bottom solder mask ( nonconductive )
n+3 Bottom silkscreen/overlay ( nonconductive )
 Typical Layer Stackup example
Example of 3 different PCB stackups:
2 layers (a),
4 layers (b),
6 layers (c)
 Through hole plating

• Whenever your PCB uses more than one copper layer it is required to define
electrical connections in between the copper traces used on different layers.
• The most common technique used is drilling the PCB substrate and depositing
a conductive material on the hole wall thus connecting the traces present at
the two ends of the hole.
 Plated and Non-Plated Through Holes
DEFINITION
• Through-hole technology, also spelled "thru-hole“ are holes that go completely through the
printed circuit boards.
• They can be plated (PTH) or non-plated (NPTH). With plated through holes there is a
conductive path from one side of the board to the other.
 Plated Trough Holes (PTH)
• The main characteristic of this type of holes is that, during the manufacturing process, after
drilling the boards a thin copper layer is plated onto the walls of the holes, providing them with
electrical conductivity. This way, after the PCB Assembly is finished, the link between the
component's leads and the copper tracks has a lower resistance and better mechanical
stability.
 Non-Plated Trough Holes (NPTH)
• In this type of Through Holes there is no copper plated onto the walls of the holes, so the
barrel of the hole has not electrical properties. They were very popular when Printed Circuits
only had copper tracks printed on one side, but their use decreased as the number of layers in
printed circuit boards increased.
• The main advantages of NPTH are that the manufacturing process for these is simpler, and
quicker. Nowadays, they are frequently, but not exclusively, used as Tooling/Mounting holes:
used to fix the PCB to its operational location. However, they can also be used for components
mounting
 Component packages
Through Hole Technology

Through-hole technology (tht), also spelled "thru-hole", refers to the mounting scheme used
for electronic components that involves the use of leads on the components that are inserted
into holes drilled in printed circuit boards (PCB) and soldered to pads on the opposite side
either by manual assembly (hand placement) or by the use of automated insertion mount
machines
 THT - Leads
Axial and radial leads Components with wire leads
are generally used on through-hole boards.
• Axial leads protrude from each end of a typically
cylindrical or elongated box-shaped component, on the
geometrical axis of symmetry. Axial-leaded components
resemble wire jumpers in shape, and can be used to
span short distances on a board
• Radial leads project more or less in parallel from the
same surface or aspect of a component package, rather than from
opposite ends of the package. Originally, radial leads were defined as
more-or-less following a radius of a cylindrical component (such as a
ceramic disk capacitor).
• Multiple lead devices For electronic components with more than two leads,
for example ICs or resistor packs, various semiconductor packages such as
single or dual in-line packages are used, either directly onto the PCB or via a
socket.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through-hole_technology
 Surface-mount technology
• Surface-mount technology (SMT) is a method for producing electronic circuits in which the components are
mounted or placed directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). An electronic device so made is
called a surface-mount device (SMD). In industry, it has largely replaced the through-hole technology
construction method of fitting components with wire leads into holes in the circuit board. Both technologies can
be used on the same board, with the through-hole technology used for components not suitable for surface
mounting such as large transformers and heat-sinked power semiconductors.
• By employing SMT, the production process speeds up, but the risk of defects also increases due to component
miniaturization and to the denser packing of boards. In those conditions, detection of failures has become critical
for any SMT manufacturing process.
• An SMT component is usually smaller than its through-hole counterpart because it has either smaller leads or no
leads at all. It may have short pins or leads of various styles, flat contacts, a matrix of solder balls (BGAs), or
terminations on the body of the component.
 SMT - Common abbreviations
Different terms describe the components, technique, and machines used in manufacturing.
These terms are listed in the following table:

SM term Expanded form

SMD Surface-mount devices (active, passive and electromechanical components)
SMT Surface-mount technology (assembling and mounting technology)
SMA Surface-mount assembly (module assembled with SMT)
SMC Surface-mount components (components for SMT)
SMP Surface-mount packages (SMD case forms)
SME Surface-mount equipment (SMT assembling machines)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-mount_technology
Advantages
• The main advantages of SMT over the older through-hole technique are:
• Smaller components.
• Much higher component density (components per unit area) and many more connections per component.
• Components can be placed on both sides of the circuit board.
• Higher density of connections because holes do not block routing space on inner layers, nor on back-side layers if components are mounted on only one
side of the PCB.
• Small errors in component placement are corrected automatically as the surface tension of molten solder pulls components into alignment with solder
pads. (On the other hand, through-hole components cannot be slightly misaligned, because once the leads are through the holes, the components are
fully aligned and cannot move laterally out of alignment.)
• Better mechanical performance under shock and vibration conditions (partly due to lower mass, and partly due to less cantilevering)
• Lower resistance and inductance at the connection; consequently, fewer unwanted RF signal effects and better and more predictable high-frequency
performance.
• Better EMC performance (lower radiated emissions) due to the smaller radiation loop area (because of the smaller package) and the lesser lead
inductance.[8]
• Fewer holes need to be drilled. (Drilling PCBs is time-consuming and expensive.)
• Lower initial cost and time of setting up for mass production, using automated equipment.
• Simpler and faster automated assembly. Some placement machines are capable of placing more than 136,000 components per hour.
• Many SMT parts cost less than equivalent through-hole parts.
• A surface mount package is favored where a low profile package is required or the space available to mount the package is limited. As electronic devices
become more complex and available space is reduced, the desirability of a surface mount package increases. Concurrently, as the device complexity
increases, the heat generated by operation increases. If the heat is not removed, the temperature of the device rises shortening the operational life. It is
therefore highly desirable to develop surface mount packages having high thermal conductivity.[9]
Disadvantages
• SMT is unsuitable for large, high-power, or high-voltage parts, for example in power circuitry. It is common to combine SMT and through-hole
construction, with transformers, heat-sinked power semiconductors, physically large capacitors, fuses, connectors, and so on mounted on one side of
the PCB through holes.
• SMT is unsuitable as the sole attachment method for components that are subject to frequent mechanical stress, such as connectors that are used to
interface with external devices that are frequently attached and detached.
• SMDs' solder connections may be damaged by potting compounds going through thermal cycling.
• Manual prototype assembly or component-level repair is more difficult and requires skilled operators and more expensive tools, due to the small sizes
and lead spacings of many SMDs.[10] Handling of small SMT components can be difficult, requiring tweezers, unlike nearly all through-hole components.
Whereas through-hole components will stay in place (under gravitational force) once inserted and can be mechanically secured prior to soldering by
bending out two leads on the solder side of the board, SMDs are easily moved out of place by a touch of a soldering iron. Without expert skill, when
manually soldering or desoldering a component, it is easy to accidentally reflow the solder of an adjacent SMT component and unintentionally displace
it, something that is almost impossible to do with through-hole components.
• Many types of SMT component packages cannot be installed in sockets, which provide for easy installation or exchange of components to modify a
circuit and easy replacement of failed components. (Virtually all through-hole components can be socketed.)
• SMDs cannot be used directly with plug-in breadboards (a quick snap-and-play prototyping tool), requiring either a custom PCB for every prototype or
the mounting of the SMD upon a pin-leaded carrier. For prototyping around a specific SMD component, a less-expensive breakout board may be used.
Additionally, stripboard style protoboards can be used, some of which include pads for standard sized SMD components. For prototyping, "dead bug"
breadboarding can be used.[11]
• Solder joint dimensions in SMT quickly become much smaller as advances are made toward ultra-fine pitch technology. The reliability of solder joints
becomes more of a concern, as less and less solder is allowed for each joint. Voiding is a fault commonly associated with solder joints, especially when
reflowing a solder paste in the SMT application. The presence of voids can deteriorate the joint strength and eventually lead to joint failure.[12][13]
• SMDs, usually being smaller than equivalent through-hole components, have less surface area for marking, requiring marked part ID codes or
component values to be more cryptic and smaller, often requiring magnification to be read, whereas a larger through-hole component could be read
and identified by the unaided eye. This is a disadvantage for prototyping, repair, or rework, and possibly for production set-up.
 Terminology
A component refers to any part used in a circuit. This is always referring to the part
itself, and always has the same symbol. It can and often does have a different package
and footprint.

A symbol is used when drawing a schematic as a stand-in representation of a

component. It has all of the necessary pin connections required by the component.

A package is the 3-dimensional shape of the component, and also indicates how it
mounts to the circuit board (through hole, surface mount, or otherwise). This
specification is typically provided by the manufacturer or retailer and is used for
selecting the appropriate footprint when designing the board.

A footprint is the 2-dimensional layout of the package atop the surface of the board. It
consists of a silkscreen layout, name label, plated through holes or pads, and any other
necessary layout information.
Pads
• A pad is a small surface of copper in a printed circuit board that allows soldering the
component to the board. You can think of a pad as a piece of copper where the pins of the
component are mechanically supported and soldered. There are 2 types of pads; thru-hole
and smd (surface mount).
• Thru-hole pads are intended for introducing the pins of the components, so they can be
soldered from the opposite side from which the component was inserted. These types of
pads are very similar to a thru-hole via.
• The smd pads are intended for surface mount devices, or in other words, for soldering the
component on the same surface where it was placed.
Copper tracks
• A track is conductive path that is used to connect 2 points in the PCB. For
example, for connecting 2 pads or for connecting a pad and a via, or between
vias. The tracks can have different widths depending on the currents that flow
through them.
• It is important to highlight that in high frequencies is necessary to calculate
the tracks' width so that the interconnect can be impedance matched along
the path created by the track. ( more on this in a future article )
Plated Holes (Thru-hole Vias or Full Stack Vias)
• When an interconnect must be made from a component that is located on the top layer of
the printed circuit board with another that is located at the bottom layer, a via (Vertical
Interconnect Access) is used. A via is a plated hole that allows the current to pass through
the board.
• For conducting the current from the top layer to the bottom layer, a via is used for each
track. The tracks and pads that belong to the bottom layer are visually dimmed, so you can
differentiate them from the ones that are on the top layer.
detailed view of a transversal section of a 4 layer printed circuit board or 4 layer
PCB. The colors that appear in the Figure are explained in the following table:

Color Legend
green Top and bottom soldermasks
red Top layer ( conductive )
violet Second layer. In this case this layer is used as a power plane ( i.e. Vcc or Gnd )
yellow Third layer. In this case this layer is used as a power plane ( i.e. Vcc or Gnd )
blue Bottom Layer ( conductive )
Blind vias
• In high density complex designs is necessary to use more than 2 layer.
• Generally in multilayer system designs where there are many integrated circuits, power planes ( Vcc or gnd) are
used to avoid excessive routing for power rails. In other words, it is lot easier and more secure to directly connect
to the power planes that are beneath the chips instead of routing long tracks for the PDS (Power Delivery System )
( this can also be achieved with thru-hole vias ).
• Also there are times that a signal track must be routed from an external layer ( top or bottom ) to an internal layer
with minimum via height because it can act as a stub and maybe produce an impedance mismatch. This can cause
reflections and produce signal integrity issues ( more on this in a future article ). For these kinds of interconnects
blind vias are used, which allows a connection to be made from an external layer to an internal layer with
minimum via height. A blind via starts on an external layer and ends on an internal layer, that's why it has the
prefix "blind".
Buried Vias
• These vias are similar to the blind ones, with the difference that they begin and end on an
inner layer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PCB BASICS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCZYu_lABNo