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Fiberglass weaves like these are at the heart of many common PCB laminates

Gerber File Names

With the number of files associated with a PCB design, it is easy to get confused and lose track of which files are current and what they contain. It is important to develop a naming system that is easy to understand and use, especially with the image files, more commonly known as Gerber data to prevent any confusion. Here are some recommendations for Gerber file names that can help keep your manufacturing data clean and up-to-date.

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SMT Component Placement Guidelines

When creating an effective parts placement, many concerns have to be considered, including signal performance, power integrity, accessibility, and manufacturability. And although you may have to make compromises between these different requirements, some rules must be followed, especially when placing surface mount parts. Here are some SMT component placement guidelines that can help.

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PCB layout constraints

How to Reduce Your PCB Design Cost

Where’s your first stop when you enter the store to shop? If you’re anything like me, you’re a bargain hunter, and it’s straight to the clearance rack. Even when grocery bills aren’t soaring, I appreciate the simple surprise of trying a new product I’d otherwise pass over or stocking up on a favorite. This shopping mentality presupposes that the items you pick are more or less equivalent.

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PCB Defects Detection: Finding Issues Early

As with any manufactured object, circuit boards can also be plagued with unexpected defects. OEMs can trace PCB defects back to many causes, which is why it is so important to detect these problems early on before they become unmanageable. Fortunately, there are many methods available to designers and manufacturers for PCB defect detection, and we will look at some of these methods here.

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Simple Schematic Drawing Software: Better Than Pen and Paper

Designing on paper certainly has a nostalgic charm, and many of us learned circuit design using simple drafting tools. However, circuit board design has become more complex since the good old days of using a drafting board. If you are still using pen and paper, you miss out on some beneficial functionality available in even the most simple schematic drawing software tools. Let’s compare pen and paper schematics with CAD schematic capture systems and see some of these differences.

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PCB Beveling for Edge Connectors

PCB Conformal Coating: When to Protect Your Boards

The strategy of using a protective covering is not limited to combat tactics and can also help in protecting electronics. For years, mission-critical circuit boards operating in extremely stressful and harsh environments have benefited from a protective coating. Now, more consumer electronics are considering applying a conformal coating to their PCBs. Here we’ll look at what PCB conformal coating is and when you should consider using it to protect your sensitive electronics.

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