Valley Services Electronics

Silicon Valley’s Premier Electronic and PCB Assembly Blog

smt vs through hole components

IPC Class 2 PCBs: Manufacturing Requirements

The Association Connecting Electronics Industries (IPC) publishes the industry standard for PCB manufacturing—IPC-A-610. It is a comprehensive document that outlines the criteria and requirements for the acceptability of electronic assemblies, guiding manufacturers on quality assurance and inspection processes. The standard lists three classifications of PCB manufacturing requirements: Class 1, 2, and 3.  Frequently, designers may…

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analog PCB layout guidelines

Twisted Pair Cabling Benefits

Any electrical system with considerable speeds or sensitive/aggressive lines must keep EMI as a primary concern. Systems can experience poor or intermittent performance due to noise-induced signal distortion without carefully placing components, traces, and cables. While there are numerous methods to prevent EMI, one of the simplest and most efficient methods is twisted wire pairs…

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High-Speed PCB Design Techniques

For decades, Moore’s Law was a defining experimental rule defining the rate at which the customer demanded significant improvements in computing power and how fast manufacturers were able to furnish this request.

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tombstoning pcb assembly

Microvias Optimize Routing Area

Design area is precious in PCB layout. Designers often must get creative towards the end of the layout when component placement on the outer layers and planes and signals on the inner layers occupy most of the routable area. Smaller components—when available—are a possibility but may be limited by either supply or package constraints. For…

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REACH and RoHS: Meeting Industry Compliance

For the safety of consumers during the service life and after disposal, material restrictions relating to electronics manufacturing help prevent the excessive buildup of environmental contaminants. While a necessary regulation, this legislation complicates an already intricate and challenging manufacturing process. Maintaining this compliance is important to prevent downstream issues like revisions or costly recalls, so…

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pcb footprint creation guidelines

Why is Copper Thieving Used in PCB Development?

I hate to admit it, but I admire jewel thieves as shown in movies. Now, don’t worry, I am not endorsing a life of crime or contemplating a career change. Rest assured that I fully understand that, in reality, there isn’t any such thing as a “gentleman” thief, and instead, it is all just robbery…

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