Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Is the board thickness appropriate?
Layout of the traces that need to be redrawn to:
Reduce the number of vias.
Reduce the length of traces.
Reduce the complexity of the circuit.
Silkscreen
Review it to make sure it will print clearly.
Add labels.
Add important instructions.
PCB panelization
Are there connectors on the edge of a board that will interfere with components
on the neighboring copy of the board?
SparkFun's Ancillary Design for Manufacturability Standards
Add fiducials for ease of repeatable manufacturing and automated optical inspec-
tion (AOI). Fiducials are tiny metal dots on the edge of the board and sometimes
the panel.
Add side bars to aid in handling while in panel form with mouse bites. Mouse bites
are small perforations used to hold the side bars to the boards and can be easily
snapped off in postproduction.
Consider the user experience versus the cost of manufacturing. For example, differ-
ent LED colors are better for the user experience, but using all red LEDs is cheaper
in terms of cost and placement than sourcing multiple LED colors.
Stenciling solder paste by hand requires a smaller panel versus an automated sten-
ciling machine capable of handling larger panels.
PTH connectors have more mechanical anchoring for robustness, but they increase
the complexity and cost of manufacturing due to the extra soldering step needed.
Consider the PCB color. Green is cheap. White PCBs turn yellow during reflow if
the manufacturer is not careful.
Consider assembled PCB cleaning. Most mass-produced electronics require clean-
ing to remove a chemical residue that can break down solder connections over
Search WWH ::




Custom Search