Tutorials

Summary:Our flex board design tutorial covers key points from the manufacturer's view: designing the right shape, the correct pad pattern, and stiffener design.

Summary:An introductory PCB tutorial covering what a PCB is, Gerber and NC drill files, solder mask, silkscreen, surface finishing and how to define your board.

Summary:This application note walks through producing a printed circuit board: prototyping, schematic capture, physical layout, fabrication and lessons learned.

Summary:A printed circuit design tutorial covering basic layout rules, manufacturing basics, V-scoring, tab routing, NPTH, finishing, solder mask, vias and prep files.

Summary:This tech report analyzes PCB materials and cost drivers, and shows how design and material choices can cut board prices 10% to 50% without hurting reliability.

Summary:Learn how base material, copper type, bend radius, layout, and coverlay affect high-cycle flex circuits, with material selection guidance.

Summary:Learn what solder wetting is, why it is critical for reliable PCB solder joints, common causes of poor wetting, and practical tips to prevent soldering defects.

Summary:Learn why tooling holes are used in PCB design, how they support SMT assembly and manufacturing, and where they are typically placed.

Summary:Learn what causes PCB shorts, how flying-probe and bed-of-nails fixture tests detect them, and why electrical testing safeguards yield and reliability.

Summary:Learn what PCB impedance is, what controls it (trace width, stack-up, dielectric, vias), and how TDR and VNA test coupons verify controlled-impedance boards.

Summary:Learn about adhesives in FPC and PCB manufacturing—acrylic, epoxy, and polyimide adhesives, prepreg bonding in rigid-flex circuits, and IPC guidelines.

Summary:Heavy 2 oz+ copper in flex circuits boosts current and thermal performance; learn tradeoffs in flexibility, line width, coverlay and best design practices.

Summary:Compare three ways to shield flex circuits from EMI: solid or cross-hatched copper layers, printed silver ink, and conductive shielding films, plus bend rules.

Summary:Compare single-layer and multilayer PCBs: what a multilayer board is, benefits in density, speed and size, and common uses from medical to industrial controls.

Summary:Learn about PCB manufacturing tooling—NRE tooling, CAM/DFM engineering, master panel layout, panel usage calculations, and tooling holes for production.

Summary:Learn about copper-plugged vias, via filling, thermal and electrical conductivity, applications, and copper versus silver conductive epoxy.

Summary:Learn common PCB design problems—material selection, unbalanced copper, blind/buried via costs, mask color consistency, and silkscreen legibility guidelines.

Summary:Practical flex PCB design tips: stiffener finger offset, electroplated vs immersion gold, process copper clearance, drill strip sizes and hole scaling for FPC.

Summary:A summary of 30 PCB wiring methods and design rules covering trace routing, impedance control, grounding, component placement, and signal integrity.

Summary:How immersion gold improves conductivity, oxidation resistance and signal integrity, plus the manufacturing steps from design through etching and final testing.

Summary:Learn the three main characteristics of flex boards — flexibility, economy, and cost — covering single-sided to rigid-flex FPC types.

Summary:Why most multilayer PCBs have even layers: lower cost, balanced stacking and less warpage, plus how to balance an odd-layer design without bending.

Summary:Stiffeners rigidize flex areas for ZIF connector thickness, flat component zones, handling, plated-hole support and solder-joint protection, per IPC-2223.

Summary:PCB bake times at 120±5°C by shelf age (1 to 6 hours), stack limits, and precautions for OSP, HASL and immersion-tin boards before assembly.

Summary:Compare through, buried, blind and micro vias in flex circuits, with design rules on location, pad size, bend radius and clearance from stiffeners.

Summary:Compare single-point, multi-point and hybrid PCB grounding, plus connections between split ground planes via wires, resistors, capacitors and ferrite beads.

Summary:How flex vias are drilled and plated, their routing pros and cons, and the polyimide, rolled-copper, adhesive and coverlay stack-up that makes flex boards work.

Summary:Learn about PCB copper pouring — its significance for EMC and signal integrity, advantages and disadvantages, and common pour shapes.

Summary:Design PCBs for moisture, temperature, chemicals and vibration: rugged-grade electronics, material choice, shock mounting and heat-transfer with heat sinks.

Summary:Recognize 17 common SMT solder defects such as bridges, tombstones, cold joints, voids, pinsholes and gray joints, with their typical causes.

Summary:Compare adhesive-backed and rigid stiffeners, and choose FR4, polyimide, stainless steel or aluminum for support, heat, EMI and ZIF connector needs.

Summary:Choose PCB laminate by thermal, electrical, chemical and mechanical specs: Tg, Td, CTE, thermal conductivity, Dk, Df, flammability and peel strength.

Summary:Learn how thick PCB solder mask should be, how to measure it on copper, and design rules for annular rings, isolated pads, test points and gold fingers.

Summary:Manage flex-circuit heat for LED and high-current apps: thin polyimide cores, copper planes, aluminum heat sinks and thermally conductive PSA.

Summary:Understand PCB laminate from paper-based epoxy to FR4 Tg130/170/180, lead-free needs, IPC-4101 specs, and why to avoid over-specifying brands.

Summary:PCB shorts and opens: how they occur in layout and manufacturing, how a netlist prevents them, and cost-effective ways to manage errors after production.

Summary:When to use conductive copper fill to carry heat and current versus non-conductive mask-plugged vias for via-in-pad, plus CTE and pad-wall fracture trade-offs.

Summary:This Gold Phoenix PCB article covers key PCB design considerations including physical border creation, component layout, wiring rules, and network verification.

Summary:PCB recycling: recover copper and tin from printed circuit boards—edge trim, wastewater sludge, etching, rack stripping, solder stripping, hot air leveling.

Summary:Via-in-pad saves BGA board space but requires filled vias; compare epoxy versus copper fill, pad-size and annular-ring rules, and the cost trade-offs.

Summary:SMT placement tips: manage CTE mismatch, place connectors and power first, add vias on high-current transitions, and review layout after placement.

Summary:How to choose laminate for rigid PCBs: IPC standards, impedance control, Dk/Tg values, high-speed requirements, and lead-free assembly considerations.

Summary:Controlled impedance sets a circuit's opposition to AC for timing and signal integrity, and matters for high-frequency analog and high-speed digital boards.

Summary:Learn about PCB gold finger surface treatments (nickel gold plating and immersion gold) and design tips for chamfering and copper clearance.

Summary:Membrane switch circuit design guide: graphical overlays, circuit layers, ZIF connectors, keep-out areas, switch matrices, and waterproofing best practices.

Summary:Types of PCB pads: common designs (square, circular, oval, open-shaped) and special pads (plum blossom, cross-shaped, teardrop) for PCB manufacturing.

Summary:Understand PCB base materials and copper foil — substrate, lamination, solder mask, silkscreen, copper thickness, and the role of copper in circuit boards.

Summary:Learn about PCB voids, including plating voids and solder voids, their causes, impact on circuit performance, and prevention methods during PCB manufacturing.

Summary:Common PCB questions answered — covering heat dissipation, copper thickness, gold finger plating, pad spacing, and UL94 flame retardant ratings.

Summary:Learn about PCB certifications, including UL 796 for component safety, flammability and electric insulation, and ISO 9001:2015 for quality management systems.

Summary:How to reduce PCB design errors—component placement, thermal management, file preparation, and manufacturing collaboration tips to avoid common mistakes.

Summary:Aerospace PCBs need robust layout, thermal control, RF shielding, mil-spec parts, impedance control and current margins for reliable operation in planes.

Summary:Essential PCB design notes covering trace width, via dimensions, pad sizing, solder mask openings, and silkscreen rules for manufacturability.

Summary:Learn what V-scoring is, why it benefits PCB assembly, and how the PCB jump scoring process protects array rails when using heavy components or thin laminates.

Summary:What is a PCB? Explore printed circuit board fundamentals: core features, key functions, real-world applications, history, and the PCB industry chain.

Summary:Compare manual visual, in-circuit, functional, AOI, MVI and AVI PCB inspection methods, plus design, solderability and warpage causes of soldering defects.

Summary:Improve PCB cooling with thermal copper foil, thermal vias, exposed pads, airflow layout, edge placement of hot parts and staggered heat-sensitive components.

Summary:Learn PCB types: single-layer, double-layer, multilayer, rigid, flex, rigid-flex, and aluminum-backed—construction, advantages, and applications.

Summary:PCB inspection covering solder mask, surface finish, dimensions, and hole tolerances for quality verification.

Summary:Learn what causes BGA pad peeling and follow a step-by-step 16-step repair process to restore damaged pads on PCBs.