2.5 PCB Design Basics
A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) provides a platform to connect and support electronic components. It consists of several layers, including copper, solder mask, and silkscreen. We use Altium Designer to design our PCBs.
See also: Tutorial - A Complete Design Walkthrough with Altium Designer
- 0603 Resistors and Capacitors: Choose these when possible; they are small and suitable for hand soldering.
- 0805 or Larger for High Capacitance: When higher capacitance is needed, opt for 0805 or larger sizes.
- Standard Components: We have many standard 0603 passive components available in MEDN.
- Suppliers: Digi-Key is recommended for sourcing components; look for alternatives if certain components are unavailable.
- Trace Thickness: Thicker traces reduce resistance and increase ampacity (current rating).
- Trace Length: Keep traces as short as possible to minimize resistance and inductance.
- Via Usage: Minimize the use of vias; they add inductance and can complicate the PCB layout.
- Automatic Routing exists ... it's not great.
- Differential Traces: Some differential traces require careful length and impedance matching. Use tools such as PCB Toolkit for this purpose.
- JLCPCB Vias: JLCPCB only provides through-hole vias; avoid buried vias as they are more expensive.
- Specifications: Refer to JLCPCB specifications for minimum hole size (2mm) and minimum drill size (4mm).
Use polygon pours for large areas of copper, especially when carrying heavy power supply currents or for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) shielding.