Archives for Big buildings

Efficient design of PCB Assemblies not only ensures cost-effectiveness but also plays a vital role in product quality and time-to-market. To achieve this efficiency, a careful balance of design considerations is essential. 

This guide will dive into the key factors that can significantly impact the PCB assembly process, helping you optimize your designs for smoother and more cost-efficient production and reliable boards.

Component Placement

Accurate component placement can significantly impact PCBA efficiency. This includes the components’ orientation and their location on the PCB. When designing the layout, practice the following:

• Place components with similar functions or those that need to be soldered at the same time close together. This reduces the need for the assembly team to move back and forth across the board when assembling.

• When placing components on the board, make sure to leave some space around each component for easy access during assembly. This gives the team more room to work when placing and soldering components.

• Ensure that components have a standardized orientation to make it easier for assembly technicians to identify and place them correctly. This not only ensures accuracy but also reduces the amount of time technicians must spend to identify and orient each component.

• Position heat-sensitive components like connectors, LEDs, and batteries away from high-temperature components like voltage regulators and processors.

PCB Layer Stack-Up

The choice of PCB layer stack-up can influence both signal integrity and assembly efficiency. We offer the following tips:

• Keep the number of PCB layers to a minimum. Higher layer counts can make assembly more complex and costly and reduce the amount of space available for component placement.
• Clearly document the layer stack-ups to avoid confusion during assembly.
• Select the best combination of power, ground, and signal layers to minimize parasitic effects and optimize signal integrity.

• Ensure that the layer stack-up meets the manufacturer’s requirements for DFM by incorporating components with consistent lead lengths, adequate spacing, and other design considerations.

• Ensure all layers of the PCB have good thermal performance and adequate spacing between components to allow for proper cooling.

Design for Test (DFT)

Incorporate Design for Test (DFT) features to simplify testing during assembly and reduce the risk of faulty Printable Circuit Boards:

• Include test points at strategic locations for easy access during functional testing,
• Incorporate ATE features to enable the use of automated testing procedures.
• Add test pads and vias between layers to make access easier for flying probes.
• Make sure your PCB design allows for in-circuit testing without disassembling the board.

Get the Best PCB Assembly Services

Efficient PCB assembly starts with thoughtful design. By considering component placement, layer stackup, component selection, DFT, and the right PCB design software, you can create boards that are easier and more cost-effective to assemble, saving time and money while contributing to a smoother production process.

If you’re looking for the right partner for your PCB assembly, prototyping, and production needs, look no further than BESTProto. Contact our team of experts today to learn more about how we can create a reliable and cost-effective PCB assembly process.

Walk into any computer store, and you could pick up a fully-built computer off the shelf. But will it truly meet your needs? Box builds do, and that is why they are growing in popularity with manufacturers and end users. But how can you choose the right parts? Here is a closer look. 

The Importance of Choosing the Right Parts for Your Box Build

What constitutes the right parts of a computer box build depends on how you want to use your machine. If high-performance gaming is your priority, you need different features from someone who is mostly programming or creating graphics. Box builds allow manufacturers and users to customize the parts that go into the box to their exact requirements. 

Six Main Parts of a Computer Box Build

Understanding the system requirements needed to be fulfilled helps you choose your parts. Read on:

1. Motherboard: this is the main board screwed into the computer case. The motherboard connects all other parts and enables them to collaborate and communicate.

2. Input and output units: these are nothing other than monitors, speakers, keyboards, mouses, and joysticks. As input units, most users want at least a keyboard and a mouse. For gaming, joysticks or other devices are essential. Anyone working on complex projects benefits from two monitors, whereas a professional musician may choose to upgrade their computer’s speakers and sound technology.
    
3. Central processing unit (CPU): think of the CPU as the computer’s brain where all data is being processed. The more demanding your work is, the more powerful the CPU needs to be.

4. Graphics processing unit (GPU): GPUs are specialized processors that accelerate any work requiring high-quality graphics. They are essential for gaming or video editing.

5. Random access memory (RAM): RAM stores data of frequently accessed programs and processes. As faster storage options are becoming available, RAM is becoming less important.

6. Storage: hard disk drives (HDD) used to be the main unit for storage, but they are being replaced by solid-state drives (SSD) which work more like SIM cards and store and read data faster.

Need more help? The team at BESTProto is happy to offer tailor-made recommendations.