One of our YOUTUBE viewer asked us whether he can shift domain from PCB design to Physical design. In this article we will address this topic. To get the answer we will try to understand very basics of PCB design, steps related to it and how it is get done. If you have related question in mind keep reading the whole article.
Fig.1
PCB designing and VLSI designing are entirely two different aspects. PCB designing deals with the design of board on which the IC and other individual components like diode, transistor are placed whereas in VLSI components like diode, FET are fabricated on same semiconductor substrate to built a functional chip. There is no logic design involved in PCB design. Wherein VLSI design we basically design the logic which means we use number of transistors to implement a function like a microprocessor .
What is scope of PCB Designer :
A PCB designer is primarily designs and develops PCB using computer software programs. A commercial PCB design tool create layouts and 3D models of circuit boards and check whether the board is functional.
Software used for PCB design :
We have listed few popular tools used for PCB design -
1. ALTIUM DESIGNER (PROTEL)
2. POWER PCB (PADS),
3. ORCAD,
4. WG,
5. ALLEGRO (CADENCE)
6. EAGLE PCB OR EASILY APPLICABLE GRAPHICAL LAYOUT7.
7. KICAD
8. EASY ED EDITOR PCB
9. PROTEUS DESIGN SUITE
10. SOLIDWORKS PCB
11. DIPTRACE
Free Tools For PCB Designing :
There are several good free EDA software like PCBWeb Designer, DesignSpark PCB, ExpressPCB, gEDA, Osmond PCB, ZenitPCB, TinyCAD, and many more and these are suitable for both DIY enthusiasts and professional PCB designers.
PCB designing is just not connecting components, there is more to it. Antenna designing, high voltage/current PCBs, PCB for CE certifications, PCBs for EMI EMC protection are quite challenging to design. PCBs can be single-sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers on both sides of one substrate layer), or multi-layer (outer and inner layers of copper, alternating with layers of substrate). Some report says the world market for bare PCB exceeded $60.2 billion in 2014 and is estimated to reach $79 billion by 2024.
PCB design basics are very important as multiple extensive revision eventually create serious delay in completion of the project resulting in exceeding timeline and increased budget.
Step-by-Step PCB Design Guide
In VLSI very first step in Chip fabrication is specification , in PCB design also everything starts with specification. Then comes initial drawings and through 9 steps the designer reach the final files. Lets know all these 9 steps to understand basics of PCB design.
1. Understanding the electrical parameters:
Understand and cross check electrical parameters of the system before starting a PCB design. A designer must understand few electrical parameters of the system like Maximum Current, Voltages, Signal types, Capacitance limitations, Impedance characteristics etc.
2. Creating the schematic :
Once the basic parameters are properly studied and cross checked then schematic is done. It’s the electrical level design.
3.Creating PCB layout :
Commercial tool like Mentor PADS®, Allegro, or Altium are used to develop a schematic and these tools are able to show how the board will operate and where the components should be placed to get fit into the intended device.
4. Designing PCB stackup:
A stack up is the arrangement of layers of copper and insulators that make up a PCB before designing the final layout of the board. This is important to consider early on in the PCB design stage due to impedance, which refers to how much and how quickly electricity can travel down a trace. The stack up plays a role in how the mechanical engineer can design and fit the PCB into the device.
5. Defining design rules and requirements:
Design rules are dictated by standards and acceptability criteria from the IPC , which is the industry standards for PCB and electronics manufacturing.
6. Placing components:
Components placing is done following layout guidelines and discussing the design.
7. Inserting drill holes:
This step is driven by the components and a connection.
8. Routing the traces:
Once the components and drill holes are placed connection is routed.
9. Adding labels and identifiers:
Next labels, identifiers, markings are added to the layout.
10. Generating design/layout files:
This is the final step and these files contain all the information regarding printed circuit board. Once the layout files are generated, the PCB is now ready for fabrication, and manufacturing and assembly.
Well these are the steps involved in PCB design.
PCB design involves placement of components , using commercial tools etc, although there is no similarity between PCB design and Physical design.
So if you are working in PCB design domain and have few years of industry experience . Leveraging that experience in Physical Design domain is not possible. If you are really interested to change the domain first read about it. There are so much free material available in internet. Read them. We have in depth series in TechSimplified Tv on Physical Design. Watch it. Link is provided in the description box. In addition to that you can go for paid course where you will get a certificate at completion. That certificate will help you. If your company have both PCB design and Physical Design teams, talk to your manager that you want to change the domain. You might get guidance. I have seen people changing domain from Digital to analog-mixed-signal design and I know that person did it in 2nd year of his first job. He used to spend extra 3 hours in office every single day after 6 pm and used to learn AMS. Its a real example. If you are determined enough go ahead and start your journey. Hope this article will help you.
Video Lecture on this topic is here :
Courtesy : Tima Miroshnichenko ; Aandrey Matveev; Tech Kiga from pexels.com
