PCB design process
Design preparation: define the design objectives and requirements, including the function, size and cost of electronic equipment. Select the appropriate PCB substrate materials and components, and determine the design specifications and standards.
Circuit schematic design: Use circuit design software (such as Altium Designer, OrCAD, Eagle, etc.) to draw the circuit schematic. The schematic diagram should include the symbols of all components, the pin connection relationship and the path of power supply and signal.
PCB layout design: Based on the circuit schematic diagram, carry out PCB layout design. Place the components on the PCB, and consider the connection relationship between components, signal path, power supply and ground wire layout and other factors. In addition, the size, number of layers, aperture and other parameters of PCB should be considered.
Stacking design and impedance control: For multilayer PCB design, stacking design and impedance control are needed. Stacking design refers to determining the position and thickness of each conductive layer, as well as the material and thickness of insulating layer. Impedance control refers to controlling the impedance characteristics of transmission lines by adjusting the width and spacing of wires and designing the laminated structure.
Wiring design: Connect the component pins through wires to realize the connection relationship in the circuit schematic diagram. In order to meet the requirements of electrical performance and signal integrity, the width, length and spacing of wires should be considered when wiring.
Post-processing and verification: after the layout and wiring design are completed, post-processing and verification are carried out. Post-processing includes adding solder resist layer, silk screen layer, drilling diagram and other technological requirements. Verification includes design rule check (DRC) and electrical rule check (ERC) to ensure that the design conforms to specifications and standards.
Optimization and iteration: according to the test results and feedback, optimize and iterate the design. It may be necessary to modify the layout, wiring, stacked structure, etc. to meet the performance requirements and solve possible problems.
File output and production: after the design is completed and verified, PCB manufacturing files, such as Gerber files and drilling files, are output for PCB board processing and manufacturing.
