What is Pcb: Definition and 83 Discussions

DesignSpark PCB is a free electronic design automation software package for printed circuit boards. Although there is no charge for the software, the user must register with the website to unlock the program and it displays advertisements which must be acknowledged before the user can begin working.

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  1. f95toli

    Is possible to completely remove solder from a PCB pad?

    We recently ordered a batch of populated PCB. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding around the solder mask some gold plated pads that should have been left bare were covered in solder. The PCBs are part of sample holders and the bare pads are used to wire bond (using aluminium wire) to the...
  2. winSOW32

    Protecting PCB, multiplexers and MCU in vending machines

    Hello everyone, I am working on a very low cost, small and basic vending machine ($300) with wooden cabinet for small neighborhood stores. As you may know, it is necessary to properly protect the components to prevent users from trying to steal money or damage the components. The PCB has a TFT...
  3. ursonor99

    Impact of AC effects on current density analysis of pcb for 50-60Hz

    Hello , I was looking into current density analysis of a PCB that handles distribution of AC power . from ansys and cadence sites , i realized by current density they refer to DC IR drop that is a pure ohmic analysis that doesn't take into consideration the AC effects . And in order to take this...
  4. J

    I Possibility of PCB Oils in old Diffusion Pumps?

    I recently found three old vintage diffusion pumps left over by the previous lab owners: 1. Veeco EP 2A 2. Veeco EP 2A-1 3. Edwards Speedivac F203 Is there a possibility that these pumps have PCB based oil inside? I do not have access to PCB oil testing at the moment. Also any further...
  5. mesa

    Looking for a good source to find FPGA developers for ADC PCB spinouts

    Summary:: I am trying to find some good folks with knowledge in FOGA coding for some ADC boards our EEs are spinning out, but am having terrible luck so far... I am trying to find some good folks with knowledge in FPGA coding for some ADC boards our EEs are spinning out for pulse heigh...
  6. willDavidson

    Measuring Temperature of PCB Via

    I am interested in measuring the temperature of a PCB via. Since vias are so small, I'm not sure how to go about this. Are there any methods for doing this? If I use a thermocouple, I would need to adhere it to the via wall somehow. Let's just say my via is 0.5 mm? The via would probably be...
  7. willDavidson

    PCB design: multiple layers vs heavier copper

    I am designing a board which will have relatively high current. The options are to use heavier copper (4 oz), use two layers (2 oz), or 4 layers (1 oz). Are there any benefits to using one configuration over the others?
  8. J

    Why are PCB Trace and Layer Spacings Based on Voltage?

    I understand that PCB trace spacing is typically based on a minimum found in certain standards and that is voltage based. If the breakdown strength of the dielectric is based on e-field intensity, wouldn't it be beneficial to actually consider the material properties and make it based on a...
  9. J

    How to Measure PCB Impedance and Component Coupling?

    I am designing a PCB with multiple capacitors on it. I would like to measure the board impedance to compare it with results from Ansys Q3D. I can connect it to an impedance analyzer and easily get the impedance. I have recently thought about other meaningful measurements that I may be able to...
  10. J

    PCB Layout questions for my High Voltage circuit

    I am looking at using a few 2 kV film box capacitors in series and I'm trying to make the board as compact as reliably possible. Let's say that I have two equal valued series capacitors rated for 2 kV each in series across a 4 kV power supply. Each capacitor will then have a voltage at 2 kV...
  11. AdrianRodz1

    Voltage drop in a PCB power plane

    I'm trying to maintain a spec requirement of less than 3% drop from farthest pin to closest pin from source. I'used the entire layer for copper but my oart does not require such a large pour accept to handle high current. So I'm considering there's a trade off that should meet inthe middle of...
  12. R

    Help with Allegro-Altium PCB conversion

    I have an Allegro .brd file as design reference, but I need something Altium-compatible instead. Altium can import .brd only in case there is Allegro installed on the same PC, what I don't have. Is there anybody who can help me with this?
  13. T

    How can I learn to use Cadence for PCB design?

    Hello, I am a beginner but I have a few board design experiences. Now, I want to learn Cadence, but I am confused. Can someone explain the difference between the following software? -Allegro Design Entry L vs. Allegro Design Entry CIS -OrCAD vs. Cadence -Signal Integrity/Sigrity vs. Package...
  14. R

    Eddy currents in an Aluminum substrate PCB

    Well, then: my first real topic here on PF :angel: We will soon do a half-bridge PWM thing, if everything goes smoothly. Bit of a scary thing, actually. So far it's about gathering reference material and examples. Even the simulations are just in planning phase. But: as it seems the...
  15. G

    PCB traces are overheating (due to eddy currents ?)

    I’m facing strange phenomenon in voltage multiplier operation – PCB traces are overheating. Multiplier runs at 50KHz, consumes 40V / 26A and delivers 500V / 2A. The prototype is continuously monitored by IR camera due to overheating concern. None of electronic components is heating...
  16. T

    Detrimental impact of magnetic field on PCB and battery?

    Hi there, we are developing a small consumer electronics product consisting of a small 4-layer PCB along with a few PDM microphones and BLE chip/ and antenna, as well as a LiPo battery. We are locating a small but pretty strong magnet next to these components in the enclosure. It is an N52...
  17. T

    PCB design and schematic for a half bridge power amplifier

    Hi, I am making a half bridge power amplifier that operates at 24 V. The bridge has to supply around 3A current to an inductive load (10mH) The bridge will be controlled using 20kHz PWM from a microcontroller. I have put a ACS712 current sensor in the load path to give feedaback to the...
  18. W

    Decoupling Capacitor for a PCB Track

    Homework Statement Homework Equations 3. The Attempt at a Solution [/B] Currently stuck on the question relating to the value of capacitance across X1/Q1 to reduce the voltage to 1 LSB I have calculated the voltage of the 1LSB to be 0.8507 mV ADC Range/Resolution 3.3V/2^12 I have...
  19. T

    How Do Microwave transmitters work without physical connections?

    So I recently picked up 40 of 10.525 GHz Microwave RADAR transmitters: I opened up one out of curiosity and had something like this (image attached) . I noticed some parts of the PCB aren't even connected to anything. How do the different shapes and sizes of the PCB interact with each-other...
  20. R

    Best PCB pad finish for repeated solder jobs?

    I'm designing a PCB with large exposed metallic pads for an experiment I'm running. The idea is I'll be able to solder directly and repeatedly onto the pads, so ideally the pads should be able to withstand multiple removals of solder. Any thoughts on whether ENIG or bare copper would be...
  21. V

    What are some best options for PCB design software?

    I need help in selecting best pcb design software out of kicad, eagle and altium. I have to design pcb for my project. But I am having confusion in these software.
  22. V

    Can I Use Electroforming with Copper to Etch PCBs Safely and Cheaply?

    I am undertaking a personal project that requires me to etch some circuit boards. This needs to be done on the cheap and in this instance it is not feasible to send to a PCB company. I am a bit put off by the nasty chemicals and the need for correct disposal. I know you can use Vinegar and...
  23. camerart

    Transferring Images to PCBs with Laser Prints: A Successful Test

    Hi, I am trying out ideas for using Laser prints to transfer image to PCBs which is resist and allows etching the circuit. Here is a small circuit, attached, showing a successful test. This is approximately 20x40mm. You can see the top 2mm aluminium plate has a sheet of silicon, which spreads...
  24. The_Inventor

    Circuit Board Design: Basics of Designing a PCB

    My background is in physics so I have a very basic understanding of circuit design. I was just wondering, If someone were to design a printed circuit board (from scratch) how do they know that it will function the way it should? and also how do they know that the printed circuit board will...
  25. Averagesupernova

    Is PCB Artist Layout Software a Viable Alternative to Eagle for PCB Design?

    Anyone here used it? http://www.4pcb.com/free-pcb-layout-software/ I have liked Eagle in the past but I see the company I have ordered boards with offers PCB Artist for free. I downloaded it and it looks pretty simple compared to Eagle which is fine with me. It's not like I am laying out a...
  26. AilingLore21

    Engineering Is my Power Supply Circuit correct in the recreated version?

    Homework Statement So the circuit drawing is in this link http://i.imgur.com/jVYm5La.jpg . Basically, we have to create a power supply circuit and using Livewire and PCB wizard program in conjunction, I created this circuit Homework Equations None? The Attempt at a Solution [/B] I can't...
  27. S

    Design 12:1 2.0 USB Multiplexer | Matija

    Hi everyone, I've been trying to design a 12:1 2.0 USB multiplexer for a while, with very little success. I've bought a couple of MAX4999 8:1 multiplexers, trying to use two of them in parallel such as shown in the datasheet. I've put them on a breakout board from Adafruit, and started testing...
  28. Diglet

    Looking for an electric circuit diagram of pcb assembly treadmill drive

    Hi ! I am looking for a electric diagram of pcb assembly treadmill drive SERIAL:0004-03052. The name of the treadmill Quinton Clubtrack 510 plus . I have already found Service and User Manual for it but , there nothing specific in it...
  29. teroenza

    Reference Pin on Differential Amplifier

    I want to use a differential amplifier to separate the digital and analog ground portions of a circuit, but am not confident in my understanding of the datasheet of the amps I have on hand (amp03). http://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AMP03.pdf I think that...
  30. A

    Inductance of Square Coil Antenna on PCB

    Hey guys, I am trying to design an Inductive Square Antenna Coil that will be milled onto my PCB. I am slightly confused when it comes to the matching circuit. To my understanding the matching circuit is there to have the same impedance value of the antenna, correct? So my matching circuit...
  31. B

    HMI -> Microcontroller? -> PCB I/O

    Hello I want to make a HMI that monitors i/o through a microcontroller/fpga/something. The problem I've come across is to figure out what's going to interpret/read i/o at the end of this system. For what it's worth, it's going to read i/o from "props" used in so called Escape Rooms - so they...
  32. rsk2mc

    PCB Heat Transfer Problem

    Hello, I will try and provide as much detail to the problem as I can with the hope someone can help me solve this. We are currently working on a wireless project that contains high electrical currents, because of this the box the electronics are enclosed in experience quite a temperature rise...
  33. MushroomLT

    Can a different Ohm rating resistor burn a pc motherboard?

    Hello, my motherboard recently has stopped working, so I returned it to warrany, they fixed it, but after a few months the board broke again, but unfortunatly the warranty has ran out, so I'm attempting to fix it myself in the freetime :D So I have found a resistor on the motherboard, that looks...
  34. P

    Extracting CuCl2 from used PCB etchant.

    Greetings all. I was wondering if any of you would know how exactly to extract copper chloride (CuCl2) from a solution of used pcb etchant. I know that when you react ferric chloride (the initial etchant) with copper, the products are FeCl2 and CuCl2 dissolved in a dark colored solution but how...
  35. C

    How can we distinguish between different types of PCB?

    they have different names or something else?
  36. chakr

    What is the Best Software for RF PCB Design and Simulation?

    Hi all, can anyone recommend a good software to help in design and simulation of PCB traces, matching circuits, and microstrip lines. Thank you.
  37. S

    PCB Design program of your choice

    Hello, what PCB Design program do you prefer? What's the reason for your choice? I am freshman to PCB design and working on PADS from Mentor Graphics. But I have to admit it seems me a little bit unintuitive and I am unhappy with non-perfectly fitting transmission lines and prolonged editing...
  38. S

    Calculation to determine PCB thickness

    Hi, In my design there are PCB boards. But i am worried the thickness of PCB will not be strong enough to withstand cracking and warp-age when under stress and strain. Is there any formula i can use to calculate vibration on the PCB so i can increase thickness via mechanical ribs...
  39. B

    Troubleshooting Weird LED Behavior on PCB Design

    Hi, I recently designed a PCB in EAGLE, and I got it manufactured and I had all the pieces Sufrace Mounted on it, put it in the oven, everything seems fine and dandy, but I already killed 3 LEDs because of some weird thing going on. I have 5 different LEDs conneced to my circuit, the leds run...
  40. J

    PCB Etching Tips: Affordable DIY Solutions

    Hi guys, I've just started doing a bit of research in preparation for trying to print and make some DIY circuits. I was just wondering if there are techniques that are favored over others. Also I don't have a massive budget, so price is quite an important factor to me. From what I can find...
  41. A

    Choosing the Right Ground Point for PCB Design

    In designing a circuit what point should I pick as the ground point? I know it's the reference node in schematic to calculate node voltages and could be anything, but when designing the PCB there should be a physical point that adhere to some conditions as I guess that make it a valid ground...
  42. I

    Manufacture of solar panel, display, lithium ion battery and PCB

    I am interesting to know about the manufactures of these products: crystalline silicon solar cells, thin-film solar modules, display screens like: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), touch panel and plasma, thin film rechargeable lithium ion batteries, lithium ion batteries for electric car, fuel...
  43. R

    Which PCB Design Software Allows for Component Size Customization?

    Im designing a PCB and i need a software that is able to change the size of the components (e.g. the length of the resistor).
  44. J

    Why Do Some PCB Designers Use Soldered Fuses Instead of Fuse Holders?

    Any PCB designers, why oh why oh why do you inflict those (insert profanity) awful fuses that are soldered to the board, fuses in fuse holders make life so much easier.
  45. D

    PCB Layout Q: 4-Layer Board w/ 16x OP-AMPs & 15V/1A LDOs

    I have 16 channels of the same circuit shown below. I have positive and negative power supplies ( 15V,-15V, 1A, TI LDOs). Can anybody tell me how to deal with power layout for the OP-AMPs if I use 4-layer (Signal-PWR_GND-Signal) PCB board? Please show me your picture if you have. Thank you!
  46. L

    Help Requested: Reverse Engineering PCB Layout to Circuit Design

    Dear All I have been recently started to work with Reverse Engineering technology and I would now like to determine a circuit layout diagram of a charge controller from its PCB Layout. Can anyone please help me with this one. I have uploaded the PCB design for your reference. Please...
  47. Y

    What is the conventional over drill size for a 0.05 pin on a PCB?

    I am laying out pcb and I want to confirm about the over drill size for a pin. The pin is 0.05". I forgot what is the conventional over size drill. Is it 0.06"? Or 0.065 to be safe? Thanks Alan
  48. R

    Do circuits built using PCB and using bread board perform the same?

    I want to build a EEG and the site tells me to buy a PCB from some manufacturer. Will my product have competent performance if built with breadboard? What is so special about PCB？
  49. Y

    History of OrCad pcb layout software

    I worked with OrCad pcb layout 9.2 and older for many years. Lately I try to download the evaluation software and it looks totally different. They don't even use .MAX anymore. When did they change over? Any way to translate the old .MAX to the new software? I so wish they kept the same...
  50. B

    PCB design/fabrication quote - online or offline?

    For those who have tried getting online quotes from PCB vendors (i.e. for design or fabrication), may I know your feedback from doing this? I personally have not tried sending a request for quote on the PCB vendor's website but I am interested though quite hesistant in this process. I...
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