According to Joule or Ohmic heating principles (represented as VI or I²R), any conductive material generates heat, leading to a gradual temperature rise in both the conductor and its surroundings. Managing copper current density is critical to ensure reliable PCB performance and prevent overheating. This article explores key considerations, design guidelines, and tools like OrCAD X to optimize copper current density in PCB designs.
As high-density interconnect (HDI) designs with larger layer counts become more prevalent, the use of microvias is increasing. In builds with 3+N+3 or larger configurations, sequential lamination now often relies on skipped vias, staggered microvias, and stacked microvias
Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are a fundamental component in electrical engineering. They are used to create electronic circuits by arranging components such as transistors and resistors on a copper-based wiring pattern on the surface of an insulator (typically plastic) and then soldering them.
One of the two most common methods of attaching electronic components to PCBs is the through-hole or through-hole process. This technology is older than SMT, and for many years, it was the standard technology for PCB assembly. When surface mount technology became popular in the 1980s, many people thought it would make through-hole PCB assembly obsolete. However, through-hole technology has several advantages that make it still a preferred choice for certain applications.
Basic soldering guide on how to solder electronic components to a printed circuit board (PCB). This is a detailed and complete soldering guide for both automated soldering in mass production and manual soldering in PCB rework and repair.
SMT vs. Through-Hole – Disadvantages of SMT vs. Through-Hole
Since not all basic electronic components are available for surface mounting, the actual area savings on the board will depend on the percentage of through-hole components replaced by surface mount components. The three types of surface mount offer varying degrees of benefit depending on the component combination.
SMD soldering or surface mount technology assembly requires different SMT equipment and more experience and expertise. SMT PCBs have flat tin-lead or gold-plated copper pads without any holes. These traces are called “pads
The lower thermal resistance between the BGA package and the PCB components is another advantage of this type of package. This allows heat to flow more freely, resulting in better heat dissipation and preventing the device from overheating.
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is widely used in the PCB assembly process, but like any complex manufacturing technology, it is not immune to defects. Whether you’re dealing with solder balls, bridging, tombstoning, or unmelted solder paste, troubleshooting is a key part of ensuring high-quality SMT production.
A Multilayer PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is a type of PCB with more than two conductive layers. Unlike a double-sided PCB, which has two copper layers (top and bottom), a multilayer PCB consists of three or more layers of copper, interconnected by copper-plated vias. The number of layers can range from 3 layers to 40 layers or more, depending on the design requirements