Copper layers on PCB

Old Habits Die Hard

In one of my previous blog posts, I asked the question: Why do designers keep sending Gerber files to their…

Communication in PCB design handoff

The communication challenge in PCB design-for-manufacturing

One of the biggest challenges in the process of a design to manufacturing handoff is the lack of manufacturing knowledge…

Silkscreen – is it really that simple?

A silkscreen contains human- and machine-readable marks on the surface of a PCB that indicates PCB components’ positions and polarity,…

Ensuring PCB design is ready for manufacturing

Skydiving without a parachute – how to enable exchange of manufacturing process requirements

On an August evening in the sky above a California desert, a skydiver leaped from the safety of an airplane…

PCB design tweaks by manufacturers

How to Take Control and Reduce PCB Design Tweaking

In the realm of PCB fabrication, it is commonplace for manufacturers to “tweak” board designs provided by designers in order…

Right-first-time PCB manufacturing

Right the first time

Shift left – Shift Right (1st part out of two) In 1887 the great city of Chicago in response to…

Gerber fabrication drawing

Should You Really Trust Gerber?

The Gerber data transfer format has been serving the PCB manufacturing industry for decades, and the Extended Gerber standard (also…

PCB Aspect Ratio – how do you know your board is manufacturable?

A majority of PCB fabricators proudly publish their aspect ratio production capability. Some even go further and publish their maximum…

PCB Design for Manufacturability

Online DFM: The secret to breaking the cycle of repeat PCB design spins

Technology is becoming an inextricable part of every aspect of our lives. From watches and sunglasses to household appliances, operating…