A Quick Guide to Creating Prototype PCBs

All PCB design engineers, students or accomplished professionals, should know that when they are starting an electronics project they will more than likely have to create a prototype circuit board to make sure the device functions properly. The Internet, and recent software advancements have made this process so much easier than it had been just a few years ago. The sheer range of hobbies which require PCB design means that there is no complete set of rules to govern every design. However, there are a few steps which need to be taken before the PCB design process can begin.

Explore the capabilities of a prototype circuit board.

The first step should be making the decision on a single-layer or multi-layer PCB. You need to see if a single-layer board will house all of the components you need. If not, you will need to create a multi-layer board. It is much simpler and less expensive to design a single-layer PCB, but the majority of today's projects will necessitate multi-layer PCBs. Determining which components, and the number of components are needed will help determine how many layers are required to complete the circuit. When boards need 4 layers or more, they become too expensive for the common hobbyist and probably too difficult to design.

Get some PCB design tips.

The next step in this process is to determine which PCB manufacturer will produce the board. There seems to be countless PCB manufacturers that could do this, but you should look into a few details before making a decision. Although each of these companies accept the same file formats, they will all have specific software that they want customers to use. Most of these are quality programs and should offer all of the features one would need to design and check prototype PCBs. Leading manufacturers of printed circuit boards will deliver a quality product in a timely manner. Additionally, some manufacturers will offer quotes online instantly and order status updates which will streamline the PCB ordering process.

When a fabricator has been selected, you can then start designing the actual prototype.