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HDI PCBs capitalize on the latest technologies available to increase the functionality of PCBs using the same or less amount of area. This advancement in PCB technology is driven by the miniaturization of components and semiconductor packages that supports advanced features in revolutionary new products such as touch screen computing and 4G network communications,now it is 5G time,any layer technology is required for PCB . HDI PCBs are characterized by high-density attributes including laser microvias, fine lines and high performance thin materials. This increased density enables more functions per unit area. Higher technology HDI PCBs have multiple layers of copper filled stacked microvias (Advanced HDI PCBs) which creates a structure that enables even more complex interconnections. These very complex structures provide the necessary routing solutions for today's large pin-count chips utilized in mobile devices and other high technology products. Most HDI boards are with burried/blind vias from 0.076-0..127mm. Vias for HDI is 3-5 mil (0.076-0.127mm),line width is from 3-4mil(0.076-0.1mm). 0.8mm /0.5mm pitch BGA is usually for 1+N+1. Another thing is many customers did not know HDI board have to use special material--RCC (Resion Coated Copper),0.08mm thickness with copper. 0.4mm pitch BGA, means the space from BGA ball to another BGA ball is 0.4mm. Many PCB designers do not know much how to design 0.4mm pitch BGA board,they make things very difficult to do .Here is a 0.4mm pitch BGA PCB design guide from TI OMAP processor. Pages 8 through 12 talk about pads, mask and vias. Obviously, you should consult similar materials written specifically for the part you are using, but Ti did a great job of covering all the issues here.

Electronics are becoming smaller while it is getting faster. For enabling smaller component footprints on high-density printed circuit boards or PCBs, Storm Circuit PCB recommends considering the integrity of solder joints on each component for improving the producibility. This calls for proper processing temperature, suitable to the solder type underuse. As the board density increases and component size reduces, manufacturers tighten the tolerances on each component, which calls for better processing methods. With circuit functionality and board density increasing, designers must use IO connectors with higher pin counts. However, these now occupy the same space that lower pin count IO connectors once occupied. This increased pin density often creates complications during assembly. For an error-free soldering joint on each pin, it is necessary for the soldering process to achieve the optimum processing temperature. Regular SMT connectors cannot go beyond a specific number of pins per square inch that high-density PCBs can effectively use. For increasing the pin count significantly, connector manufacturers are offering various designs to reduce the component footprint. These designs include BGA, solder charge, and alternating pitch. HIGH-DENSITY CONNECTORS BGA: Connector manufacturers are now offering high-density connectors in the BGA footprint. Like the BGA ICs, these connectors also use spherical solder balls attached to the pins on the underside of the connector. The arrangement requires very little solder paste deposit to form a good solder joint. Solder Charges: These connectors use high-density open-pin field arrays, providing a solution like that offered by the BGA setup. However, solder charges offer an improved edge bonding between the connector pins and the PCB pad. Alternating Pitch: Solder charges with alternating pitch is another offering for high-density connectors. With alternating pitches of 1.2 mm and 0.8 mm, the design offers the board designer additional space for trace routing between the rows. SOLDER JOINT QUALITY For SMT connectors with a double row of pins, operators can easily address solder joint issues-an ordinary soldering iron is enough. However, for an SMT connector with multiple rows, addressing solder joint issues are more complicated, and a soldering iron is inadequate. Therefore, a proper processing method that is first-time-right is absolutely necessary. Although many issues can cause a bad solder joint, the major ones are: Accuracy of solder paste deposit The volume of solder paste deposit Stencil opening and thickness PCB flatness Reflow temperature profile With manufacturing set-ups being unique for each assembly shop, it is impossible to define a single set of rules to solve all the issues listed above. Furthermore, the involvement of several variances complicates the solution to the above problem. Chief among them being: Equipment underuse Brand of solder paste and its chemical constituency Board design and component density IMPROVING SOLDER JOINT QUALITY For the best solder joints on a PCB, following the SMD manufacturer`s guidelines offers maximum success. Most manufacturers provide a PCB footprint for their components, along with the necessary tolerances. Some also suggest the optimum layout and thickness for the stencil, guidelines for the printing process for solder masks, tolerances for component placement, suitable profiling for reflow ovens, and considerations for rework. Stencil and Footprint: Storm Circuit PCB recommends PCB designers must download the component footprint and stencil layout from the component manufacturer`s website. Component manufacturers offer more than a hundred thousand symbols and footprints that designers can download for popular EDA tools. When designers use the provided footprint and stencil layouts, their chances of achieving proper solder joints increase manyfold. Screen Printing Process: For a proper solder joint, it is necessary that the solder covers the entire pad. For achieving this, the manufacturer suggests an aperture in the stencil larger than the pad. This ensures the solder ball or charges under the component make contact with the solder paste. However, this requires accurate registration of the stencil with pads on the PCB. High-accuracy registration ensures the solder paste location with respect to the solder balls or charges offers good contact between them. If the centering of the solder paste is not accurate with respect to the pad, the solder will not wet the pad adequately. Storm Circuit PCB uses automated inspection to ensure solder covers the entire pad. We reject solder pad assemblies not completely covered. We clean, and reprint them after improving the registration of the stencil with the PCB. Component Placement: For proper placement of SMT components, it is necessary to use automated pick-and-place equipment. Along with the centroid data, or the X-Y coordinates, it is also important to program the Z-axis dimension for truly seating each solder ball or charge of the component on its solder deposit. As the solder melts in the reflow oven, the weight of the component makes it settle in its proper position on the board. This also helps to overcome any coplanarity in the component. Reflow Oven Profiling: Most manufacturers make SMT components capable of withstanding the profiles necessary for lead-free soldiers. According to the standard IPC/JEDEC J-STD-020, SMT components must withstand a peak temperature of 260 °C and a temperature of 255 °C for 30 seconds. Nitrogen infusion provides a low oxygen environment, and this increases the wettability of the soldering surfaces. High-density component manufacturers recommend completing the soldering process in an environment rich in nitrogen. It is vital that the fully populated PCB assembly undergoes a proper profiling process. Overlooking the reflow process that forms the solder joints can lead to various defects in the joints and makes the board non-functional. Storm Circuit PCB places thermocouples through the back of the board reaching the center of the component. This way we are sure the solder balls or chargers are reaching the proper temperature. This also ensures the reflow process is achieving the solder paste reflow profile parameters recommended by the manufacturer. CONCLUSION Although processes will always have flaws, with proper processing it is possible to reduce the need for reworking the assembly, scrapping it, and generating lower profits. Importance of proper processing methods will continue to gain importance as the electronics industry makes denser assemblies with smaller components. Storm Circuit PCB offers superior stencil layouts for SMT components while matching their footprints to those the manufacturer supplies.

The evolution of technology manufacturing is always moving towards a higher level of complexity. Newer designs have to be lighter, faster and smaller with every iteration of the next device. Not only do we continue to move towards more complex technology as a printed circuit board manufacturer, but we strive to do so in an environmentally friendly way, working to eliminate potentially harmful chemicals for our processes. To that end there have been recent advances and improvements to the surface finishes used on printed circuit boards. The surface finish of the board is critical to how the components will connect and ultimately function in the final product. The goal then is a surface finish that can accomplish strong connectivity and still meet today`s strict environmental demands. We detail the most common surface finishes in another blog post called Printed Circuit Board Finishes. There you will find information on the more common finish types used by a printed circuit board manufacturer, including Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG), HASL, Lead Free HASL, and more. While you may be familiar with many of these, today we will introduce you to Electroless Nickel / Electroless Palladium / Immersion Gold (ENEPIG). ENIG and Black Pad ENIG has been a popular surface finish because of its very flat surface, ability to handle multiple reflow cycles and good shelf life. However, there can be challenges with nickel corrosion that can cause what is called [Black Pad". Black pad occurs when the nickel under the gold plating corrodes excessively and the component soldered to that pad loses connectivity. ENIG can be challenging for some printed circuit board manufacturers, as black pad can be difficult to detect when examining the surface finish since the gold completely covers the final surface. What is ENEPIG? ENEPIG is a surface finish made of three metallic layers; first a layer of electroless nickel, then a layer of electroless palladium, and finally a layer of immersion gold. The nickel is 150 to 200 micro-inches thick, the palladium is typically 8 to 15 micro-inches thick (although sometimes 4 to 8 micro-inches), and the gold is 1 to 2 micro-inches thick. ENEPIG is suitable for all common types of wire-bonding and suitable for soldering, providing a major advantage over ENIG (rarely suitable for wire bonding) and soft bondable gold (not suitable for soldering) in applications that require both soldering and wire-bonding. Some designers choose ENEPIG to prevent the potential ENIG quality issue called [black pad", although black pad has become very rare in recent years. ENEPIG can also be used to provide a thinner finish than soft bondable gold in very fine pitch applications, but this use is more common in semiconductors than in printed circuit boards. Electroless Nickel / Electroless Palladium / Immersion Gold, or ENEPIG for short, has Palladium as one of the key ingredients. From Wikipedia: Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. While similar to Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold in process and application, the palladium in ENEPIG forms a flat, coplanar, hard surface with several advantages including gold wire bonding, aluminum wire bonding and excellent solderability, earning ENEPIG the nickname [the universal surface finish" (at least that`s what we call it!). These advantages, along with a decrease in the price of palladium, have resulted in recent gains in popularity and demand for ENEPIG. During the ENEPIG process, palladium is applied to the nickel before gold thus eliminating any problems with gold/nickel corrosion (i.e. no Black Pad). By contrast, the ENIG process simply applies gold to the nickel. Technical Stuff IPC-4556 thickness specification states the following: • All measurements should be done on a nominal pad size of 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm [0.060 in x 0.060 in] or equivalent area • The EN thickness shall be 3-6 µm [118.1-236.2 µin] at ±4 sigma (standard deviations) from the mean • The electroless Palladium (Pd) thickness shall be 0.05-0.15 µm [2-12 µin] at ±4 sigma (standard deviations) from the mean • The minimum immersion Gold (Au) thickness shall be 0.025µm [1.2 µin] at -4 sigma (standard deviations) below the mean Final Thoughts Recent increases in gold costs and the demand for lead free finishes have driven improvements in the immersion gold processes for both ENEPIG and ENIG. While ENEPIG has been around since the mid-90s, the cost, features, and advantages over ENIG have caused it to gain in recent popularity. For those interested in diving deeper into the ENEPIG specifications, IPC has provided a detailed specification in the document [IPC-4556 Specification for ENEPIG" which can be purchased directly from IPC. Additionally, there is a standards document (IPC-4552) available for ENIG that may be of interest.

Many PCB assembly factories do not make prototypes, they only want to do production, like 1K,10k pcs. however, we can offer any QTY to do ,prototypes are first. Below is an example of the PCB assembly prototypes. there are 115 items components and min chip is 0402,both SMT side .we offered full turnkey assembly service, including PCB fabrication ,components sourcing and assembly.

Rogers material + FR4 high TG with blind vias PCB Stackup. Storm Circuit can make such hybrid stackup PCB. This is a 6 layer PCB ,Blind vias from L1-l2. Below is the 3D image to show the control depth slot. PCB spec: Material:Rogers material RO4350B+FR4 (TG170) Board thickness:1.45mm Blind via:L1-L2 Min trace:0.1mm Min space:0.1mm Surface finish:Immersion Gold Impedance control,

Printed Circuit Boards are indispensable electronic devices, but sometimes engineers are faced with temperature constraints that force them to think outside the box. In this article, we will be giving a high-level overview of designing a high temperature circuit board, and along the way we will consider some of the options you may be given when you find yourself in this situation. Material Choices For A High Temperature Environment Before we ever consider our circuit itself, we need to think about the material that we will have our manufacturer make our board from. The vast majority of boards are made of a material called FR-4, a glass-epoxy laminate that can withstand between 90 and 110 degrees Celsius. If our environment falls below this threshold, we can generally disregard this consideration and order our board just the same as any other design, but if we are designing for an application that will experience temperatures above the boiling point of water, we will need to upgrade our board to high temperature FR-4 or polyimide. These upgraded materials can withstand between 130 and 260 degrees Celsius, varying by manufacturer and specific material type. Moreover, traditional leaded solder paste melts around the 160 to 180 degree Celsius mark, so we need to instruct our assembler to utilize lead-free solder paste. If not, we run the risk of components literally falling off of our board. Likewise, we should consider certain types of conformal coatings to further protect our design from baking. Design Rules In A High Temperature Environment At last, we can begin to focus on our design. This is where large challenges begin to surface. Many logic components simply cannot function in extreme temperatures. Many silicon chips fail to work as intended in high temperature environments, creating a useless board. To ensure this will not happen, we need to add a temperature parameter when searching for a component, especially if our design needs to include logic chips or microcontrollers. Most supplier search tools feature this option, but there are significantly fewer options available. After we have successfully picked our components, we need to consider our placement. Generally, when placing our components, we want to keep all heat-creating components as far spaced as possible, even if heat would not be a concern for those components in a normal environment. This is because these devices will create a pocket of additional heat within the environment. Parts to consider include voltage regulators, high power resistors and the like. Finally, we may want to consider our enclosure. While a PCB can be designed to fit most environments, in most cases it is beneficial to us to modify our case design to insulate against heat as a protective measure. This does not take the place of the design considerations we already discussed, but should definitely be considered as a first line of defense. Some considerations may include thermal insulation on the interior walls of a case, temperature shielding materials such as titanium and kevlar, or, in less extreme cases, ABS plastic. High Temperatures Due To Component Dissipation Some components require so much heat dissipation that we should consider design rules for situations of high temperature components irrespective of their environments. This is a major concern in a wide array of designs since executions of good design can influence reliability and service life. Just like in heated environments, it is a good idea to place heat-creating components distanced from each other. Collectively, multiple heated parts can contribute to the collective baking of the entire board, netting us with an unusable device. Also, adequate ventilation is always necessary. If we were placing our board in a case, and the parts we chose generate a lot of heat, a small case-fan in conjunction with a heat sink could help ease our woes. The placement of the fan is also important, since we want it to blow cold air over the blades of our heatsink to dissipate the heat and therefore decrease the temperature of the component. Strategically placed vias throughout our design also can help thermally taxing parts dissipate heat. For example, if we were using a flat surface mount package, we could use several vias to attach the thermal mass of our part to the ground plane. We can achieve even greater thermal conductivity by filling these vias with a conductive paste. This, in effect, turns the entire board itself into a heatsink, thereby eliminating the need for a standalone one. While this is not always possible, such as in most through-hole designs, this technique allows us to lower costs and reduce line items on our bill of materials. Conclusion While this has not been an exhaustive list, these practices, among others, can help us create boards that will survive the test of high temperatures. Although this takes quite a bit of practice to perfect, the general concepts are quite simple, can be learned rather quickly, and do not require too many concessions in terms of circuit design. As engineers, we will always be given difficult design constraints, but armed with this knowledge temperature constraints can be significantly simplified.

When it comes to electronic devices, it is an ever-growing industry with new devices hitting the market every single day. The process of a new launch, however, is quite complex. You need to go through the entire development cycle and that too in the shortest possible timeframe. The one thing that is invaluable in this phase is PCB prototype service. With a successful prototype you tend to reap many advantages including but not limited to the fact that there isn`t the fear of costly mistakes later. With a number of contract manufacturers offering PCB Prototype services, how exactly does one choose the right partner who will be extremely crucial to the success of your final product. Here is a handy guide: Quality of the PCB Prototypes This of course, is the most important aspect of the choice. You want the prototype to be free of any errors, the material to be defect free and more. In order to assess the kind of quality offered by the manufacturer, you need to run through the following aspects: 1.Availability of state-of-the-art equipment 2.Quality of expertise available 3.Client portfolio and testimonials 4.What kind of focus do they have on prototype fabrication It will also help to check what kind of experience the PCB prototyping USA, service has in your particular industry. With a service that has a great track record in your industry, what you will have access to is a whole body of industry insights that will come in extremely handy. Simply put, you will not be required to reinvent the wheel. Minimum Order Quantity of PCB Prototype This is a very important aspect of choosing your PCB service. After all, a prototype does not allow you give the assurance of a high order quantity. A manufacturer who has a prototype focus, will not, therefore insist on a high quantity that does not meet your requirements. Turnaround Time of PCB Prototype When you are dealing with a new product introduction (NPI) or if you are a startup wanting to showcase a minimum viable product to an investor, time is of essence. You clearly need a PCB prototyping service that understands this aspect and offers quick turnaround time. There is no way you want to sacrifice on quick delivery, ensure therefore that you check the delivery schedule of the manufacturer. It will also be prudent to reach out to existing clients to see what their experiences related to deadlines, have been. Bespoke products You would want to go ahead with a PCB prototype USA, service, that customizes the prototype to your bespoke requirements. This would be in terms of size, shape, components, bespoke surface finishes and more. For this the PCB service will have to be armed with the right tools as also people who have the right expertise in dealing with it. Packing & Shipping Ever so often it may not strike you to check whether the PCB prototype service offers packaging and shipping services. However, this is also an important aspect to check for, so that you can rest assured that the products can be safely delivered. PCB Prototype Cost Last, but certainly not the least, what you need to check for, is the cost. The price of the PCB certainly goes on to impact the final cost of your product. For this, it is important that the manufacturer can offer you quick quotes that in turn help you price the product. While optimal pricing is key, you need to also remember that you cannot sacrifice quality at the altar of price. You do not want a situation where you have gone with the lowest cost offered and in the process have had to redo the entire process as quality was sacrificed. A proven PCB prototype service with years of experience in the field is really your best bet in receiving quality products that do justice to your electronic device. Overall, it is important to remember that any lapse or wrong decision made in choosing the PCB manufacturer can cost you dearly, in terms of time and monetary cost. Worse still, a poor-quality PCB and hence a poor electronic product, can cost you hard-earned company reputation.

High-quality PCB assemblies (PCBAs) have become a major requirement in electronics industry. The PCBAs serve as the integrated component of various electronics. The functioning of various electronic devices will be at stake, if the PCB assembly manufacturers fail to perform due to production errors. For avoid the risks, nowadays, the PCB and assembly manufacturers are performing various type of inspections on PCBAs during different manufacturing steps. This blog discusses various PCBA inspection techniques and the types of defects analyzed by them. PCBA Inspection Methods Today, due to the increasing complexity of printed circuit boards, identification of manufacturing defects is challenging. Many times, PCBs may have defects such as opens and shorts, wrong orientation, soldering inconsistency, misalignment of components, wrong component placement, defective non-electrical components, missing electrical components, and so on. To avoid all these, Turnkey PCB Assembly Manufacturer employs the following inspection methods. All the above-discussed techniques ensure accurate inspection of electronic PCB assemblies and help PCB assemblies ensure their quality before leaving the facility. If you are considering PCB assemblies for your next project, it`s important that source from trusted PCB assembly services such as Fuchuangke Technology, which has been delivering PCB assembly to its clients in industry sectors since our inception. First Article Inspection The quality of production always depends on the proper functioning of SMT. Hence, before the start of high-volume assembly and production, PCB manufacturers employ first article inspection to ensure the SMT equipment is properly set. This inspection helps them detect vacuum nozzles as well as alignment issues, which can be avoided during volume production. Visual Inspection Visual inspection, or Naked-Eye inspection is one of the most common inspection techniques employed during PCB assembly. As the name indicates, this involves inspecting the various components through eye or detectors. The choice of equipment will depend on the positions to be inspected. For instance, component placement and solder paste printing is visible to naked eyes. However, solder paste deposition and copper pad can be viewed only using a Z high-detector. The most common type of visual inspection is carried out at reflow joints using a prism, where the ray of light reflected is analyzed with different perspectives. Automated Optical Inspection AOI is the most common, yet comprehensive visual inspection method employed for identifying defects. AOI is usually performed using multiple cameras, light sources, and programmed LED libraries. The AOI system clicks images of solder joints at different angles, and skewed components, too. Many AOI systems can inspect 30-50 joints in a second, which helps minimize the time taken to identify and correct defects. Nowadays, these systems are employed during various phases of the PCB assembly. Earlier, AOI systems were not considered ideal for measuring the height of solder joints on the PCBs. However, with the advent of 3D AOI systems, this has become possible. In addition to this, AOI systems are ideal for inspecting complex shaped components with pitches measuring 0.5mm. X-ray Inspection The demand for denser and compact-size circuit board assembly is increasing, owing to their utilization in miniature devices. Surface Mounted Technology (SMT) has emerged as a popular option among PCB manufacturers who want to design dense and complex PCBs with BGA package components. Although SMT has helped reduce the PCB package size, it has also induced several complexities which are not visible naked eyes. For instance, there may be 15,000 solder connections in a small chip packages (CSP) created using SMT, and it is not easy to verify them with naked eyes. This is where X-ray is employed. It`s capable of penetrating the solder joints, and identifies missing balls, solder disposition, misalignment, and many more. The X-ray penetrating through chip packages that have connections underneath, densely packed boards as well as solder joints. All the above-discussed techniques ensure accurate inspection of electronic assemblies and help PCB assemblers ensure their quality before leaving the facility.

When it comes to PCB Manufacturing, particularly multilayer PCB manufacturing, the technology that is currently in place, is in many respects not too efficient. Not only is it time consuming, the biggest issue is that it is not foolproof when it comes to avoiding errors. The big relief has come in the form of additive manufacturing, where it has become far easier to create complex, multilayer PCBs. This technology allows for creating high-density boards which work well especially given the current trend of miniaturization of electronic products. Before we look at additive manufacturing in some detail, it will be worthwhile to look at some of the issues being faced when it comes to manufacturing multilayer PCBs vide the traditional methods. Issues plaguing the traditional multilayer circuit board manufacturing methods: Time Consuming First up, the traditional method is time-consuming. This is largely on account of the fact that there isn`t any significant automation. For an industry where turnaround times are a critical source of competitive advantage, no marks for guessing, that this comes with its own set of problems. Especially, if you are dealing with high-density PCBs, the time taken for PCB fabrication, as also its cost shows a substantial increase. Material Wastage Traditional PCB fabrication also comes with a significant amount of wastage of material. From a cost standpoint also this results in less than optimal costs. Use of hazardous material At a time where stopping environmental degradation is the need of the hour, traditional PCB Fabrication processes use a whole lot of hazardous chemicals that cause significant environmental damage. What additive manufacturing effectively does, is to mitigate each of the above risks and offer tangible benefits through 3D printing. Additive manufacturing process for multilayer PCB manufacturing – An additive manufacturing process that employs 3D printing of PCBs, essentially uses a layer-by-layer printing process to produce multilayer PCBs. We do have additive manufacturing processes that involve printing from silver or copper nanoparticle inks directly to a FR4 substrate. However, this helps in single layer boards where the subtractive etching process is eliminated. When applied to multilayer circuit boards, there is hardly any time or cost saving as compared to the traditional PCB manufacturing process. What works well when it comes to multilayer PCBs is the process of 3D printing. All you need are superior inkjet printing systems whereby you can opt for a layer-by-layer deposition process. What is of importance here, is that the insulating substrate can also be printed simultaneously. All you then require by way of PCB Assembly, is to add the surface finishing and component placement. You do not have to undergo the drilling process since you are able to print the substrate with mounting holes. If you look at this multilayer PCB closely, what it really has are traces and vias in a single dielectric layer. The advantage clearly lies in the fact that you do not undergo the geometric constraints that come in traditional multilayer PCB production. Little surprise then that additive manufacturing is increasingly being used in both, complex PCB fabrication, as well as in creating multilayer PCB prototypes where speed as well as efficiency, is key. The importance of additive manufacturing is also growing on account of the fact that the need for complex, multilayer PCBs is on the increase. Not only does it work well from the standpoint of quality, from a business perspective too it has a number of advantages, including but not limited to: Reduced time of production Less material wastage Optimal Costs That it can cater to low-volume, high-complexity multilayer circuit boards, is an added perk! Additionally, with the reduced time of production, the circuit board prototypes can be immediately tested. This by itself offers a number of benefits. Firstly, your time-to-market can be significantly improved and you can gain a competitive edge. If you are a startup and need a minimum viable product to showcase to investors, once again, the importance of this cannot be overstated. Little surprise then that a lot of industries are benefitting from this new method of multilayer PCB manufacturing. With the fast turnaround enabled by additive manufacturing and engineering changes being easily accommodated, the importance of 3D printing is only slated to grow when it comes to its use by PCB Manufacturers in USA. Storm Circuit is one of the leading printed circuit board manufacturers based in the China. We have over 2 decades of experience in providing innovative multilayer PCB manufacturing services using modern technologies and the latest machinery. We are adhering to strict high-quality standards and compliant with the RoHS quality management system. We are capable to fulfill the various need of our customers from the simple board to the most complex board for PCB prototype to production. This unique additive manufacturing system is reinventing multilayer circuit boards manufacturing. You`ll be able to quickly digitally manufacture multilayer PCBs with complex architectures with lower cost and faster production time. To know more, explore our PCB manufacturing services!

To keep a good high-speed signal quality from driver to receiver on a PCB is not an easy task for designers. One of the most challenging issues is managing the propagation delay and relative time delay mismatches. To manage the time delays, we need to know how to calculate trace length from time delay value in order to implement the PCB trace routing accordingly. Let me take you through the process- Calculating signal speed According to physics, electromagnetic signals travel in a vacuum or through the air at the same speed as light, which is: Vc = 3 x 108M/sec = 186,000 miles/second = 11.8 inch/nanosecond A signal travels on a PCB transmission line at a slower speed, affected by the dielectric constant (Er) of the PCB material. The transmission line structure also affects the signal speed. There are two general PCB trace structures [note*]: stripline and microstrip. The formulas for calculating the signal speed on a PCB are given below: Where: Vcis the velocity of light in a vacuum or through the air Er is the dielectric constant of the PCB material Ereffis the effective dielectric constant for microstrips; its value lies between 1 and Er, and is approximately given by: Ereff≈(0.64 Er+ 0.36) (1c) With those formulas, we know that the speed of signals on a PCB is less than the signal speed through the air. If Er≈4 (like for FR4 material types), then the speed of signals on a stripline is half that of the speed through the air, i.e., it is about 6 in/ns. Calculating propagation delay (tpd) The propagation delay is the time a signal takes to propagate over a unit length of the transmission line. Here is how we can calculate the propagation delay from the trace length and vice versa: Where: Vis the signal speed in the transmission line In a vacuum or through the air, it equals 85 picoseconds/inch (ps/in). On PCB transmission lines, the propagation delay is given by: Case study In order to be compliant with the specification of JEDEC, the maximum skew among all the signals shall be less than +/-2.5% of the clock period driven by the memory controller. All the signals of SDRAM are directly or indirectly referenced to the clock. In this example, the normal FR4 material with dielectric constant of 4 is used on the PCB with a differential clock rate of 1.2GHz (i.e., 833ps clock period): Question: What is the maximum skew of the trace length for all the signals? Answer: Max skew in time delay = +/-2.5% of the 833ps clock period = 20.825ps FR4 Er≈4, Ereff≈2.92 So, for striplines, the maximum skew should be less than +/- (20.825/(85*SQT(4))=+/-0.1225 in = +/- 122.5 mil. For microstrips, the maximum skew should be less than +/- (20.825/(85*SQT(2.92)) = +/-0.1433 in = +/- 143.3 mil. Note*: Different microstrip and stripline structures will affect the signal speed, but only slightly. Keep this information in mind the next time you`re calculating trace lengths; it should make the job a little easier for you. References: Signal Speed and Propagation Delay in a PCB Transmission Line, Atar

Mouser Electronics and Molex have joined forces up to offer design engineers a new resource site devoted to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The resource site is aimed at engineers who may find it challenging to create manufacturing systems that deliver connectivity and security with ultra-low power consumption for IIoT. It will feature a range of innovative products, technical information and more from Molex to help engineers design future IIoT applications. To stay on top of the rapidly changing face of industrial automation, manufacturers will need to embrace change and develop custom solutions that take advantage of the flexibility and efficiency of IIoT. The site includes articles, blog posts, application briefs and an eBook with contributions from Molex and Mouser subject matter experts that cover some of the most important topics in industrial automation, including digital twinning, deep learning, and neural networks. Leading off with an article that spotlights the Molex Industrial Automation Solution (IAS) 4.0, the site also offers a wealth of videos and product information. Mouser stocks a broad selection of Molex products, including many ideal for IIoT applications. Molex Brad Ultra-Lock cordsets offer better performance and reliability than traditional threaded connectors, delivering increased productivity and cost savings through a patented push-to-lock technology. Molex Contrinex inductive and photoelectric sensors are robust, self-contained sensors with an integrated IO-Link, a large sensing range, and compact housing. A range of passive RFID tags are robust IP67- and IP68-rated devices designed to withstand extreme temperatures, vibration, and challenging environments, with frequency options that adhere to different worldwide standards. The Molex Micro-Lock 1.25 mm pitch wire-to-board connection system offers one of the smallest wire-to-board "potting" connectors, with 3 mm high (single-row) and 6 mm high (dual-row) potting material to safeguard contact and latch areas in applications requiring environmental protection. The Easy-On FFC/FPC connectors are available in a variety of pitches, from 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, to provide a reliable connection while reducing space, weight and cost.

ORIGINAL PHOENIX CONTACT MADE IN GERMANY Our new components purchased from Phoenix contact arrived. We guarantee our components are original and new.

Storm Circuit can offer the 8 layer mixed stackup with Rogers+FR4.We have made many this PCBs to our customer. PCB specification: Rogers material RO4350B+FR4 (TG170),thickness 1.6mm, blind vias. RF application. Blind L1-L2, min hole 0.15mm, min trace/space 3/3mil . Exposed copper and gold at the RF connector. Quick Turn: 6 days. Stackup:L1/L2 RO4350B 6.6mil+TG170 FR4

PCB spefication:FR4,2layer,RoHS, Storm Circuit provides PCB fabrication ,all original components sourcing, function testing and case assembly. All of the components are purchased from manufacturer or Authorized distributors,including the battery holders,Spring antenna,Bluetooth module and all of the ICs.

The flexible printed circuit (FPC) is an established substrate technology, frequently used to support and connect electronic components in the same way as a rigid circuit board, or to connect sub-assemblies in the same way as a cable or wiring harness. Product designers often choose to specify an FPC where space is limited, where assembly is difficult, or where connections need to move or bend during use. The FPC can also be folded and shaped to fit specific form factors or inside curved or aerodynamic structures, and bonded in place, which may be impossible with conventional PCBs and cables. As a wire harness replacement, FPCs can save weight and reduce bulk, as well as increasing reliability and lowering the bill of materials (BOM) by enabling interconnects to contain fewer connectors and electrical joints. Also, final product assembly can be made simpler and faster, with fewer component parts and no need to colour code or label wired connections. Reduced manual intervention also helps improve repeatability. As a result, installation costs can be lowered, assembly yield can be increased, and the number of failures in the field reduced. A wide variety of FPC materials and fabrication processes have been developed, which allow designers to optimise electrical and mechanical properties for the intended application. The flexible substrate is typically a polyester or polyimide, which acts as a carrier for the etched conductor. Advanced polymers are also now emerging to address opportunities such as high temperature applications or wearable electronics. FPCs can be made in various forms, including single or multi-layer, single or double sided, or hybrid interconnects that combine rigid and flexible regions in a single, laminated structure. A single-layer FPC can be as thin as 25µm or less. Multilayer FPCs are typically a bonded construction made from several single- or double-sided flexible circuits comprising conductive and insulating layers. Plated through holes are typically used to interconnect conducting layers, and terminations may be applied on one or both sides. A protective cover layer may also be applied. Above: Basic FPC construction In the application, flexible circuits may be static - intended to be flexed once when installed during final assembly, or repair or servicing, of the product - or dynamic. In a dynamic design the circuit is intended to flex during normal operation, such as when used to connect electronic circuitry mounted on a moving sub-assembly like a car door, laptop display, or mass-storage disk read/write head. In a laptop display application, the FPC can be folded to pass through the hinge, allowing a slim, attractive design that can withstand many thousands of open/close cycles. In addition, FPCs lets designers apply a variety of techniques to optimise signal integrity. Crosstalk and noise are more easily controlled using a uniform conductor pattern in the flex circuit. Multiple ground-plane options are practicable, such as lightweight cross-hatched, solid copper, aluminium or lightweight shielding films. Stitching vias and internal guard rails can provide continuous all-round shielding, with plated vias along the length of the circuit. EMC performance is also good, as the small ground loop created by the guard traces minimises radiated emissions, and differential-mode transmission losses are low. In data-bus applications, impedance characteristics can be controlled accurately, transmission losses reduced, and radiated-field emissions lowered due to shorter current return paths. Above: Six main types of FPC are commonly used, each with specific benefits and characteristics, depending on application needs Today, FPCs of all types, worth billions of dollars in total, are installed in a wide variety of products from consumer devices such as smartphones, cameras, and game consoles, to IT equipment, industrial machines, and automotive, medical, aerospace, and satellite applications. Wearable devices such as chest straps and wrist bands for sports and health monitoring are another obvious application opportunity. On the other hand, tiny devices such as hearing aids, heart pacemakers and medical pumps owe some of their compactness, comfort and convenience to FPC technology. Ultra-thin, flexible substrates are an important enabler for smart skin patches used to monitor blood sugar or dispense medication, as well as RFID smart labels for security, anti-counterfeiting and transport logistics and tracking applications. Summary: 10 Key Strengths of FPCs Save space due to very thin, formable and bondable substrate Save weight with fewer connectors and fittings, reduced copper content Easier, faster product assembly Foldable and bendable to fit small housings Dynamically flexible Increased reliability; high vibration and shock resistance Better heat dissipation and current-carrying capability than wire harnesses High temperature stability, especially polyimide materials Lower stresses due to thermal mismatch Allows design for optimum EMC and noise performance Any FPC project should be planned carefully, beginning with proper analysis to ensure that FPCs are the most suitable solution for the application. A detailed design process is recommended, considering factors such as the end product requirements, operating environment, mechanical and electrical requirements, and assembly methods. Close liaison with the FPC manufacturer is essential to ensure all aspects are adequately addressed, resulting in a specification that enables the FPC manufacturer to validate the design and provide accurate quotations. Breaking the length barrier Until now, traditional manufacturing processes have restricted the maximum practical FPC dimensions to about 610mm in length, with only a few exceptions. A new and patented process known as improved harness technology (IHT) now enables printed circuit manufacturers to produce multi-layer FPCs of any length. Moreover, as a roll-to-roll manufacturing process, IHT is highly automated and therefore enables these large FPCs to be produced cost effectively. With this, product designers can now leverage the strengths of FPCs in a much wider range of applications, particularly in sectors such as medical, automotive, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, industrial, and smart infrastructure. Unlike conventional FPC manufacturing carried out using equipment that performs processes on materials held in a fixed, static position, IHT is performed with advanced machinery and custom software designed for the dynamic processes required to manufacture FPCs of indeterminate length. Moreover, materials are used in roll form unlike the fixed-size sheets supplied for conventional FPCs. Addressing emerging applications IHT is extremely well suited to replacing conventional wire harnesses with lighter and better performing FPCs. Typically, connectors are the only components added to the substrate, although the opportunity arises to create smart harnesses by populating the FPC as a printed-circuit with surface-mount or through-hole components such as sensing or signal conditioning devices. In automotive applications, today`s cars can contain as many as 100 electronic control units handling features such as engine management, passive and active safety systems, and passenger comfort systems. In some high-end models, conventional interconnects can contain more than one mile of copper cabling comprising over 1,000 individual wires. The ability to create FPCs of unlimited length, using IHT, enables one-piece interconnects to replace conventional wiring looms with a simpler, more lightweight, and more reliable alternative. Looking ahead, the number and complexity of automotive interconnects is set to rise with the influx of electric and autonomous vehicles. In electric vehicles, FPCs produced using the IHT process enable power, control, and monitoring circuits to be integrated in high- and low-voltage harnesses for electric vehicle battery packs. Similar advantages can be gained in the civil aerospace sector, where saving weight is a central goal to enable aircraft operators to reduce operating costs and emissions. Flexible circuits have been shown to reduce weight by up to 75% over traditional wire harnesses in aerospace applications. A single flexible circuit structure can now be produced using IHT to span an entire wing, or to reach from nose to tail of the aircraft. Trackwise recently helped develop a ten metre long, six-layer, arc-tracking compliant harness for a commercial airliner, made possible using IHT. Even more dramatic projects include a 26 metre long shielded FPC for transferring power and signals across the wingspan of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Conclusion The light weight, ease of use, and high reliability of FPC substrates are already appreciated in the aerospace and automotive sectors. Now that IHT has been perfected, enabling cost-effective fabrication of extremely long FPCs up to several tens of metres, future medical devices, electric vehicles, UAVs, aircraft, satellites and spacecraft can take advantage of these characteristics to help further enhance sustainability, economy, and performance.

In order to create next-generation vehicles that are cheaper and more efficient, it is crucial that research is focused on monitoring, diagnosing and responding to batteries in real-time. The new sensors developed as part of this project have the capability to provide live information on each of the thousands of cells in an EV. They will be incorporated into a battery management system (BMS) that can react to the changing state of batteries and improve operational efficiency. The 12-month project commenced in June 2019 and aims to produce sensors that are robust, sensitive and significantly cheaper than those commercially available. The goal is for these sensors to be deployed into battery modules and widely adopted by the industry, eventually becoming a requirement for new car certification. CDO2, an SME based in Sussex and inventor of this technology, is the lead partner in the project and is partially funded through the Innovate UK Faraday Battery Challenge and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK. Other members of the consortium include the University of Sussex, the University of Strathclyde and Peacock Technology. In order to verify the feasibility of the approach, Aceleron have manufactured a prototype battery pack into which the printed sensors will be integrated, with Brill Power contributing their innovative BMS hardware and software to the project. Development work for the project is taking place at CPI`s National Printable Electronics Centre in County Durham. CPI are using their electronics capability and expertise in developing novel print techniques to develop a process for the production of printed induction coils on a large area substrate with integrated pick and place components. The process will be developed such that it is capable of scale up onto CPI`s Roll-to-Roll printing equipment. Gary Kendall, Director at CDO2, said: [We are delighted to be collaborating with CPI and a number of organisations to further our aim of improving the range, health and safety of electric vehicle batteries. It is fascinating to see how innovative manufacturing processes can bring our technology closer to being deployed on the road." John Cocker, Director of Electronics at CPI, said: [It is exciting to see how the electronics capability available at CPI will enable a reduction in the size, weight, power and cost of this technology. By providing a more accurate picture of battery dynamics at the individual cell level, this project will play a crucial role in increasing the uptake of electric vehicles and helping to improve consumer safety and confidence in the use of next-generation vehicles in general."

This advancement in the additive manufacturing of electronics validates the manufacturing applicability of built in capacitors in PCBs printed with the DragonFly system, the only precision additive manufacturing system of its type. Nano Dimension`s extensive testing with capacitors of different 3D dimensions have shown consistent results with statistically validated data. The repeatability results show less than 1% variance. The technology uses the same dielectric and metal traces as in the additively manufactured PCB yielding capacitors with a capacitance range from 0.1nF to 3.2nF. The successful results are based on over 260 tests with 30 different additively manufactured capacitors dimensions. By integrating capacitors using additive manufacturing, electronics designers and manufacturers can avoid what is often a time consuming, multi-step assembly process, as the DragonFly prints the entire capacitor and PCB in one print job. This allows companies to reduce the fabrication time and overcome many of the challenges imposed by traditional production techniques. Additively manufacturing capacitors within the inner layers of circuits also can free space to meet the ever-increasing trend towards miniaturisation and flatness of electronic devices for consumer, industrial and military applications. With extra space, designers may pack more functionality on the circuit board and shrink component size - all without compromising reliability. Capacitors of this kind are primarily used to filter electrical noise and ripple voltage for a wide range of applications, including RF transmission lines, audio processing, radio reception and power circuit conditioning. [The test results clearly show that with the DragonFly system our customers can achieve repeatability comparable to that of traditional processes in short run manufacturing of capacitors using 3D printing," said Amit Dror, CEO of Nano Dimension. [Along with high accuracy, miniaturisation and space saving on the board, these are key factors in the electronics production process and next generation electronics applications."

A small 4 layer rigid-flex PCB made by Storm Circuit some days ago. Rigid-Flex printed circuit boards are PCB boards using a combination of flexible and rigid board technologies.Many PCB designers do not know how to design the rigid-flex PCB ,or do not know what information you need to provide to PCB suppliers. We have a rigid-flex PCB design guide here,it may help you. PCB designers have to provide us the rigid part thickness and the flex part thickness, if there is a stackup to show each layer /PP thickness, that helps us much . We made a lot of double sided rigid-flex PCB ,rigid part is usually 1.6mm, and flex part is 0.15-0.2mm. Here is a 4 layer rigid-flex PCB. Flex part is in inner layers,thickness 0.12mm. rigid part 1.0mm.

Usually, 0.4mm pitch BGA circuit board is a bit difficult to do ,but we can make 0.4mm CSP, even,0.38mm CSP PCB ,we can make now. Actually,we tried to made with board with standard blind PCB technology,but it is too difficult due to all difficult features put together.At last,we have to make this PCB with HDI technology and drill the blind vias with laser.that is very perfect. We can make such HDI boards in 8-10 days. 0.4mm pitch BGA, means the space from BGA ball to another BGA ball is 0.4mm. This PCB is very small,10*10mm, and blind vias from L1-L2,it is 4 layer PCB ,0.6mm, half-hole plating.min hole 0.15mm,via in pad, 0.38mm pitch BGA. All the above features, we can see from below image.

This board is RF application ,the minimum trace is 3mil and the space is 3 mil too. But the most unusal is there are two cavities on board,the cavities are plated,it is not through from top to bottom .the depth is 10mil from top and plated . The cavity is for bonding chips,the best surface finishing is ENEPIG for bonding. Storm Circuit made lots of such RF application boards with high frequency material.