The term “via” probably comes from the Latin word meaning “road.” Therefore, open via would essentially mean “open road.” Open roads, here in Oregon sometimes run through open range ranch land. That means that cows have as much right to be on the road as do cars. If you don’t want cows on your PC […]
5 Tech Predictions for 2019 — The Decade of Disruption
We’re headed for a wild ride in 2019. The last few years have been pretty crazy, and 2019 looks to continue that trend, but amped up. Don’t worry though. When it is at its worst, just ask yourself what we did the last time the world came to an end. Despite such anticipation, I’m still quite […]
Via In Pad Guidelines for PCBs
Via in pad seems to be one of the hot topics these days. It’s a bit of a tough one too. The SMT guys pretty much always say, “don’t ever do it.” However, with certain parts, the component manufacturer strongly recommends it. You gotta love those mutually exclusive requirements. Rather than just telling you “no, […]
What Is a Centroid File?
Call it what you may, but surface mount assembly robots need a magic file to determine where to place your components and how to orient them. We call it a centroid. So what is a centroid file and why is it important to your PCB assembler? Many assemblers use automated equipment to place the surface mount […]
LED and Diode Markation Guidelines for PCBs
Have you ever had an LED or other diode placed backwards? PCB assemblers work hard to place every component, from the largest, highest pin-count logic chip, down to the smallest passive components and micro wafer scale BGAs, correctly every single time. A key element of that accuracy is our understanding of your board and the […]
Do Bolts Go on Your PCB Bill of Materials?
The short answer. Yes. If you want prototype assemblers to install it, it must go in the bill of materials. For the most part, we solder thru-hole and surface mount components on the PC boards. As pretty much everyone knows, all of those parts need to be put in the bill of materials (BOM). The […]
Should You Send Your PCB Assembler Loose Parts?
Everybody has a few loose PCB components lying around. Sometimes it’s a few chip caps left over from a hand-rework task. Sometimes it’s a tiny QFN or big old BGA. These days, every good engineer has a little box or two full of loose parts, ones that are taken from a cut strip, fiddle with, […]
5 PCB Assembly Process Definitions
If you’re new to the prototyping world, the words and phases we assemblers use might not make sense. Here are the PCB assembly process definitions as we see them. 1. Prototype PCB Assembly With prototyping, flexibility is the key. You want an assembler that can put just about any part on just about any board […]
Top 5 Ways To Mitigate PCB Component Availability Problems
The electronics design world is by now aware that we’re in a very serious period of components shortages. The hardest hit seem to be ceramic capacitors, but other passives as well as a variety of connectors and silicon parts are also caught up in the shortage storm. Allocation and shortages hit every few years, but […]
Electronic Manufacturing Files: What We Need For PCB Assembly
As PCB assemblers, manufacturing is all about taking data from you and delivering good working circuit boards. Well, it can be just data—as in full turn-key, or data plus some parts, and PC boards—as in a partial turn-key or a kitted job. Regardless of whether you’re sending parts and boards, or having us buy everything, […]
