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PCB Supply Chain

94 V-0 Rating The 94 V-0 Circuit Board Rating There are a lot of elements to consider when you are designing a PCB. One consideration is making sure your PCB meets approved UL flammability ratings. If you need to design a PCB with a 94 V-0 rating, which means the specimen cannot burn for more than 10 seconds. When working with circuits, you have to choose the right materials to make sure your PCB indeed receives a 94 V-0 rating. Altium Designer has all the tools and resources you need to Read Article
Differences Between Hardware Design for Hobbyists and Commercial Applications Differences Between Hardware Design for Hobbyists and Commercial Applications Even though I’ve been a Taekwondo practitioner for 20 years, I still get slightly nervous each time I step into a competition ring. No matter how many practice rounds I’ve sparred, the actual fight is an adrenaline-filled experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Imagine two people stepping into a ring and each stepper immediately trying to ascertain where the other’s weaknesses are. Similar to me when I’m prototyping a new board! The same Read Article
Get into the Zone of PCB Parts Information from Your BOM Application Get into the Zone of PCB Parts Information from Your BOM Application “Picture if you will,” “Imagine a world where,” and “Submitted for your approval” are all quotes from Rod Serling, the creator of shows like “The Night Gallery” and, of course, “The Twilight Zone”. Maybe it’s because these phrases were popularized by those shows, but I often find myself using them, especially when it comes to designing printed circuit boards. Imagine a world where you could actually work with your component data in a separate Read Article
Supply Chain Solutions for Electronic Assemblies Supply Chain Solutions for Electronic Assemblies Has this happened to you? You’ve finished a new PCB design that is ready for its prototype build and the race is on. Marketing has put the pressure on engineering for this “must have” device that they can show off, and everyone is expecting you to deliver it as soon as possible. You got the design done in record time and are ready to send it to the manufacturer when the word comes back to you that there is a problem. One or more of the that you Read Article
Component Symbol Information Management and Display Usability Component Symbol Information Management and Display Usability Building a library of PCB components requires compiling information on footprint, electrical specifications, simulation models, pin arrangements, and other specifications. The amount of information in any component library is massive and needs to be aggregated into a single module in your PCB design software. A PCB component library should be flexible enough to allow designers and engineers to define proprietary components and implement the Read Article
Coupled Versus Uncoupled Inductors: Which is Right for Your Switching Power Supply? Coupled Versus Uncoupled Inductors Procurement: Which is Right for Your Switching Power Supply? I recently took a deep dive into the various types of topologies surrounding switching power supplies. This article examined the benefits and downfalls of some of the most common topologies and aimed to assist you in the process of choosing how to power your design. The SEPIC topology is a very common switching mode power supply that can operate as both a Buck and a Boost converter. In other words, the SEPIC can act as a step-down (Buck converter Read Article
7 Benefits of Bringing Additive Manufacturing In-House 7 Benefits of In-House Fabrication and Additive Manufacturing If you are like 98% of the PCB designers out there, you know what it can be like to run through the gauntlet of outsourcing a design to a third-party manufacturer to receive a prototype or two. The process is usually a little painful, often pricier than you’d have hoped, and leaves you waiting for longer than you’d expect. I often think that the manufacturing process is similar to going out to dinner at an overrated restaurant; you’ll wait on an Read Article
True ECAD / MCAD Co-Design Will Eliminate PCB Design Placement Errors True ECAD / MCAD Co-Design Will Eliminate PCB Design Placement Errors Have you ever had a PCB design returned to you because a component that you placed conflicted with a mechanical feature? Missing even one conflict can cause a lot of grief when it comes time to install the circuit board into the final system. It certainly did in my case where that one part ended up in a location that ultimately wouldn’t fit in the device housing. The only way my layout would work was if I cut an opening in the enclosure for a Read Article
Ease the Pain of Your PCB Supply Chain Management with Intuitive Design Tools Ease the Pain of Your PCB Supply Chain Management with Intuitive Design Tools Have you ever been writing something and can’t figure out how to spell a word so you rephrase the entire sentence in order to use a different word? As much as replacing a word can kill your creativity in writing, it is much worse when you have to replace a component while designing electronic circuits. It happens a lot though when you aren’t connected to your supply chain management design. Problems like these can kill your creativity and cause Read Article
pcb cost estimate Designing to Meet a Target BOM Price and PCB Cost Estimate Creating an accurate PCB cost estimate for design, components, production, assembly, shipping, and even firmware can be a challenging task for new designers. Even established organizations can have trouble getting it right as it's hard to anticipate every problem that can arise during a design. Manufacturers can help you handle the production and assembly portion of a project, but any time a new design needs to be put into production, components Read Article
BOM Planning for Different Levels of Production BOM Planning: Different Levels of Production There is one really great thing about social media and that is catching up with old friends. I connected with a high school friend who did a lot in his life including some great achievements in the world of Taekwondo. He talks about the different tournaments that he attends, the people that he associates with, and how he has progressed through the different levels of this discipline. There appears to be a lot more to Taekwondo than I would have Read Article
PCB Design BOM Planning: A Balancing Act PCB Design BOM Planning: A Balancing Act The balancing act of knowing how much or little info is needed when designing your BOM is often convoluted and muddied. If done incorrectly, you could be stuck in a communication loop with a confused manufacturer, frustrated engineer, or a designer. This will inevitably cost you money, time and effort that otherwise would have been avoided. In order to assist us, today we’ll assume that you’ve begun to wrap up the final stages of your design, and Read Article
Learn to Manage Your BOM Inventory for Smooth Production Runs Learn to Manage Your BOM Inventory for Smooth Production Runs I’ve recently gotten into fermenting kombucha (which, I am well aware, is about the most hipster thing I could have said), and I ordered a handful of different-sized mason jars online in order to store it. Mason jars are reliable as ever but with the increasing popularity of home-fermenting and brewing, they’re one part of an industry trying to optimize how we store. During my ordering process alone, I had twelve tabs open of marginally different Read Article
BOM Cost Analysis Shows PCB Design Savings Just Over the Horizon BOM Cost Analysis Shows PCB Design Savings Just Over the Horizon Ever have a rocky day? Or have the wind taken out of your sails? These and many other phrases have some of their roots as nautical expression but have been adapted for everyday use. “Keeping a weather eye,” for example, means to pay attention to the weather regardless of what else you might be doing. Sailors might not have intended to start this linguistic drifting, but at sea, overlooking a rapidly approaching cloud or a brief drop in the wind Read Article
The Wheel Keeps Turning: Advanced Bill of Materials for PCB Design The Wheel Keeps Turning: Advanced Bill of Materials for PCB Design At a young age, my grandfather was trained in the repair and construction of wooden wheels, which was a necessary skill on the rural farm where he was raised. When modern times finally found Eastern Missouri, that highly skilled confluence of woodworking and blacksmithing was totally replaced by modern technology, save for the occasional historical re-creation. The change had been inevitable, so my grandfather proactively added machining Read Article
Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing Instructions Are Easy When You Write Them: The PCB Assembly Drawing learn about the basics of assembly drawing. Read Article
How Multi-Level BOMs Can Organize Your Next System Design How Multi-Level BOMs Can Organize Your Next System Design If only packing for vacation were as simple as it sounds: figure out what clothes you need, throw them in a suitcase, and you’re ready to go—wrong! Here’s the more realistic vacation planning scenario: pack your clothes, pack your children’s clothes, and then pack all the other personal necessities such as diapers, games, etc. Next you need to pack the food followed by whatever gear your particular vacation requires including tents, fishing Read Article