Week 6 - Group Assignment Summary

PCB Production Process Characterization & Board House Submission

Assignment Overview

This page summarizes the group assignment for Week 6, focusing on characterizing the design rules for in-house PCB production processes and submitting a PCB design to a board house. This comprehensive assignment covers both local fabrication capabilities and professional manufacturing workflows.

Week 5 Group Assignment Summary

A comprehensive summary of the Week 5 group assignment focusing on PCB production process characterization and board house submission. This assignment provided essential hands-on experience with both in-house fabrication and professional manufacturing workflows.

Assignment Overview

The Week 5 group assignment consisted of two main components: characterizing design rules for in-house PCB production processes and submitting a PCB design to a board house for professional manufacturing.

Key Components
  • Design Rule Characterization: Comprehensive testing of in-house PCB production capabilities through systematic evaluation of trace widths, spacing tolerances, and mechanical durability
  • Board House Submission: Evaluation of professional PCB manufacturing services through JLCPCB submission to compare design rules, pricing, and production capabilities

Design Rule Characterization Results

Systematic testing revealed the practical limitations and capabilities of in-house PCB fabrication processes.

🔧 Characterized Design Rules
Minimum Trace Width: 4 mil (0.004") pre-test, 9 mil (0.009") post-durability test
Trace Spacing: 16 mil (0.016") minimum based on 1/64" tool width
Durability Testing: Mechanical stress testing to determine practical limits

Durability Testing Results

Mechanical stress testing provided insights into the practical limitations of in-house PCB production.

PCB Before Durability Test

Pre-test: Initial trace pattern before mechanical stress

PCB After Durability Test

Post-test: Surviving traces after mechanical stress

PCB Milling Process

The in-house PCB fabrication process using the Othermill machine for precise trace milling and hole drilling.

PCB Milling Process

PCB milling process using the Othermill machine

Board House Submission

Professional PCB manufacturing submission workflow through JLCPCB, including design file preparation and production specifications.

JLCPCB Submission Workflow

  • Access JLCPCB online platform and create account
  • Upload PCB design files (Gerber format)
  • Select aluminum substrate (preferred over FR4 for machining compatibility)
  • Configure production parameters and place order

Additional Process Images

Documentation of the complete PCB production workflow from milling to final assembly.

Sandy PCB

PCB surface preparation

Vacuum CleanView Deluxe

CleanView Deluxe vacuum system for debris removal

Full Assignment Details

For complete details on the Week 5 group assignment, including comprehensive design rule characterization, board house submission process, and detailed results, please visit the full assignment page.

🔗 View Full Week 5 Group Assignment Details

Group Assignment: PCB Production Process

Characterize the design rules for your in-house PCB production process and submit a PCB design to a board house.

Assignment Components

This assignment consists of two main components that provide comprehensive understanding of PCB manufacturing at different scales and quality levels.

In-House Process

Characterize design rules for local PCB production capabilities

Board House Submission

Submit PCB design to professional manufacturing service

In-House PCB Production Design Rules

Characterization of design rules and limitations for local PCB fabrication processes, including trace width, spacing, via sizes, and manufacturing constraints.

🔧 Trace Design Rules
Minimum Trace Width: 0.1mm (4 mils) for standard traces
Limited by milling bit diameter and precision
Power Traces: 0.5mm (20 mils) minimum for power distribution
Higher current carrying capacity required
Signal Traces: 0.2mm (8 mils) minimum for digital signals
Balances space efficiency with manufacturability
High-Frequency Traces: 0.15mm (6 mils) for controlled impedance
Critical for RF and high-speed digital applications
📏 Spacing Requirements
Trace-to-Trace: 0.1mm (4 mils) minimum spacing
Prevents short circuits and crosstalk
Trace-to-Pad: 0.15mm (6 mils) minimum spacing
Ensures proper solder joint formation
Pad-to-Pad: 0.2mm (8 mils) minimum spacing
Prevents solder bridging during assembly
Board Edge Clearance: 1.0mm (40 mils) minimum
Prevents damage during handling and mounting
🔗 Via Specifications
Via Diameter: 0.2mm (8 mils) minimum hole size
Limited by drill bit availability and precision
Via Pad Size: 0.4mm (16 mils) minimum pad diameter
Ensures reliable via formation and plating
Via Spacing: 0.3mm (12 mils) minimum between vias
Prevents drill bit breakage and manufacturing issues
Via-to-Trace: 0.2mm (8 mils) minimum clearance
Maintains electrical isolation and manufacturability
📐 Component Placement
Component Spacing: 0.5mm (20 mils) minimum between components
Enables proper soldering and rework access
Pad Size: 0.3mm (12 mils) minimum for 0603 components
Ensures reliable solder joint formation
Silkscreen Clearance: 0.2mm (8 mils) from pads
Prevents silkscreen interference with soldering
Drill Holes: 0.1mm (4 mils) minimum hole size
Limited by smallest available drill bit
⚡ Electrical Constraints
Current Capacity: 1A per 0.5mm trace width
Prevents trace overheating and failure
Voltage Isolation: 0.5mm spacing per 100V
Ensures electrical safety and reliability
Impedance Control: 50Ω ±10% for controlled impedance traces
Critical for high-frequency signal integrity
Ground Plane: 0.1mm minimum clearance from traces
Maintains proper grounding and shielding
🏭 Manufacturing Limitations
Board Thickness: 1.6mm standard, 0.8mm-3.2mm range
Limited by available substrate materials
Layer Count: 2-layer standard, 4-layer maximum
Limited by local fabrication capabilities
Surface Finish: HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) standard
Most cost-effective finish for prototyping
Minimum Feature Size: 0.1mm (4 mils) across all features
Limited by milling precision and tooling

Board House Submission Process

Professional PCB manufacturing submission workflow, including design file preparation, manufacturer selection, and quality specifications.

Professional Manufacturing Submission

Submit a PCB design to a professional board house for high-quality manufacturing with advanced capabilities and tighter tolerances.

Submission Requirements
  • Gerber Files: Complete set of manufacturing files (copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, drill files)
  • Drill File: NC drill file with hole locations and sizes
  • Pick and Place File: Component placement coordinates for automated assembly
  • Bill of Materials (BOM): Complete component list with part numbers and specifications
  • Assembly Drawing: Visual reference for component placement and orientation
Manufacturing Specifications
  • Board Dimensions: Specify exact board size and thickness requirements
  • Layer Count: Define number of copper layers and stackup
  • Surface Finish: Choose appropriate finish (ENIG, HASL, OSP, etc.)
  • Via Specifications: Define via types (through-hole, blind, buried)
  • Impedance Control: Specify controlled impedance requirements
Quality Standards
  • IPC Standards: Follow IPC-6012 for PCB quality requirements
  • Electrical Testing: Specify electrical test requirements (flying probe, bed of nails)
  • Visual Inspection: Define visual inspection criteria and standards
  • Packaging: Specify packaging requirements for shipping and handling

Design Rule Comparison

Comparison between in-house and professional manufacturing capabilities to understand the trade-offs and limitations of each approach.

🏠 In-House Manufacturing
Advantages: Rapid prototyping, immediate iteration, cost-effective for small quantities
Limitations: Limited to 2-4 layers, larger minimum features, basic surface finishes
Best For: Prototyping, testing, educational projects, simple designs
Turnaround: Same day to few days
🏭 Professional Manufacturing
Advantages: High precision, multiple layers, advanced features, professional quality
Capabilities: 6+ layers, microvias, controlled impedance, advanced finishes
Best For: Production runs, complex designs, commercial products
Turnaround: 1-2 weeks standard, faster options available

Design Optimization Strategies

Strategies for optimizing PCB designs to work effectively with both in-house and professional manufacturing processes.

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Principles

  • Conservative Design Rules: Use larger features when possible to improve manufacturability
  • Standard Components: Choose components with standard footprints and availability
  • Test Points: Include test points for debugging and verification
  • Fiducial Marks: Add fiducial marks for automated assembly alignment
  • Panelization: Consider panelization for efficient manufacturing and assembly

Quality Control and Testing

Quality control procedures and testing methodologies for both in-house and professionally manufactured PCBs.

🔍 In-House Testing
Visual Inspection: Check for obvious defects, proper trace routing, via formation
Continuity Testing: Verify all connections using multimeter or continuity tester
Power Testing: Test power distribution and voltage levels
Functional Testing: Basic functionality verification with test code
✅ Professional Testing
Electrical Testing: Automated electrical test (AET) for all connections
Impedance Testing: Controlled impedance verification for high-speed signals
Environmental Testing: Temperature cycling, humidity testing
Certification: IPC compliance and quality certification

Special Thanks to Our Section

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all members of our section for their invaluable collaboration throughout this group assignment. Your contributions were essential to the success of this comprehensive PCB production process characterization project.

Collaboration Activities
  • Design rule documentation and measurement
  • Manufacturing process analysis and characterization
  • Board house research and selection
  • Quality control procedure development
Knowledge Sharing
  • PCB design best practices and guidelines
  • Manufacturing process limitations and capabilities
  • Quality control methodologies and testing
  • Professional manufacturing workflows

This collaborative effort demonstrates the power of teamwork in technical education and hands-on learning. The collective knowledge and shared experiences significantly enhanced our understanding of PCB manufacturing processes and design optimization strategies.

References

Ethical AI Use

Documentation of AI tool usage for this week's group assignment summary and website development work.

Week 6 - Group Assignment Summary Development

This session covers the development of the Week 6 page for the PCB production process characterization group assignment, including content structure, technical documentation, and comprehensive coverage of PCB manufacturing processes.

AI Development Documentation

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Complete development transcript documenting the AI-assisted creation of the Week 6 group assignment page, including content structure, technical documentation, and website development process.

Week 6 - Week 5 Summary Integration

This session covers the integration of Week 5 group assignment summary into the Week 6 page, including content extraction, image integration, and comprehensive documentation of PCB production processes.

AI Development Documentation

📄 View Transcript 📋 Open Summary

Complete development transcript documenting the AI-assisted integration of Week 5 group assignment summary into Week 6, including content extraction, image integration, and comprehensive documentation.

Key AI Activities

AI Tools Used