Circuit Board Design

Circuit board design and development is central to our operation.

Circuit board design is a central component of electronic product development. The circuit board is the heart of all electronic products, with efficient design needed to bring each product to life.

Circuit board design involves detailed schematics and layout software, along with selective component placement and routing. It’s important to match PCB design rules and methods with specifications and tolerances to ensure optimal electrical connectivity.

From rapid PCB prototyping to the design of manufactured circuit boards, our comprehensive approach is based on experience and best practice. As the physical platform for your design, circuit boards require efficient grid layouts, effective tracing, and well-managed power distribution. It’s important to consolidate component values and make decisions based on the design rule check (DRC) functions.

Image of a finished circuit board design to be integrated in an enclosure

We specialize in PCB design and enjoy transforming smart ideas into working prototypes. Whether you have a brand new product idea or an innovative upgrade for an existing design, we can help to bring your vision to life. We combine PCB design and manufacturing with embedded programming, additive fabrication, and an integrated design philosophy based on extensive manufacturing experience.

FAQs

How do you design a printed circuit board?

PCB design is both an art and a science. The process involves in-depth consultation and discovery, along with schematic drawings and PCB design software. From the initial consultation to the final prototype, it’s crucial to create an efficient working product that fits the physical and functional constraints of the final product. We carry out a detailed consultation to discover your exact needs before designing a schematic, creating a PCB in software, and transferring the design to a working prototype form.

What does the circuit board design process look like?

Before we begin designing a circuit board, we talk with you to gain an overview of the functionality and complexity of the product and intended circuit. Once we have a good idea of what you’re looking for, we sit down and create a schematic with our advanced PCB design software. Once we have a schema, we prepare a PCB layout based on the size and functionality of your product.

  1. Create the schematic
  2. Link to your PCB
  3. Define the PCB layout
  4. Select and place components
  5. Route traces
  6. Add labels and verify
What kind of testing do finished circuit boards undergo?

Testing a PCB before manufacture is essential to iron out problems and avoid unnecessary expenses. Before we create a physical working prototype, we will test the PCB in software through multiple detailed simulations. Once the design works well in theory, we will create a physical PCB and test again based on typical and exceptional use-case scenarios. The design process is complete once the circuit has been verified by a design rule check (DRC), which is a geometric constraint imposed on the circuit board to ensure the functionality and yield of the finished PCB.

Can you design flexible and rigid PCBs?

A PCB is simply a printed circuit board used to house and connect electronic components. We can create PCBs in all shapes and sizes, including both rigid and flexible circuit boards. While most products use conventional rigid circuit boards, flexible designs are useful for a growing range of applications. We can design and assemble a wide range of PCBs, from basic perf boards to copper foil, solder mask, and silkscreen.

How do you go about designing your PCB?
This image shows a circuit board prototype being assembled

Circuit board design and manufacture involve incremental and discrete stages, with testing likely and iterative development also possible. The best way to design your PCB is to analyze your needs, create a schematic, design a layout, and transfer the components onto a suitable surface. We offer a comprehensive range of professional PCB design and testing services based on the intended functionality of the product.

The MicroType Engineering Advantage

MicroType Engineering offers a full design and development solution for your circuit board and fabrication needs. Circuit prototyping is an important part of this process, with our assembly capabilities covering both THT and SMT assembly.

Prototyping allows you to test your ideas, change your designs, and showcase your product without the significant costs associated with full-scale manufacture.

Rather than getting involved with guesswork or wasting money testing designs yourself, you can get predictable functionality and cost projections with a prototype from MicroType Engineering. Our approach is transparent and easy to manage. Because we control everything from design to assembly, we can deliver faster results and provide a cheaper end-to-end solution.

Do you want to realize your vision and get your product to market without compromise?

Please contact us and schedule a meeting today.