There is an old saying: PCB design is 90% layout and 10% wiring. This is still the case today. The placement of components will ultimately determine how much time wiring will take, but this does not mean that wiring the PCB is no longer so important. It’s just a question of how much time you spend on each activity.

If this is your first time doing PCB layout, it may be a bit scary to see the chaos. Use these top ten PCB layout techniques and our top ten component placement techniques to make your first PCB layout successful.

Tip 1-Don't rely on your autorouter

Almost all PCB design software has a tool called automatic router. As a beginner, you might think that this is an easy way to solve wiring problems. But wait! The best possible auto-router will never replace your own wiring. Auto-router should only be used for the following reasons, including:

accurate. After placing all the components, you can use the auto-router to see the level of completion obtained. If it is less than 85%, it indicates that you need to make some adjustments to the part position.

bottleneck. You can also use the autorouter to find bottlenecks and other critical connection points that may not be seen during component placement.

inspiration. Finally, you can use the autorouter as a source of inspiration to learn how to route some traces that you can't complete. A quick tour of the autorouter may show you new paths that have never been considered before.

In addition to these three reasons, we recommend not to rely on automatic routing to complete all the routing of the circuit board layout. why? It is not always the most accurate, and if you are a symmetry lover, then your autorouter is likely to be disappointing. And most importantly, you are a master of design and can complete the wiring process yourself to produce better results. This is a well-designed process that requires a certain amount of love and attention to get the results you want.

Tip 2-Know the manufacturer's specifications

Before you start laying copper traces, please take the time to call or email the manufacturer to see if they have any specific requirements for minimum trace width, trace spacing, and the number of layers they can handle. Board (at the right price)

why? By knowing this information in advance, you can set the trace width and spacing values in the design rule without having to reroute the entire circuit board layout. By using the trace width and spacing that the manufacturer can produce, everyone's life can be made easier when manufacturing the circuit board.

Tip #3-Find out the trace width

When the current that you traverse all the copper traces continues to increase, it will generate some serious heat, which is always a concern for electronic devices. Controlling the width of traces is one of many ways to reduce heat build-up on the board. The wider the trace, the smaller the resistance flowing through the circuit.

To determine the thickness of the trace, you can use a convenient trace width calculator like Advanced Circuits, which will allow you to insert the estimated current and thickness, and obtain the trace width value in exchange for the inner and outer layers. A suggestion-if you have the opportunity to use a trace width wider than the calculator shows, go for it! As long as the manufacturer's requirements are met, the larger the trace, the less likely it is to recover the broken circuit board.