Printed circuit boards, also known as printed circuit boards, are carriers that enable the regular connection of various electronic components.
PCB layout, translated as printed circuit board layout, refers to the traditional method of printing and etching circuitry onto circuit boards, hence the name printed circuit board. Using PCBs not only prevents wiring errors during installation (before PCBs, electronic components were connected by wires, which were not only messy but also posed safety hazards), but also significantly improved the PCB industry. The first person to use PCBs was an Austrian named Paul Eisler, who first used them in a radio in 1936. Widespread application began in the 1950s.
PCB layout characteristics
The electronics industry has experienced rapid development, and people's work and lives are inextricably linked to various electronic products. As an indispensable and crucial carrier for electronic products, the PCB ( Printed Circuit Board) plays an increasingly important role. Electronic devices are trending towards high performance, high speed, and thinness, making the PCB, as a multidisciplinary industry, one of the most critical technologies in electronic equipment. The PCB industry holds a pivotal position in electronic interconnect technology.
PCB layout design process
Conventional PCB design includes several steps such as library creation, netlist adjustment, layout, routing, and file output. However, the conventional PCB design process is far from meeting the increasingly complex requirements of high-speed PCB design.
Because SI simulation, PI simulation, EMC design, and single-board manufacturing processes all need to be closely integrated into the design flow, and because review processes must be added at each stage to achieve quality control, the actual PCB design process is much more complex. The diagram shows a typical PCB design flow from the PCB design company, Ebo Technology, which better addresses the challenges of high-speed design.
What are some commonly used PCB layout software?
1. CadenceAllegro
The Cadence Allegro system interconnect platform enables high-performance interconnects to be co-designed across integrated circuits, packages, and PCBs . Using the platform's co-design methodology, engineers can quickly optimize system interconnects between I/O buffers and across integrated circuits, packages, and PCBs. This approach avoids hardware rework, reduces hardware costs, and shortens design cycles. The constraint-driven Allegro flow includes advanced features for design capture, signal integrity, and physical implementation. Supported by the Cadence Encounter and Virtuoso platforms, the Allegro co-design methodology makes efficient design chain collaboration a reality.
2. MentorGraphicsPADS
Mentor Graphics is a leading provider of electronic design automation (EDA ) technologies, offering complete software and hardware design solutions that enable customers to bring powerful electronic products to market quickly and cost-effectively. Today's circuit boards and semiconductor components are increasingly complex, and with the deep submicron process technology being widely applied in system-on-a-chip (SoC) design, transforming a creative idea into a marketable product has become significantly more difficult. Mentor provides innovative products and complete solutions to help engineers overcome these design challenges.
3. Mentor Graphics WG, EN
MentorGraphicsWG, EN is a high-speed circuit simulation tool.
4. Altium Designer
Altium Designer is an integrated electronic product development system developed by Altium, the original developer of Protel software. It primarily runs on the Windows operating system. This software seamlessly integrates schematic design, circuit simulation, PCB layout and editing, automatic topology routing, signal integrity analysis, and design output technologies, providing designers with a completely new design solution. It allows designers to easily create designs, and proficient use of this software will significantly improve the quality and efficiency of circuit design.
5. ZukenCR
In addition, one must understand basic circuit knowledge, circuit diagram analysis, the performance and function of commonly used components, and be able to read rules and make settings.
PCB layout development trends
Driven by Moore's Law, the electronics industry is seeing products become increasingly powerful, highly integrated, and with faster signal speeds, while also experiencing shorter product development cycles. As electronic products continue to miniaturize, refine, and accelerate, PCB design must not only connect the various components but also consider the challenges brought about by high speed and high density.
PCB design is no longer an adjunct to hardware development, but has become an important part of the product hardware development process, encompassing "front-end IC, back-end PCB, and SE integration".
IC companies not only complete chip development but also provide typical design references.
System engineers select ICs and define functions based on product functional requirements, and develop schematics according to the IC company's reference design. The traditional hardware engineer's work on circuit development is gradually decreasing, and circuit development work is gradually shifting to IC engineers and PCB engineers.
Based on the principles and solutions provided by the system engineers, and with the cooperation of the structural engineers, the PCB engineers complete the PCB design, taking into account SI, PI, EMI, structure, and heat dissipation, and considering the current processing technology and capabilities of the PCB factory.
