Top Notch Support for Circuit Board Fabrication

Advanced Circuits is well known for its outstanding service.  When you source your circuit boards from Advanced Circuits you can be sure to get personalized support from a dedicated team that is ready to assist to ensure a smooth ordering process.  Customers can count on the industry’s largest support team that includes 24 hour live technical support Monday through Friday and even Saturdays until 4pm EST.

One Advanced Circuits customer says, “I was quite impressed with fab managers even calling me past 9 pm to obtain a clarification on a board issue that arose. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to straighten out a fast-turn PCB order from the middle of a shopping-mall food court”.  Our sales and support team treat each and every order as a time-sensitive order and provide immediate communication and full documentation to help resolve any issues that may arise quickly and efficiently.

Advanced Circuit Board Qualifications & Certifications

Electronic design engineers and some of the world’s top brands rely on Advanced Circuits for high quality precision craftsmanship for their circuit boards.  The company operates three USA based manufacturing facilities with advanced PCB industry certifications and the latest state-of-the-art circuit board manufacturing equipment to offer high accuracy and precision fabrication.  Powerful PCB solutions range from the simplest designs to the most rigorous requirements for the medical, commercial, defense, and aerospace marketplace. Advanced Circuits is MIL-PRF-31032, MIL-PRF-55110, AS9100D, ISO 9001 Certified, IPC 6012 3/3A, IPC 6018 Class 3 Qualified, and ITAR Registered as well as being DOD contracts ready.

To learn more about Advanced Circuits circuit board manufacturing capabilities, certifications, and innovative PCB fabrication services, please contact your Advanced Circuits Sales Representative or call 1-800-979-4722.

Laminate Materials for Custom Printed Circuit Boards

Many different types of laminate materials are designed to properly meet the provisions of a custom PCB.  Your choice of laminate material to use for your custom PCB will depend on your design and application requirements.  Advanced Circuits offers laminate materials suitable for applications such as: High power amplifiers, Radar systems, Mobile communications, Complex microwave, High speed digital RF components and more.

Advanced laminate material options that may be used in the production of a custom PCB include:

• RF Materials
• RoHS Compliant Laminates
• Advanced RF Materials
• Halogen-Free
• Advanced Signal Integrity
• Advanced HDI Laminates

Custom PCB Plating Finish Options

A plating finish is comprised of precise amounts of metal placed over the uncovered outer copper and plated thru holes. Design engineers have the ability to precisely indicate and lay out the surface finish, solder joint integrity, shelf life, and compliance of the product. The following are PCB plating finish options available for your custom PCB:

• Leaded & lead-free (hasl)
• Electroless nickel immersion gold (enig)
• Electrolytic nickel & hard gold plating
• Electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (enepig)
• Immersion silver & immersion tin
• Tin nickel & fused tin lead
• Electroless nickel
• Bondable gold

Additional Custom PCB Features

For more advanced custom PCB designs, Advanced Circuits offers custom elements and features. Working with the right PCB manufacturer is crucial to the accurate execution of your custom PCB with advanced features. The following are additional design features for custom printed circuit boards:

• Controlled Dielectric
• Controlled Impedance
• Plated Slots
• Plated Edges
• Counterbores
• Countersinks
• Castellated Holes
• Etchback
• Edge Mill
• Controlled Depth Drilling
• Tetra Etch

Industry Certifications for Custom Printed Circuit Boards

Advanced Circuits has the industry certifications and qualifications to meet demanding requirements for your custom PCB requirements.  Our PCBs meet IPC-A600 Class 2 requirements trusted for dedicated service electronics that require high performance & extended life. Additionally, Advanced Certifications for Mil/Aero, Medical, and Commercial applications are also available with our Custom Spec option.  Advanced Circuits is MIL-PRF-31032, MIL-PRF-55110, AS9100D, ISO 9001 Certified, IPC 6012 3/3A, IPC 6018 Class 3 Qualified, and ITAR Registered as well as being DOD contracts ready.

Advanced Circuits is the leading PCB manufacturer known for its high quality and innovation.  The company offers expanded circuit board manufacturing capabilities, quickturn circuit board prototyping services, and in-house circuit board assembly.  To learn more about how Advanced Circuits can help with your PCB design, manufacturing, and assembly requirements, click here to contact your Sales Representative.

In this blog post, we discuss the basics of circuit boards in a general sense.  For more in depth information and PCB manufacturing resources, click here to access our Circuit Board Resources page.

What is a Circuit Board?

The purpose of a circuit board is to hold copper circuitry (or trace) to conduct signals equivalent to the way a wire would, while acting as the physical support to mount the independent electronic components it connects together for a desired function. The copper trace etched on the circuit board supplies the direct connection. The material used as the foundation for circuit boards is customarily glass-reinforced epoxy laminate, but there are many different types of laminates that can be used to support different circuit board requirements and end-use specifications.

A PCB is the electronic device’s skeletal frame and a solid base.  A PCB possesses electrical interconnections amid the mechanisms. There are a variety of circuit board types including: single-sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers), and multi-layer (inner and outer layers), microwave and RF circuit boards and more.

The 2 layer and multi-layer PCBs rank among the most popular and can harbor 40 or even more stacked conductive layers into a single circuit board.

How Does a Circuit Board Work?

Circuit boards are engineered to for many different applications and every circuit board design is intended to connect different electronic components to achieve a desired result, but most circuit boards make use of the following common components to manipulate electrical conductivity:

Capacitors – Store the electric charge of the circuit board

Resistors – Provide set amount of electric current resistance

Inductors – Stores energy as a magnetic field

Diodes – Enable the electric current to move in one direction

Other essential elements found in circuit boards are:

Copper – The copper layer is essential to the PCB and are thinner than its counterparts. The copper is responsible for carrying the electric charge.

Via holes are drilled by precise drilling instruments and cleaned to ensure they do not become clogged. Electric charge flows through these holes and is carried between each layer of the PCB.

 Solder Mask – The last layer protects the copper and metal from damage. The solder mask provides a protective plating, which is usually green in color, but it can be any other color.

For a more complete list of key industry terms, please visit our online PCB Glossary.

If your school project requires custom circuits boards, choosing the right vendor with the necessary support is key.  Advanced Circuits leads the industry in quality and innovation and has the largest support team to guide you through every step of the ordering process.  Below are some of the ways Advanced Circuits can help you or your team succeed in your next school project or competition.

Circuit Board Discounts & Project Sponsorships

Students can take advantage of our 2 and 4 layer PCB Prototyping Specials with no minimum quantity requirements by typing in the code “STUDENT” in the Comments box when processing the order online.  That means you can order a 2 layer circuit board as large as 60 square inches for only $33 or a 4 layer circuit board as large as 30 square inches for only $66.  Design specification restrictions apply for our $33 Each and $66 Each Prototyping Specials.  To learn more about our $33 Each or $66 Each special pricing offer for students, click here or contact your Advanced Circuits representative.

Benefits of 2 & 4 Layer Prototyping Special:

• No minimum order quantity for students
• Ships in just 5 days
• Same high-quality craftsmanship as our Full Service manufacturing
• Custom shapes allowed with provided outline

Students can also take advantage of our full service circuit board manufacturing capabilities for qualifying school competitions by requesting a Project Sponsorship to receive up to $500 in free circuits board fabrication.  For more information about our guidelines and qualification process to receive free circuit board sponsorships from Advanced Circuits, contact your Advanced Circuits representative.

Circuit Board Design Tools

Advanced Circuits also offers free circuit board design tools to help make the fabrication process smoother.  Our free circuit board design software, PCB Artist, is a professional-grade EDA software that comes with a built-in library of up to 500,000 components and an integrated ordering interface that ensures accuracy when transfering your design files for manufacturing.  PCB Artist is the most popular free circuit board design software on CNET’s Downloads.com with capabilities for up to 28 laye boards, multi-page schematic, Controlled Autorouter, native Eagle import, and much more.  Click here for a complete software download.

Another free tool that helps you save time is our FreeDFM Gerber file check.  FreeDFM is Advanced Circuits’ free online tool that allows you to upload your Gerber files to check for possible manufacturability issues before you place your order.  FreeDFM lets you know if any files are missing and if all requirements are met for production by sending you a detailed report directly to your inbox within minutes.  The detailed report identifies the location on the board where the issues are found and lets you know how to fix them to meet our minimum requirements.

You may also be interested in:

• In-House Circuit Board Assembly
• Quickturn Circuit Board Fabrication
• Circuit Board Manufacturing Capabilities

A circuit board, also known as printed circuit board or PCB, can be found inside every electronic device in today’s world.  In fact, the circuit board is considered the foundation of electronic devices because it is where the individual components are held in place and interconnected to make the electronic device work as intended.

Picture: Circuit board with green Solder Mask, without components (bare). 

In its simplest form, a circuit board is a non-conductive material with conductive tracks made of metal (usually copper) to physically support and electrically interconnect the components needed for an electronic device.

A design engineer working on a specific electronic device will create a custom pattern of electrically conductive tracks (called traces) with features like pads and holes where the components will be mounted onto and interconnected.  Since different devices require different components and interconnection to achieve the intended functionality, the pattern of copper tracks and conductive features on the substrate will vary from one circuit board design to another.

More complex circuit boards will have many layers of conductive copper tracks and interconnecting features sandwiched between non-conductive material.  With technology advancing and the demand for electronic devices to become smaller with increased functionality rising, engineers are pushing the boundaries of design and manufacturing capabilities to create circuit boards with finer features, higher numbers of conductive layers, and smaller and more densely packed components. These advanced circuit boards are often referred to as HDI or high density interconnect PCBs. To learn more about HDI PCBs, click here.

What Are Circuit Boards Made Of?

The most common non-conductive material used to support the etched copper tracks and conductive features in a circuit board is a composite material made of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin.  Surprisingly, this material is usually an off-white color, not green.  The green color (or any other color) is added later as one of the final steps in the circuit board manufacturing process.  This added layer of color is called Solder Mark and is used to protect the top and bottom layers of copper which would otherwise be exposed.

Although the common substrate made of fiberglass and epoxy resin is adequate for many  electronic devices, it may not be for others since not all devices are made for the same purpose, application, or environment.  Many electronic devices require that the PCB substrate meet certain properties, and therefore, demand a more advanced or specialized type of substrate.  These requirements can include a certain level of temperature resistance, shock resistance, and brittleness just to name a few, but the list of properties and qualifications can be extensive.  Click the link to learn more about the different types of materials available for circuit board manufacturing.

Manufacturing Circuit Boards

Picture: Bare circuit board array with 0 and 90 degree score lines.

As PCB fabrication technology evolves, it has become cheaper, faster, and more convenient to have printed circuit boards professionally fabricated.  Most PCB manufactures require Gerber files to manufacture circuit boards, which contain the data, drawings, and specifications for a particular circuit board design to be produced.

PCB design automation software such as Advanced Circuits’ PCB Artist® enables design engineers to layout their circuit board design according to their needs and requirements to later export that data for their circuit board manufacturer.  The manufacturer uses the electronic data and fabrication drawings to set up automated equipment to produce the circuit boards with matching specifications and features.

Click the links below to learn more about printed circuit boards & PCB manufacturing:

• Learn about the history of printed circuit boards
• Learn more about PCB manufacturing
• Learn more about PCB Assembly
• Learn more about PCB fabrication capabilities

Advanced Circuits offers high tech capabilities for advanced circuit board designs and demanding requirements including high density interconnect or HDI PCB.

Learn more

Demand for HDI PCBs

The demand for more advanced circuit boards is growing and HDI is becoming more prevalent in PCB design.  High density interconnect circuit boards are finding their way into many applications such as military communication devises, aerospace, computers, smartphones, medical equipment, and many other applications.

There are many benefits to HDI printed circuit board designs.  Design engineers are leveraging the technology to make circuit boards that are smaller and more capable.  Utilizing blind vias, buried vias, laser drilled Microvias, and advanced materials.

Taking advantage of HDI technology in PCB fabrication will allow closer placement of the components on the board.  This can result in faster signal transmission rates and reduce crossing delays and signal loss.

HDI PCB Design Considerations

• Cost – HDI technology is more costly compared to traditional circuit boards
• Materials – More advanced PCB materials are used for HDI PCBs
• Design – Requires expertise and experience
• Manufacturing – Not all manufacturers have the necessary capabilities for HDI
• Finer Lines & Tight Tolerances – Laser direct imaging is preferable

Advanced Circuits’ Expanded Capabilities

Advanced Circuits is your go-to manufacturer for high-tech printed circuit boards.  The company offers a broad range of capabilities, certifications, and quality systems to meet rigorous requirements; From quick-turn PCB prototypes shipped as quickly as Same Day to advanced designs for critical applications, Advanced Circuits can get the job done right the first time.  Contact your Advanced Circuits representative for more information about our PCB manufacturing and prototype assembly services.

[PDF] Download PCB Capabilities Lists 

Highly Capable PCB Design Software with Popular User-Friendly Interface

The circuit board design software has gained its popularity because its user interface is very intuitive and easy to learn for first-time users.  Since its first release on Downloads.com, the software has been downloaded over 265 thousand times – making it the most active circuit board design software on the third-party site.  Another reason PCB Artist™ is widely used among makers, hobbyists, and professional electronic/hardware design engineers is because it is highly capable and without the high price tag of other professional design software.  The software has evolved and has been improved upon to offer more and more complex features for advanced layouts with comprehensive tools while maintaining a user-friendly interface.

“Found AC searching for ‘Free Software’ and found PCBArtist. Soooooo much better than PCB123.”Read more

A Huge Library of Over 500,000 Parts Makes Circuit Board Design Easy

One key feature that you may not find included in many free circuit board design software available is a large parts library – especially loaded with hard-to-find parts.  The parts library is integrated in the software and allows users to import the component specifications to their design and a recent update allows users to place their components even quicker by right-clicking and using the “Fetch Component” feature to place the component directly on the current cursor position.

Fully Supported Circuit Board Design Software with “Live” Technical Support

Many of the free PCB design software available online are to be “used at your own risk”…meaning that there is not much support available when needed.  Some do have extensive “user-generated” help pages and forums that you can dig through to see if other have encountered a similar issue to yours, but that is as far as it goes.  The advantage of using a circuit board design software powered by Advanced Circuits™ is that we provide dedicated “Live” Technical Support for our software and also have created tutorial videos and instruction manuals to get you started quickly.  If an issue is ever encountered with our PCB Artist™ design software, we encourage you to give our PCB Artist™ Live Tech Support a call at 1-800-979-4722 x.1025 or email layouthelp@4pcb.com.

Click here to download PCB Artist™ »

FreeDFM™ Gerber File Check – Check your design files prior to ordering »

You may also be interested in our press release:  Advanced Circuits Releases Upgrades to PCB Artist »

PCB laminate materials have evolved considerably since their creation in the early 1900’s, when Charles Ducas submitted his patent for a circuit that involved creation of an electrical path directly on an insulated surface. The real concept and popularity of printed circuits did not gain ground until after WWII, when Austrian Dr. Paul Eisler began creating true printed circuits to replace bulky radio wiring.

Where Are Circuit Boards Used?

Today it would be easier to answer where circuit boards are NOT used. Nearly every electronic device now incorporates PCB technology for one or many different functions.

Automobiles – PCBs abound in many aspects of the computerization of vehicles, from ignition systems to keyless entry to the many safety sensors throughout the engine and passenger compartments.

Aviation – lightweight and high-performance circuit boards are essential to the design and operation of aircraft, including communication and guidance systems. Technology used in drone construction is facilitated through the use of small, lightweight PCBs.

Smartphones – without the complex and miniaturized PCBs developed for communications devices, the smartphones, fitness devices, and wearable technology in such demand by consumers would not be possible.

Home automation – smart thermostats, home surveillance systems, and smart appliances make effective use of printed circuit boards. Taking a quick inventory of any home will reveal an abundance of circuit boards in residence.

Entertainment – flat-screen televisions could not even exist if wiring and tube technology were not replaced with high-density, high-performance circuit boards. MP3 players and sophisticated commercial and home entertainment systems rely heavily on the use of printed circuit boards, as well.

Toys – yes, even many simple children’s toys incorporate PCB technology for generation of sounds, flashing lights, and movements.

How Did Circuit Boards Evolve?

From the initial post-WWII days of the first operational PCB, materials, construction methods, and technology have made tremendous progress.

In the 1950’s through 1960’s, materials continued to evolve, and a team of scientists working with the US Army received a patent for a new process for creating circuit boards. This process included drawing the pattern for wiring and photographic it on a zinc plate, which could then be utilized on an offset printing press to print the wiring in acid-resistant ink on copper foil. The foil could then be etched utilizing an acid solution, leaving the desired wiring pattern.

The 1960’s also saw the advent of PCBs being designed and manufactured utilizing multilayer technology in excess of four layers.

Double-sided boards came into use as enhanced plating processes were developed that allowed hole walls to be plated, with the 70’s also seeing the beginning of board size reductions and hot air soldering.

Throughout the 90’s the demand for complexity of circuits and the off-setting growth in PCB technology have contributed to capabilities hardly imaginable just short years ago.

What’s New in Circuit Board Technology?

Today’s design and manufacturing techniques contribute to the growth in PCB manufacturing capabilities and demand. Integration into devices that require miniaturization of circuits and high reliability are common-place today:

• Healthcare – diagnostic and monitoring devices have made enormous advances in the quality of healthcare, and the very quality of life for patients with embedded appliances such as pacemakers, defibrillators, and internal medicine pumps.

• Communications – constant growth in demand for personal communication devices as well as the Internet of Things (IoT) ensures long-term growth potential for devices that enable consumers quick and easy communication.

• Aerospace – even the earliest space mission contained circuit boards, but today’s exploration and space missions make significant use of complex, light-weight, highly-functional PCBs. Similarly, commercial and military aircraft incorporate an abundance of sophisticated electronics for navigation, communications, and even for passenger entertainment and connectivity, all made possible through the use of PCBs.

Significant advances in the design and fabrication of PCBs include:

HDI – high density interconnect boards – capability to produce boards with more components in less space, resulting in high-performance, reduced space and weight, and higher reliability.

LDI – Laser direct imaging – a much more precise method of creating the design image on PCB materials, replacing the less accurate and constraint-burdened photochemical process.

Flex PCBs – materials and fabrication techniques that permit flexibility in circuit boards to accommodate application-specific requirements.

Software Enabling Circuit Board Technology

One of the key factors in the continuing evolution of circuit board technology is sophisticated software development tools. Computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programs available to designers and manufacturers contribute greatly to efficiency and minimizing the time from concept to market.

Programs now exist for detailed PCB design and layout, generation of files for manufacturers, and the actual fabrication process. Designers are now able to collaborate with vendors more effectively, streamlining the development process. Software available to PCB designers can also check design files for missing or incomplete information, before they are submitted to the manufacturer.

Advanced Circuits will be exhibiting at the PCB West 2015 in Santa Clara, CA and we invite you to stop by our booth (booth #205). While at our booth, pick up your $100 OFF coupon to use on your next order!

The PCB West 2015 trade show will be located at the Santa Clara Convention Center and will bring together engineers, designers, fabricators, assemblers and managers to take advantage of unique opportunities to improve skills, increase knowledge and network with peers, colleagues and experts.  For more information on PCB West and to register as an exhibition attendee, please visit their website: pcbwest.com