The Pros of Prototyping Board Design

Although the world of technology moves quickly, it also moves intelligently, or at least it should. This means that before a circuit board can be used in electronics, it should go through plenty of testing to ensure it does what it is supposed to do. The best way to do this it by prototyping the board design.

Going through a prototyping phase allows you to see whether there are any issues with the board that will arise when it is being used. You can note the errors and places where you can make improvements to the board before going into full manufacturing mode. Once you have your design created and sent to Advanced Circuits, for example, our engineers will test the design. This helps to ensure that everything is working as it should.

You will also find that prototyping the board design will help you to save time and money. If you find that there is a problem with the board early, it will be easier for you to make changes to get the board to where it needs to be. You won’t have to worry that your boards don’t work and that you will have to go back to the proverbial drawing board after you’ve ordered a few thousand of them.

You will also have more peace of mind knowing that your design works even before you place an order for one. This makes projects far easier to handle from the design perspective, as well as giving you confidence in your design.

The Cons of Prototyping Board Design

There aren’t many cons when it comes to using prototypes. However, it will depend on how you prototype the board design. If you are using a breadboard, which is what many people do because it’s relatively simple and it is how many people learned, it can cause problems.

The problems stem from the fact that these breadboards tend to have limitations compared with prototyping a board using software. They tend not to be a good option if you are working with a design that has high voltage or that is extremely complicated. It can also be difficult to “map” exactly what you are doing, and this could lead to mistakes down the line. Software, on the other hand, can catch these issues and eliminate them before you have a test board manufactured and sent to you.

You will also find that breadboard prototypes have trouble dealing with higher and more precise frequencies. Since boards today utilize surface mount technology that thrives with higher frequencies, it might be difficult to make a viable prototype using a breadboard. The breadboard strips also typically have a high resistance and could cause stray capacitance that can cause problems with the prototype. You might end up with a board that should work but doesn’t, simply due to the limitations of the board.

Fortunately, you can use software that can help to mitigate the problems of the standard, traditional breadboard.

Prototyping Board Design Using Quality Software

There are many software options available today for designing printed circuit boards. While we might be biased, we believe that our option, PCB Artist, is the best. It helps make the prototyping and the design of boards much faster and easier. It allows you to test out different designs and components to ensure everything on the board works well together and it can provide the results you need.

While there are some expensive PCB software options available, this doesn’t mean that they are the right choice. Because we offer a full manufacturing facility, and we want to make sure our customers get exactly what they need, we provide our software free. You won’t have to pay anything to use PCB Artist.

Just because the software is free does not mean it lacks in features. We have more features than the paid software many people are using. This is a fully-featured piece of design software that offers free, live technical support.

It’s professional-grade software that is sure to provide you with a faster and easier method of designing your boards. Some of the features of the software include a controlled autorouter, component autoplace, individual colored nets options, ratsnest connections optimization, and multipage schematics.

Once you design your board, you can test it to make sure that it works. We even provide a free engineer review to ensure it will work. If you would like, you can then order a handful, or even just one of the boards. It can be sent to you so you can then put it through its paces and make any changes that could be needed to improve the board.

Our goal is to make the process of getting quality boards that work as simple and as fast as possible. You will never have to use another plastic breadboard again.

What’s Right for You?

Unless you are 100% certain that your boards are perfect and that there are no potential issues that could arise, you should consider getting a prototype. It allows you to look for any small details that you might have missed. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Take the time to check out Advanced Circuits to see everything that we have to offer in addition to the PCB Artist software. Our manufacturing facilities are state-of-the-art, and we can provide you with a fast turnaround no matter how many boards you might need to order once you are sure your prototype works. Learn more about our services and facilities to see why we might be the right solution for your needs.

• Order minimums – The vast majority of reputable PCB makers will require a minimum order and this would necessitate investing in more than a single prototype PCB in order to get basic testing done. In other words, it will require wasted money and the prototype PCB may not perform as needed, forcing the company to sit on or discard a whole batch of PCBs.
• Lengthy production times – A cheap and fast production process is ideal for a prototype PCB as it is needed to do product testing. Few firms can deliver on a rapid-fire turnaround time, such as one to five days, and so many companies have to hit the proverbial pause button when doing prototype PCB design.
• Costly design processes – Hiring experts, buying complicated and costly software, running printed films or evaluating digital files all cost a lot of money, and are also another part of the prototype PCB process.

The entire production process of any prototype PCB or standard PCB (from generating blueprints to making the substrate, printing the layers, UV hardening, copper removal, laminations, inspections, pressing, drilling, plating, imaging, etching, soldering, and silk screening stages and testing) can be time consuming and costly. It is why companies that extend one-day turnaround times are usually greeted with the proverbial raised eyebrow and a healthy amount of concern by any firms familiar with the challenges of prototype PCB manufacturing.

However, the team at Advanced Circuits has a proven record in making the production of a prototype PCB, as well as large batch PCBs, affordable, fast, and almost fail-proof. Our cost-effective tools and protocols are a reason we rate at the top of the industry.

How to Perfect the Prototype PCB Production Process

Anyone involved in electronics or an industry that uses PCBs will be aware that the points made above are not the only factors that cause a prototype PCB to be a more complex matter than many outside the industry realize. There are also issues associated with designing PCBs of two or more layers that can make things challenging. This is why all of the solutions offered through Advanced Circuits will be of significance to designers, manufacturers and others. For example:

• No minimums – With the ability to order a single, affordable PCB, the idea of rapid-fire prototype design is made real, and with one-day turnarounds, the production or design process is not significantly halted.
• Free software – Whether it is a startup or a company financially stressed, the need to invest in high-priced and high-tech design software can be quite limiting. Advanced Circuits’ proprietary and exclusive PCB Artist software is available in an unrestricted format and entirely for free. It comes with tutorials and those who use it enjoy discounts on even single PCB orders. Clients simply download the free software and use the industry-best program to create a prototype of up to 28 layers and featuring any of the half a million parts and components contained in the software’s library. It has integrated functions that also enhance the process, including auto router options and more.
• CAM Engineer Evaluations – All products are evaluated by one of the in-house engineers long before production begins in order to spare clients any costly mistakes.
• FreeDFM evaluation software – In addition to the use of advanced design software and human evaluations, there is a simple to use option that allows a client to upload their Gerber files to the site and generate a report indicating potential showstoppers and also auto-correcting the most common errors.
• Full tech support – And while the resources above are often more than enough for many designers, Advanced Circuits also provides 24-hour tech support that features direct access to a CAM engineer to help troubleshoot prototype or standard design issues.
• Software-based ordering – Running the design through the free software also enables immediate ordering. That means that a prototype can be generated in the software, get the FreeDFM and CAM engineer review, and receive a discount on the single PCB ordered.

And when the design process is done, and the prototype is ready for full production, Advanced Circuits can make it happen at the pace required. An industry leader with more than 25 years of experience in creating prototypes and full batches of PCBs, we serve companies large and small.

Start to Finish PCB Services

With our massive production facility, and both production and assembly capabilities, Advanced Circuits ensures a premium, streamlined, and cost efficient process. In addition to our prototype-friendly services above, we also feature:

• Quality – While many in the PCB industry approve of Advanced Circuits’ array of design resources, they also appreciate the inspection process that begins with a full CAM review before any manufacturing begins as well as visual inspections of the final circuit boards produced.
• Full support – Unlike many other manufacturers, our team works with you every step of the way. We begin with a quote based on initial design spec uploads, and walk all clients through to the final production and assembly phases.
• Clear pricing – Also unlike many other producers, we do not ask for stenciling fees, setup fees, and other add-on charges.
• One-stop production – It cannot be ignored that Advanced Circuits’ “one-stop” destination for PCB design tools, production services, assembly and anything else needed for printed circuit board manufacturing is also the most cost-effective and trouble-free.

When only a prototype PCB is needed, ensure the easiest and most affordable approach, but don’t overlook the value of a US-based, one-stop provider offering comprehensive services from beginning to end. If that PCB fabrication shop offers no minimums, full support and quality production, then the choice is easy. Advanced Circuits offers all of these benefits and more. Learn about our PCB capabilities here.

Cheap PCB sourcing from less than reputable vendors can be costly.  Poor quality standards is a typical issue, but there are other important factors to take into consideration, such as turnaround time, consistency, and service.  Cheap PCB manufacturers in China and Taiwan usually have long lead times and since boards have to be shipped across the world there are high shipping costs if faster shipping is required.  Not to mention frequent U.S. Customs delays and even import duties to be paid once you receive the boards.  Communication and customer service from some of these “no touch” PCB manufacturers can also be an issue.

Looking for Cheap PCB Prototyping without Sacrificing Quality & Lead-Time?

Advanced Circuits has created a special pricing option for 2 and 4 layer printed circuit boards that are made using the same high-tech equipment, materials, and quality standards as our Standard Spec and Custom Spec options.  This option is great for prototyping because it was created for those that need very small quantities and are shipped in as fast as one day.  There are three low-cost PCB prototyping options available:

For 2 Layer PCBs:

• BareBones – Our BareBones is a very basic board on FR4 material with 1 oz. copper and Tin Finish.  BareBones do not have solder mask or silkscreen, but the biggest benefit to ordering these boards for prototyping is the ability to order as few as just 1 piece with the turn time of just 1 day!  Note that you can get your BareBones for free when you place a Standard or Custom Spec order for the same part number – click here for details.
• $33Each – Our $33Each deal is also a simple 2 layer board on FR4 material with 1 oz. copper and Lead-Free Solder Finish but it does include solder mask and silkscreen on both sides.  The great benefit to using this deal is you can order as few as just 3 pieces that ship in 5 days and you can have a board as big as 60 square inches without additional charges for the size of your board.

For 4 Layer PCBs:

• $66 Layers – This deal is great for simple 4 layer boards with 1 oz. copper and Lead-Free Solder Finish.  Boards can be as big as 30 square inches and still qualify for this deal!  Order as few as 4 pieces with a turn time of just 5 days.

These low-cost alternatives can give you peace-of-mind knowing that your prototypes will be manufactured quickly and arrive on time with the high quality standards you can expect from Advanced Circuits.

Advanced Circuits “Hands-On” Approach: Did you know all circuit board design files are manually inspected by our experienced CAM engineers to find manufacturability issues prior to production?  This helps customers fix any possible issue before production starts to avoid receiving boards that are not usable.

To learn more about our 2 and 4 layer PCB special pricing options, please click here for details.