Printed Circuit
Board (PCB) layout is a critical aspect when it comes to the creation of high
speed circuitry. There are many factors that have to be
considered to accomplish this. By paying attention to certain salient details,
one can ensure that the layout is accurately completed.
Important
Aspects of PCB Layout :
Addressing the
following key points can provide results such as improving circuit performance,
reducing design time, minimizing revisions.
- Schematic: A good layout always begins with a well-designed schematic. It is important to design the schematic in a manner that there will be a natural and steady signal flow on the board. Make sure that you fill important information regarding the layout as the designers and engineers will depend on it during PCB manufacturing process. This will include thermal information, controlled impedance lines, component value information and tuning ranges.
- Circuit Location: The location of the circuits on the board is a critical step. This will help you to decide on the location of the individual components. The only components that have clearly defined locations are the input, output, and power.
- Component Fixing: When deciding the location of the components, begin with the most critical components of the PCB. This will allow you to easily mark the signal routing paths and provide for better operation. Then decide the location of the other components, after which, mark the lands and vias.
- Bypassing the Power Supply: Minimizing noise is another critical aspect that may affect the PCB’s performance in an application. There are two way to accomplish this task. The first is to use multiple parallel capacitors, which need to be connected directly to the power supply pins. This ensures a low AC impedance across frequencies. Another configuration is to tie a bypass capacitor between the supply rails of the op amp. This method improves PSR and distortion performance.
