{"id":198,"date":"2022-05-21T00:34:03","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T00:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pentalogix.com\/blog\/?p=198"},"modified":"2022-05-21T00:41:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-21T00:41:15","slug":"prototype-printed-circuit-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pentalogix.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/21\/prototype-printed-circuit-boards\/","title":{"rendered":"Prototype Printed Circuit Boards:"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine this situation: you had a great idea for a new electronic device or product, you have finished your schematic and completed the layout of your Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Now it\u2019s time to send it to the manufacturer.
\nNo matter how good you are at electrical engineering or PCB design, you should always make a small batch of prototype PCBs before proceeding with a production order.<\/p>\n

But what is exactly a prototype PCB? Is it different from a production PCB?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In terms of quality and standards, there\u2019s no real difference between production and prototype printed circuit boards. The key difference when we refer to prototype PCBs is that they are meant to be fabricated in small quantities, optimizing their cost and production time. This is typically achieved by combining your design with others from multiple clients into a larger panel using common specifications (for example, all of them having the same solder mask color, thickness and finish plating).<\/p>\n

Thanks to our powerful software tools (ViewMate with Smart DFM and CAMMaster<\/a>), Pentalogix has developed a greatly automated prototype fabrication process: starting with an individual board order, our software determines not only how much space that board will take on a larger panel, but also what other shapes and sizes of boards will fit with it on that same panel. As a result, the appropriate orders can be combined on one large panel, each order paying only for its occupancy portion of the board. Every order goes through a careful Design for Manufacturability (DFM) check to ensure that your design complies with all the specifications.<\/p>\n

The main differences between Prototype PCB and full feature PCB processes are summarized in this table:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Prototype PCBs<\/strong><\/td>\nFull Feature PCBs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Cost- efficient in small quantities<\/td>\nBest option for medium and large quantities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fast turnaround<\/td>\nLonger lead times<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Restricted set of specifications<\/td>\nMultiple choice of specifications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

In electrical engineering, there are good reasons to include a prototyping stage in your design process:<\/p>\n