Printed Circuit Boards Luciano Ruggiero lruggiero@deis.unibo.it DEIS Università di Bologna Flusso di progetto di un circuito stampato 1
Specifications Before starting any design, you need to work out the basic requirements for your system. (what it will do, how much it can cost) Select what major components you will need (such as choosing a processor, I/O and memory). Tip If possible, a very useful thing to include in your design is a serial interface, even if you don t need a serial port for the final application. A serial port is extremely useful for printing out diagnostic and status information from the system. The other mandatory debugging tool is the status LED. 2
Read the Datasheets Obtain the datasheets/books for these components. These can typically be found on manufacturers websites. Read them from beginning to end. Read any Errata sheets. These correct faults in datasheets. It s much better to discover something critical that you ve missed before you design and build a PCB, than after. Using a datasheet that is even a little bit old is not a good idea. It is not unusual for the electrical and technical specifications to change from time to time. It s critical that you re using the latest (and most accurate) data. It is very important that you understand how the devices work. When you are debugging your system, you have to know what to look for to know whether different parts of your computer are functioning. Don t assume anything about the functionality of the devices. Read and check everything carefully, including voltage levels, basic timing and anything else that may be relevant to the system. 3
Once this is done, you should then work out a basic schematic of the system. You should also do an analysis of your design and confirm the timing for your system. This will save you a lot of time later on when it comes to debugging your system. Faults are easier to fix before a PCB is built than afterwards. Printed Circuit Boards Consists of a planar (flat) substrate which has electronic components mounted on it that are interconnected by conductive tracks. 4
When designing the schematic consider: power consumption and power requirements power supply decoupling operating temperature (and cooling requirements) noise (crosstalk, EMI, ground bounce etc) and shielding types of connectors required any diagnostics that may help debugging later (eg LEDs, etc) Schematic project Net list Symbols Schematic 5
Routing a Design Start with a schematic From this design, we use our schematic editor to generate a netlist file. This tells the PCB editing software what interconnections need to be made. 6
Schematic project Symbolic CAD Schematics 7
Nets are used to indicate connections within the schematic. Buses are used to group signal lines of related functionality. 8
Ports are used to carry signals from one sheet to another. Printed Circuit Boards Layout Project Schematic - Net list connections Layout Physical Connections 9
Importing the netlist file into the PCB editor automatically loads the component footprints. These are manually rearranged to provide optimum placement, ensuring shortest track runs between components CAD Layout 10
Large number of components can be fitted and connected together on a small, flat substrate aided by advancements in component reduction, thin line widths of interconnects. Multi layer possibilities allows more complex circuitry without taking up more room. Mass production high volume throughput, reduces cost to customer. Printed Circuit Boards Layout Project 11
Designing a PCB Before laying out a PCB Consider not only the connections that have to be made but all the physical, electrical and noise environments in which your system will be operating. Minimise the Current Loop Area Minimise the Current Loop Area Current flows through a system via the power and signal connections, and back to the power supply (and thereby completing the circuit) through ground. Ground thus forms the return path for current flowing within the system. If the signal wire and return wire are located close together, the magnetic fields generated by the currents in the wires cancel out within a short distance of the wires. This is known as minimising the current loop area. 12
The objective is to keep all signal and return paths as close together and as short as possible. Where there are many current loops present in a system (as is common in many large, high-speed, digital systems), a ground plane is used to minimise loop area. The principle of keeping current loops small applies as much to power lines within a system as it does to signal lines. However, keeping the loop area small for power is difficult. Power must be distributed throughout the circuit. To effectively route this throughout a PCB, and keep the loop area small, is very difficult. The power lines can therefore be susceptible to noise and this can cause major problems to the circuit. The solution is to provide a path to ground for any noise present in the power supply. This is achieved by adding a decoupling capacitor between power and ground for each integrated circuit. The capacitor decouples the noise from the power source, and provides a path to ground for it. 13
Surface-mount capacitors have very low inductance connections, and so are preferable. Ceramic capacitors are normally used for decoupling capacitors due to their low resistance. The capacitor has the added advantage of acting as a current source for the device when the device must switch its outputs or internal state. As such, it represents a current source with a much smaller loop area. An onboard voltage regulator can provide a degree of isolation between your circuit and the external power supply. Component Technology COMPONENTE ELETTRONICO Tradizionale Wire Bonding SMD Flip-Chip Bonding Package PTH (THT) SMT (Leaded) SMT Grid Array (BGA/CGA) Connessioni 1 layer Multi- Multi- 2 layer 1 layer 2 layer 1 layer 2 layer layer layer Multilayer 14
In the 1950 s, every electronic component generally had wire leads, and the PCB had holes drilled for each wire of each component. The components were then soldered to the PCB. This method is called through-hole construction. This could be done automatically by passing the board over a ripple, or wave, of molten solder in a wave-soldering machine. In 1960 a new technology : Surface Mount Technology Developed Components made with small contact pads that are physically held by solder to the conductors. Solder paste generally applied by screen printing process and components mounted on. Solder paste also acts as temporary adhesive. 15
SMD Advantages smaller components no need to drill holes through abrasive boards simpler automated assembly small errors in component placement are corrected automatically as the molten solder pulls the component into place by surface tension components can be fitted to both sides of the circuit board Classification By type of circuitry used (digital, analogue, mixed analogue-digital, radio frequency, microwave) By types of electronic components used and how they are mounted (through-hole, surface-mount, mixed-technology, components mounted on one side or both sides) By board construction (single-sided, double-sided, multilayer, flex, rigid-flex) By application and performance required (general electronic products, high-performance, dedicated service products, high-reliability products) By design complexity, circuit density, and manufacturability (low, moderate, high) 16
Types of PCBs Double sided Multilayer Boards Top layer has been patterned in alignment with bottom layer Core Copper planes Prepreg Routing plans Drill layer Solder mask layer Slikscreen layer Multi-layered boards Multi-layered boards will be plated through. This means that there will be metallic connections through the holes in the board, connecting traces of different layers together, as appropriate. There is 100% fill Minimum 75% fill. A total maximum of 25% depression, including both secondary and primary sides is permitted 17
Flexible Types PCB s Flexible circuits can reduce weight of PCB Flexing can allow easier installation and servicing Production can be inexpensive Robustness of Boards The produced laminate boards must be robust enough to withstand abuse during processing stages and in later life on the finished product. Abuse can include: Changes in temperature sometimes rapid and hot and cold Flexing the boards may have to be flexed, particularly during processing stages. Resistance to chemicals, e.g. solvents, fluxes, acids etc. Physical abuse to a certain extent being dropped! 18
Copper Foil Bonding Copper foil is generally pressed while heated onto the substrate with adhesive Substrates developed which are made of epoxy and glass fibres to which this process can be done bonding (saldatura) aided by Tg of the epoxy. Substrates such as FR4 become prominent. Photolithography exploited and developed further to produce patterns Light sensitive photoresists used as patternable barriers for etch Design technology developed to produce circuitry as exposable medium for transfer into photoresist e.g. photomask clear acetate with dark emulsion as opaque regions 19
Copper clad substrate covered with photoresist 20
Simple Schematic for Producing a 1 layer PCB PCBs can be either single sided (one layer), double sided (two layers), or 4-layered, 6-layered, 8-layered, 12-layered, or more. The more layers you have, the easier it is route your interconnections, but the costs of fabrication go up considerably with extra layers. Further, it s much easier to debug a 2-layered board than a 12-layered board. Substrate Choice Cost - obviously the cheaper the better! Reduces the overall cost of the finished PCB to customer. Properties must be able to withstand processing steps, e.g. resistance to heat associated with ovens used in soldering. Other properties such as thermal expansion etc. often also important. Chemical resistance & electrical characteristics- e.g. dielectric constant also often important. Choice of substrate generally depends on application, processing required etc. 21
Substrate type FR4 4.7 Teflon 2.2 Teflon Glass 2.5 Polyimide 3.5 Polyimide Glass 4.2 Dielectric Constant Layer Core Prepreg Copper foils Tot thickness Thickness 0.25 0.33 0.50 0.76 1.00 1.20 1.60mm 60-110 -180µm 17µm e 35µm (0.5oz e 1oz) 1.60 mm Printed Circuit Boards: Substrate Fabrication 22
Printed Circuit Boards: Copper? Copper is an excellent electrical conductor Electrical resistivity is approx 1.6 micro ohm cm An inexpensive metal Soft and easily workable Easily processed and patternable by photolithography, using relatively benign chemicals The five types of objects that can be placed on a copper layer are: tracks individual pads components (arrays of pads grouped together) vias fills 23
Tracks Tracks are used to interconnect components. Track width is expressed in thousands of an inch ( mils ), or in millimeters (mm). Tracks can be of varying thickness, and often a PCB will have different widths for different tracks. The fatter the track, the more current it can carry. The thinner the track, the easier it is to fit more tracks in a given space, and therefore the easier it is to route the PCB. Track Widths Mils 8 12 20 50 100 200 325 mm 0.2 0.3 0.5 1.25 2.5 5 8.12 Amps 0.5 0.75 1.25 2.5 4 7 10 24
When routing tracks around pads, ensure that there is sufficient clearance. When routing buses (such as data and address), keep the tracks running parallel if possible. How NOT to do it Right-angles are BAD. Too close. 25
Pads Pads are used to mount component pins, and they can be either round, rectangular, or oval. 26
No! When specifying the pads for a component, ensure that the pad size is large enough to accommodate the pins and to allow enough space on to which to solder. Also, ensure that the holes (for through-hole components) are large enough to take the pins. A standard DIP pin will happily go into a 0.7 mm hole. Dforo=Dpin+0,3mm A DB (serial port) connector requires 0.9 mm holes for the signal pins and 3 mm holes for the mounting pins. 27
Stubs are short tracks that leave a main track to connect to a component. A stub represents an impedance mismatch for a signal, and can result in reflections. 28
Closely spaced pads on surface-mount components can present a problem. Often the tracks leaving a surface-mount device are too close together to actually do anything with. The solution is to fan ou the tracks, thereby giving greater spacing to the tracks. 29
Vias Vias are used to connect tracks on different layers together. Vias can either be through-hole vias appearing on all layers, or blind or buried vias, only appearing on the layers they are interconnecting and (intermediate layers). Top layer == component layer Bottom layer == solder layer 30
Components Mounting Electronic Components Electronic Systems PCB Building It, tips Once the PCB has been fabricated, check it carefully to ensure that all pads and tracks are intact and properly etched. Do a continuity test between the ground pads and the ground pin on the power connector. Do the construction a step at a time and check everything as you go. Build the voltage regulator circuit first, and test this. Then add the minimal processor circuitry, and test. Do each stage as independently as possible. 31
Components Mounting Shape of Component Axial Leaded Component Metal bodies components must not come into contact with any tracks Components Mounting Shape of Component Leads should be parallel and perpendicular to board to prevent strain 32
Surface Component (SMD) Soldering Process Solder is typically a Lead/Tin alloy ( or SnAgCu ) The ratio of tin to lead is important With 62% tin, 38% lead, the alloy has a single and lowest melting point of 183 C Going either side of this ratio elevates the melting temperature and also introduces a range where the alloy is plastic like as opposed to a single melting temperature. E.G. 60% tin, 40% lead has a range of 183 C to 189 C 33
In [1], the lead was heated but not the board In [2], the board was heated but not the lead [3] shows a good joint where both the board and the lead were heated. Good solder joints should be shiny dull ones suggest a dry joint. Dry joints pose many problems in that they may work for many years and then fail and be difficult to trace. Soldering The key to soldering well is to control the heat and the amount of solder that flows onto component pins. Too much heat can damage a component (especially sensitive integrated circuits), and can overheat solder as well. Read the datasheets to determine the maximum temperature (and duration) that the components can take, and ensure that your soldering iron does not exceed that. Variable-temperature irons allow to you set the temperature, thereby avoiding overheating. When soldering through-hole components (such as DIPpackaged chips or connectors), place the component into its hole and ensure that it is mounted correctly and sitting flat. To begin, solder one pin only, then check that the component is still seated correctly before doing the remaining pins. 34
With the iron in one hand, and a thin strand of solder in the other, bring the two together such that they meet at the pin to be soldered. Within a second, the solder will flow around the pin and you will have a good join. As soon as the solder begins to flow, remove both the iron tip and the solder strand. Common mistakes when soldering are: * to heat the component pin for several seconds before applying solder (causing the component to become too hot) * to apply the solder directly to the iron, and then dab the molten solder onto the pin. Soldering surface-mount components requires a different procedure. If you re using a rework station, you will need to use solder paste. This is sold in a large syringe. Solder paste easily dries out inside the syringe, so ensure that you seal the end when it is not in use. 35
Reflow Soldering 1. Pre-Heat to drive off solvent from paste 2 deg/sec to 95 120 C typically. 2. Soak Flux activates at around 145 C Temp taken to between 150 and 170 C for 90 to 150 secs typically. 3. Reflow Temp ramped to 30-40 C above solder paste melting point, e.g. 209-219 C for 30 to 90 secs. 4. Cooling typically at 3 to 4 C per sec down to 130 C 36
FLIP CHIP Manufacture 37