When selecting a printed circuit board (PCB), you can consider things like:
- Material: The material should conduct electricity and insulate between copper layers. Some properties to consider include the dielectric constant (Dk), dissipation factor (Df), thermal conductivity (TC), and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). FR-4 is a common material, but the needs of your board will depend on its properties.
- Signal integrity: This is a common consideration and includes things like signal rise and fall times, track lengths, characteristic impedances, and drive strength.
- Ground and power planes: Large copper planes can act as heat sinks, increasing the surface area for heat dissipation.
- Footprint: You can try to reduce the size of components to create more space on the board.
- Cost: Price shouldn’t be the only factor, as a more expensive PCB can be beneficial in the long run. Instead, you can focus on the quality of the product and quality assurance.
- ManufacturerLook for manufacturers with a proven record and a deep understanding of PCB design and assembly processes.
- Component placement: For better heat dissipation, place high-power components like processors and microcontrollers in the center of the PCB.
- Trace width: This is a critical factor in PCB design. Inexperienced designers may use the default trace width in the PCB layout software.
