Guides
The circuit-board handbook.
Plain-English guides to how printed circuit boards get designed, checked and built — start with the basics or go deep.
Getting Started with CAM
How to prepare and submit a clean PCB data package for CAM processing, from Gerber and ODB++ exports to fabrication notes and netlists.
ReadGerber vs ODB++
A practical comparison of Gerber RS-274X and ODB++ as PCB manufacturing data formats, and when to use each for CAM.
ReadControlled Impedance Basics
A working introduction to controlled impedance: what sets characteristic impedance, single-ended vs differential, and how coupons verify it.
ReadDFM Rule Fundamentals
The core DFM rules every PCB designer should know: trace/space, annular ring, slivers, solder-mask webs, and aspect ratio.
ReadPCB CAM Outsourcing: A Front-End Engineering Guide
Outsourcing the CAM and front-end engineering step, explained: what it covers, when it makes sense, and what a good partner actually hands back.
ReadATE Loadboard Design: A Practical Guide
What goes into designing an ATE loadboard — the high-layer test-interface board between an automated tester and the chip under test — and why it is one of the hardest boards to build.
ReadHDI PCB Design: Microvias, Via-in-Pad and Stackups
What HDI (high-density interconnect) means, the microvia and stackup choices behind it, and why HDI boards demand tighter front-end engineering than standard PCBs.
ReadPCB Panelization: Arrays, Coupons and Yield
Why individual boards are grouped into a panel for manufacturing, the depaneling methods, and how panel layout affects assembly yield and price.
Read