日志

What is FR4 PCB board ?

09/25/2023 在： /通过：

There are many types of PCB substrate, such as fiberglass board, paper substrate, metal substrate, ceramic PCB, etc., different environments use different materials of the basic. Next, I will share with you the details of FR4 PCB board.

What is FR4 PCB board?

FR4 is a PCB substrate that is a glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminate in the form of raw material and substrate for circuit boards. Due to its robust nature and flame retardant properties, FR4 is a common laminate substrate used on printed circuit boards and it is vital to provide the required insulation to circuit boards.

FR4 boards have largely replaced G-10 boards.FR4 materials use bromine, a halogen chemical element that is fire-resistant and therefore valuable in providing flame-retardant properties.It is also unable to absorb water and maintains a high level of mechanical strength in addition to incredible insulation capabilities, especially in wet or dry environments.FR4 materials also have high glass transition temperatures ranging from 115 to 200 degrees Celsius, and its FR-4 flame-resistant material class code, which meets UL94V-0, ensures that it will not spread and extinguish the material as soon as it begins to burn.

Typical single, double-sided, and multilayer PCB circuit boards are made of FR-4, which is so strong and flame-resistant that most circuit boards choose FR-4 as a substrate. FR in FR-4 stands for flame retardant, and the number 4 distinguishes the material from others in this category.FR-4 is a fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminate, which looks like a thin, woven-cloth sheet. The term FR-4 also stands for the grade used to make these laminates. Fiberglass construction provides structural stability to the material. The fiberglass layer is covered with flame retardant epoxy resin. This brings durability and strong mechanical properties to the material.

What are the advantages of FR4 PCB boards?

1. High insulation: FR-4 material has high insulation performance, which can effectively prevent current leakage, thus ensuring the safety and stability of electronic products.

2. High heat resistance: FR-4 material has high heat resistance and can maintain good performance at high temperatures, thus showing good stability in some high temperature environments.

3. High moisture resistance: FR-4 material has good moisture resistance, can maintain good performance in humid environments, so it has a wide range of applications in some humid environments.

4. Good machinability: FR-4 material has good machinability and can be drilled, cut, ground and other machining operations, thus facilitating the production and processing of PCBs.

5. Low-cost materials

FR-4 printed circuit board materials are widely available and inexpensive. Nevertheless, they provide excellent functionality. However, high glass transition temperatures and high relative leakage trace index materials are somewhat expensive.

Applications of FR4 PCB boards

FR4 PCB boards are used in many electronic products, such as cell phones, TVs, and stereos. Due to its high strength, high rigidity and flame retardancy, FR4 PCB board can be adapted to a variety of circuit board design shapes and sizes, and has excellent dielectric constant and dielectric loss performance, so it is also widely used in the field of radio frequency circuits and high-speed signal transmission.

In addition, FR4 PCB boards are also used in the field of industrial control systems. Due to their excellent high frequency characteristics in electrical performance, they can be used for high frequency circuit design such as production line control and robot control.

In some specific areas, such as the military field, FR4 material flame retardant performance has also reached strict standards. Both high performance and safety can be used for surveillance systems, missile systems and other military equipment, high frequency routing and control circuit design.

How to choose FR4 thickness

The thickness of the circuit board is easily overlooked when designing, but it has important properties. The thickness of a circuit board affects the proper use of the entire circuit.

When ordering laminates for a PCB project, the designer or electrical engineer must specify the FR4 thickness. This is measured in inches, such as thousandths of an inch, thousandths of an inch, or millimeters, depending on which unit is most suitable for the setup. Depending on the needs of the project, the thickness of FR4 sheet varies widely, but is usually between 10,000 and 3 inches.

1. Space: The thinner the better

Some electronic devices have less space available, such as Bluetooth accessories, use linkers, etc. For these products, smaller FR4 PCBs are often preferred to save space inside the device.

2. Controlled Impedance

Some high-frequency/high-speed boards require controlled impedance. We know that a stable dielectric constant (Dk) and a low dielectric constant thermal coefficient help achieve controlled impedance. Maintaining the thickness balance of FR-4 material is critical. Thin PCBs face high heat and an increased thermal coefficient of dielectric constant (TCDK), which leads to fluctuations in dielectric constant (DK). Therefore, maintaining PCB thickness is critical to achieving a low dielectric constant (Dk).

3. Connections

Two PCBs need to be connected to each other by an edge connector or another matched socket. Connectors are only available in a limited number of sizes. Therefore they are only suitable for a specific PCB thickness. This can be a limiting factor for PCB thickness. If an existing PCB is being redesigned and is part of an older system, the PCB thickness must be checked twice. This is the fundamental reason why it is important to pay attention to the thickness of the board after the circuit design is completed and before ordering for manufacturing.

4. Impact matching should be good

Each multilayer board acts as a capacitor on an adjacent layer. This is why the thickness of the circuit board is so important. PCB FR4 material thickness determines the thickness of the dielectric, which in turn affects the capacitance value.

This is a particularly critical factor for some high-frequency PCBs, such as RF and microwave designs. High frequency designs focus on inductive quenching as an important component to maintain optimal board functionality, and getting the right capacitance for each layer is critical.

5. Flexibility Options

Flexibility is another important factor to consider when choosing the thickness of FR-4 PCB material. The thinner the board, the more flexible it is. Due to heat, highly flexible and thinner PCBs are often at high risk of soldering due to bending and angle changes during use. Heat management should be a priority in these designs.

Because thinner PCBs show effective performance against conventional stresses on flexible products. They have a wide range of applications in medical and automotive equipment.

6. Design and weight requirements

Thin PCBs are lightweight and small in size, thus facilitating consumer electronics. It is easy to carry out and also reduces the transportation cost of the material. But thin boards are not the answer to large boards. Increasing the size of thin boards can lead to PCB breakage and bending. However, extra thick boards take up a larger surface area and increase the total weight of the module/device, which has its own consequences.

What can an LST company do?

LST Technology has several years of experience in PCB manufacturing and can meet the needs of most customers. Compared to other manufacturers, we offer a wider range of options, such as various thicknesses and layers, multiple surface treatments, and different substrate materials. This makes it more advantageous for you to customize FR4 PCB to your specific requirements.

Regarding materials, we source our laminate and prepreg materials from top suppliers such as Isola, Taconic, Panasonic, and Shengyi Technology. This ensures that we provide high-quality materials that are consistent and reliable, resulting in superior circuit board.

We are a reliable company that can provide various industry certifications, including the conventional ISO9001 and 14001, as well as the “International Automotive Industry Technical Specifications” IATF16949 and “Medical Device Quality Management System for Regulatory Requirements” ISO13485. However, at LST Technology, qualification certification is only one aspect of demonstrating our capabilities to customers. We also formulate stricter operating specifications and testing services, which are essential in ensuring the smooth progress of your PCB project.

Materials and processes for PCB potting

09/21/2023 在： /通过：

There is a PCB board in all electronic devices, and the service life of these products basically depends on the service life of the PCB. Therefore, protecting the PCB well has become an important item. Here, LST introduces a technology that can protect PCB well, it is PCB potting.

What is potting PCB?

Potting is a way of protecting PCBs from heat, environmental hazards, and chemicals. This is mainly due to the fact that the outer shell of the PCB is filled with a substance that is used to protect the entire PCB and components.

1.Potting enhances electronic performance and circuit dependability by protecting PCBs from tampering, moisture, and voltage leaks. Potting also shields electronics from the effects of vibration and stress, preventing wiring disconnections and early system failure.

2.Additionally, the PCB and PCB case’s vibration waves may pair, intensifying stress on the PCB and causing early failure. PCBs become stress and vibration resistant through potting.

3.Also, Encapsulation protects PCBs from dirt and dust, which can cause overheating, signal interference, and decreased speed or performance.

4.Lastly, PCB board potting improves the security and privacy of the electronic device. The nature of potting makes accessing your PCB and reverse engineering your device incredibly challenging, thereby enhancing the privacy and security of your PCB board.

5 types Potting Compounds

One option is epoxy, which is a durable material with great chemical resistance and high adhesion strength. However, epoxies require a long time to fully cure and set.

Polyurethane is another choice – it is softer and more pliable than epoxy. This makes polyurethane useful for protecting fragile electronic components that may not work well with rigid potting compounds. However, polyurethane tends to have lower heat and moisture resistance compared to some alternatives.

Silicone can also be used for potting PCBs. It is extremely flexible and can withstand extreme temperatures. The downside is that silicone tends to be more expensive than other potting materials, so it may not be practical depending on the application.

Acrylic adhesives are readily soluble in many organic solvents, making it easy to complete repairs to panels and often providing only selective chemical resistance. Acrylic adhesives offer the advantages of quick drying, good mold and mildew resistance, no shrinkage during curing and good moisture resistance. The disadvantages, however, are low abrasion resistance and susceptibility to scratching, chipping and peeling.

The last species is urethane, which is very protective, hard and highly resistant to solvents, providing excellent abrasion resistance and low moisture permeability. It also has good low-temperature adaptability, but does not work well in high-temperature environments and most cannot be repaired or reworked.

Various materials have different pros and cons that should be considered, choosing the right material is determined by applications. For example, silicone and epoxy are perfect for the circumstances under high temperatures; however, urethane would have the better protection performance to chemicals. So the key point that we should notice when selecting the material is that we need to have a clear thought about what kind of protection we want to achieve.

How to choose PCB potting materials

The following factors need to be considered when choosing a coating material for circuit boards:

1. Heat resistance: circuit boards usually operate at high temperatures, so the coating material must be able to withstand high-temperature environments.

2. Insulation: The coating material should have good insulation to prevent the circuit board from short-circuiting or other electrical failures.

3. Chemical resistance: Since the circuit board may come into contact with various chemicals during use, the coating material needs to be chemically resistant.

4. Solderability: The coating material should be solderable to facilitate the soldering and repair of the circuit board.

5. Wear resistance: the circuit board may be subject to wear and tear during use, so the coating material needs to have a certain degree of wear resistance.

6. Cost: The cost of the coating material is also one of the factors to be considered when selecting the material.

Process flow of PCB potting board

Prepare
▶The potting compounds
▶A container or a bucket
▶A stirrer
▶Precision scales
▶Whenever the resin is ready, you will need the following materials for the PCB ▶board potting process:
▶Protective mask
▶Protective neoprene gloves
▶Protective clothing
▶Protective glasses
▶To ensure high-quality results, you need to control the resin. This step requires:
▶A hot air oven
▶Hardness tester (analog shore a)

Circuit board potting can improve its stability, reliability, extend its service life, but also to protect it from the impact of the environment. In the specific operation of the time we have to choose according to the performance requirements of the product with what materials and methods, about PCB potting more knowledge, you can consult our online customer service.

Quick turnover manufacturing service: Electrical & PCBA

09/18/2023 在： /通过：

Electronic rapid turnover manufacturing services refer to the efficient management system and advanced production technologies used by enterprises to produce products in a short period of time to meet customer needs. This service is a very important service for companies that need to produce and process products in a short period of time.

At LST, we provide fast turnaround services, including circuit design, PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly, to provide customers with end-to-end support from concept to final PCBA manufacturing. In the field of PCBA, we provide the most professional fast manufacturing services. Our engineers will develop a perfect production process plan for each product based on the characteristics of the customer products.

Quick turnover manufacturing service

Electronic rapid turnover manufacturing services require manufacturers to have effective design, manufacturing and supply chain management capabilities, as well as professional technical support teams to provide high quality products and services.

1. Rapid design and manufacturing: The manufacturer of electronic products will quickly design and create electronic products that meet the requirements according to the specifications and needs provided by customers. This process usually requires efficient production lines and advanced manufacturing technologies.

2. Quick Supply Chain Management: In order to ensure the efficiency of fast turnover manufacturing services, manufacturers need to establish an efficient supply chain management system. This includes procurement management, inventory management and logistics of raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products.

3. Customized service: According to customer needs, manufacturers can provide customized services, including customization in design, manufacturing, packaging and transportation.

4. Quick Response: Manufacturers need to establish a quick response mechanism to solve problems on time. This includes the establishment of a professional technical support team to provide 24-hour technical support and after-sales service.

PCBA Production Process

Fast turnaround in the project does not entail eliminating any essential steps in the conventional PCB assembly process. Instead, it focuses on eliminating unnecessary time wastage, automating processes to replace manual labor, and minimizing overtime to increase efficiency. FS Technology offers a fast prototyping PCBA service that follows the following process:

1.Order Receipt: To initiate the process, please provide us with your email address for communication. A dedicated account manager will then contact you to discuss the project requirements in detail and review the PCB design and specifications.

2.Circuit Design: If required, we can provide circuit design services or support for electronic manufacturers lacking design capabilities.

3.Component Procurement: We will procure the necessary components for the PCBA. This involves placing orders with suppliers or pulling components from our inventory.

4.Stencil Creation: A stencil, a thin metal sheet with openings corresponding to the PCB pads, is created. This stencil is used to apply solder paste, which holds the components in place during assembly. The quick full PCB assembly service provider, such as FS Technology, will generate a stencil based on the PCB design.

5.PCB Preparation: The fabricated PCB boards are thoroughly cleaned and prepared for assembly.

6.Solder Paste Application: The solder paste is precisely applied to the PCB using the created stencil.

7.Component Placement: Our skilled technicians meticulously position the components on the PCB in strict accordance with the design and specifications. During prototype manufacturing, manual placement is often employed to minimize time delays associated with programming automated equipment. However, for mass PCB assembly, our state-of-the-art production line is equipped with automated high-speed placement machines and AI plug-in machines, enabling efficient and precise component placement without sacrificing speed or accuracy.

8.Reflow Soldering/Wave Soldering: The PCBA board, with the components securely attached, undergoes reflow soldering or wave soldering in an oven. The high temperature melts the solder paste, forming permanent connections between the components and the PCB.

9.Assembly Inspection and Rework: A thorough inspection is conducted to identify any defects, such as incorrect component placement or solder bridges. If necessary, rework is performed to rectify any issues.

10.Function Test: The assembled PCB undergoes comprehensive testing to ensure it functions as expected.

11.Packaging and Shipping: The finalized PCBA is carefully packaged and promptly shipped to the customer.

Advantages of Fast PCBA

Time Constraints: When facing project deadlines or the need for speedy product launches, opting for fast prototype PCB assembly is a strategic choice to ensure on-time delivery. The ability to complete projects swiftly serves as a testament to a manufacturer’s capabilities, making it particularly valuable for businesses with time-sensitive projects.

Large Quantities: Quick turn PCB fabrication allows electronic manufacturers to save time in screening and selecting PCBA suppliers, establishing long-term partnerships with reliable service providers for batch projects. This is particularly advantageous when there is a requirement to generate a significant number of PCBA quickly.

Cost-Effectiveness: For businesses lacking the necessary personnel or equipment to efficiently manufacture PCBA in-house, engaging the services of a China quick turn PCB assembly factory can be more cost-effective. Outsourcing assembly services eliminates the need for significant investments and overhead costs associated with assembling PCBA board independently.

Flexibility: Rapid PCB assembly services offer flexibility in terms of production quantities, catering to businesses with varying needs for small-scale or high-volume PCBAs. At FS Technology, we provide valuable design and component selection advice, ensuring that the final circuit board meets the required specifications and functions as expected.

Expertise: Manufacturers specializing in high-volume quick turn PCBA services employ skilled technicians and designers who contribute to the success of the project and ensure compliance with quality standards. To meet customer demands for rapid turnaround, FS Technology leverages cutting-edge technologies, highly skilled labor, and the latest tools and procedures to deliver high-quality PCB fabrication and production within short timeframes.

Get fast PCBA service from LST

For customers, the most important thing about choosing a PCBA manufacturer is to obtain high-quality products, and at the same time, it can also obtain a certain cost advantage. LST is such a manufacturer, and choosing to do Chinese manufacturing has more advantages.

Competitive pricing: Fast turnover and fast service must pay a higher price. For European and American countries, local manufacturers may not be able to provide the most cost-effective solutions. China, known for its manufacturing strength, has provided cost advantages for fast service due to low labor costs.

Excellent quality: Although China’s PCBA industry may start later than European and American countries, it has made great progress in quality and speed. China’s fast PCB manufacturer provides the best combination of price, quality and speed, and often surpasses the quality of other countries, such as India.

Effective communication: Among the major foreign trading countries, the English level of the Chinese is worth noting, and exchanges are caused by language differences to the greatest extent. Taking LST technology as an example, our sales team is proficient in English, Russian, Spanish, etc., and can conduct detailed project discussions with customers through video conferences.

There are fewer limitations: the need for fast turnaround sometimes limits the PCB design. Some parts or design elements may not be readily available or are not suitable for assembly methods. Chinese manufacturers are good at finding solutions to these challenges to help you overcome these constraints.

Why Choose PCB Contract Manufacturing Services

09/13/2023 在： /通过：

OEM circuit board is the production model of many companies. They will look for PCB manufacturers all over the world, and sign PCB contract manufacturing services after determining cooperation. If you are looking for a PCB partner, then learn about LST and maybe you will stop your search and work with us.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, LST PCB Contract Manufacturer provides PCB manufacturing services to our customers across multiple industries. We strive to build close relationships with all our customers, taking the time to understand not only their technical needs, but also their broader business needs. Ultimately, our goal is to help you bring better products to market, and foundry manufacturing is a key part of that.

Why choose to contract a PCB manufacturer

There are many benefits to working with a PCB manufacturer that can help group companies save more money and get their products to market quickly. Benefits are listed below:

Accuracy and Production Speed: High product quality and minimum lead time are two important requisites to succeed in making a PCB assembly. With the advancement of technologies and facilities, experienced, trusted, and knowledgeable contract circuit board manufacturing companies assure both shortened lead time and high quality. To avoid further malfunctioning, the circuit boards are tested in real environments under the guidance of experts.

Minimum Designing Time: The circuit board designing time can be a big concern for many electronic component manufacturers. This is because the PCB assembly and fabrication process require time depending upon the complexity, layers, number of components, and other factors. However, a contract manufacturer will overcome such issues and some other design difficulties as they have the required experience and expertise.

One-Stop-Shop for Circuit Board Manufacturing: This is one of the important benefits of employing a contract PCB manufacturer. Highly experienced companies will offer end-to-end solutions for all your PCB manufacturing needs, right from the ideation stage to installation and beyond. This means you don’t need to contact different companies for assembling different components. They are responsible for handling everything ranging from the circuit board designing to the final production process. They also guarantee supply chain logistics, which is a major issue for several electronic parts manufacturers out there.

Low Operational Costs and Improved Production: For startups or small electronic firms it is a big deal to make such a huge capital investment. Therefore, partnering with contract manufacturers helps keep their operating expenses low. They can also be assured of improved time to market and increased volumes.

Quick Component Sourcing: Many small electronic manufacturers are worried about the overall costs associated with components and parts used in PCB assembly. Contract manufacturing helps them in several ways. Initially, they will review the circuit board design and assist compact and value-efficient designs that suit their application needs. Also, most of these manufacturers can source the right component from their supply chain network easily.

Reduces Costly Rework: The PCB design needs to be flawless and if there are any changes or errors they need to be fixed in the early stages. Contract manufacturers use thorough inspection and testing techniques at every stage of the PCB manufacturing process. These may include a combination of manual and automated testing techniques. Early testing and fixing bugs reduces costly replacement work and waste of production time.

Our Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Services

Our electronic contract manufacturing expertise encompasses a range of services:

Electronics component assembly: We provide surface mount and through-hole electronics assembly to IPC-A-610 standards in both leaded and ROHS technologies. An extensive selection of component placers, screen printers, soldering tools and other equipment drives both automated and semi-automated assembly processes. Our team works in two shifts to expedite orders while ensuring a high standard of quality control and circuit board assembly.

Box building and turnkey final assembly: We are unique from other local competitors in our box build capabilities, making us an ideal partner for contract electronic manufacturing in Pennsylvania. We’ll work with you to source a metal or plastic enclosure for your product, as well as any necessary wire harnesses or other components. We can also provide custom overlays and install them as part of the final assembly process to leave you with a finished electronic product design that’s ready for immediate drop shipment.

Testing: Your customers demand a high level of quality control — working with a contract manufacturer that can deliver in-house final testing is critical to both your reputation and your peace of mind. We have AOI test, ICT test, PCB function meter, flying probe test, etc. We can detect 100% of the problem parts.

Areas we serve

Over the past few years, LST has provided PCB contract manufacturing services to several customers in the following areas:

Medical: Medical equipment has always been a key manufacturing area for us. We have medical equipment manufacturing certificates to meet a variety of customer needs.

Intelligent home: Intelligent home products include microwave radar sensor lamps, intelligent air conditioners, intelligent stereos, and so on.

New energy fields: solar inverter, photovoltaic control system, electric vehicle charging pile are representatives of new energy PCB.

Consumer electronics: wearable devices, cell phones, audio devices, video devices. We also have many representative products.

PCBA function test guide

09/11/2023 在： /通过：

pcba Functional testing, which is performed to ensure that the product meets the design requirements both in terms of product description, user plans and operating programs, is performed according to the characteristics of the product description, user plans and operating programs. Functional testing ensures that the program works properly, tests the software against functional requirements, and tests all features and functions of the system to ensure that it meets the requirements and specifications.

Functional testing is also known as black box testing or data driven testing because only the various functions need to be tested one by one from the software product interface, the test case architecture based on written requirements, and the evaluation of the input data between the expected results and the actual results one by one, not the internal structure and code of the software.

PCBA functional testing will cover both hardware and software. The customer must send the test plan to the manufacturer to guide the test engineers. You need to list the behaviors and results (e.g., if you press, for example, button one, the green light comes on).

Why need Functional Testing

The purpose of PCBA functional testing is to ensure the quality of the product, improve the product qualification rate, improve the production process and get a better user experience. Functional testing can gain these following benefits:

·By simulating the operating environment for the PCB assembly under test, functional testing minimizes the cost for the customer. It is not necessary to provide the real and expensive testing equipment.

·It helps to avoid expensive system tests that often save the customer time and financial resources.

·It is possible to test 50-100% of the product before shipping, thereby minimizing the customer’s time and effort to test and debug the PCB assembly.

·It is possible for skilled professionals to extract the maximum productivity with a functional test, making this the most effective testing apart from a full system test.

·Along with ICT and flying probe tests, functional testing can make the PCB assembly error free and more robust.

PCBA function test method

1. Manual Test Fixture

Manual test fixtures use baking paint and acrylic pinboard output PCB input/output and power supply, and manually simulate input/output. The results are confirmed by the tester.

Due to high labor costs and low efficiency, manual testing is gradually replaced by manual test fixtures, which are only part of the test, but less demanding and less costly for manual participation.

2.MCU control function test

Make the fixture lock or pneumatic fixture and pull out the probe. Then connect the input/output power supply to the microcontroller circuit so that the microcontroller can run the test program and automatically measure the analog input/output.

This method is characterized by moderate price, high test efficiency, guaranteed test quality and less human intervention. However, this method lacks versatility is generally only applicable to machines equipped with fixtures.

3.PCBA Universal Automated Test System

PCBA universal automated test system designed for most manual testing and design. Because the test system is powerful, you can test a variety of PCBA and become a universal test system.

Humanized test principle: By sampling the model parameters, setting the error range, and comparing with the test board to determine whether it is qualified or not.

Simplicity test: Press the needle bar manually and the system automatically handles it. Product quality can be judged by the system, excluding the influence of human judgment factors. Moreover, its speed is incomparable to manual testing.

The system consists of acquisition, control board and test software. It is connected to a programmable AC/DC power supply and DC load. High sample rate products can be equipped with an external oscilloscope.

The system can test PCBA synchronization signals, user interfaces, modular programming environment models and conversions.

This method is costly, but testing is fast and requires no human intervention. It is versatile in its application and provides more comprehensive testing.

PCBA function test content

PCBA function test content voltage, current, power, power factor, frequency, duty cycle, position determination and other functional parameters of the measurement.PCBA function test contains content: general part:

1: The power supply part of the test–whether the power supply is working properly, test the voltage of each point–use a comparator or other.

2: Port (interface) test, whether there is Short & Open, resulting in abnormalities.

3: Integrated circuit module IC I/O read/write function test – Flash & EEPROM & CPU & SDRAM & logic IC etc.

4: Special function tests (different board requirements are inconsistent) – such as infrared, the need for external receivers.

Conclusion

At LSTPCB, we provide customers with complete PCB testing solutions and test all products. We have experience testing a wide range of PCBA products and can quickly provide test solutions to our customers to help them find the best test methods to improve performance, quality, manufacturability, reliability and reduce costs.

Difficulties and Challenges in PCB Design for Electric Vehicles

09/06/2023 在： /通过：

With the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the impact of fluctuating oil prices, more and more consumers are considering purchasing new energy vehicles as a means of transportation. In addition, the brand image and service quality of new energy vehicles are also improving, attracting more consumers. The market share of electric vehicles continues to grow, and more and more automakers are launching electric vehicles. Meanwhile, with the further development of battery technology and the improvement of infrastructure, the future development of electric vehicles is promising.

Electric vehicles have a very wide market, but the design requirements are getting higher and higher, which includes the difficulties of PCB design for electric vehicles. This article will give you a detailed introduction to the difficulties and challenges of PCB design for electric vehicles.

Difficulties in electric vehicle PCB design mainly include the following aspects:

1. High reliability PCBs and components installed on the board must meet high reliability standards, because it is related to the safety of operation and life. When the car works in a harsh environment, it will encounter vibration, shock and other problems, so the circuit must have a certain corrosion resistance and resistance to harsh environments.

2. High security requirements. The car must ensure the safety of the entire vehicle system, or even zero defects. In electric vehicles, the importance of information security is becoming more and more prominent, so security measures such as data encryption are required.

3.The PCB needs of electric vehicles mainly come from powertrain-related equipment, on-board equipment, battery management system (BMS), voltage conversion systems (DC-DC, inverters, etc.), and other high-voltage and low-voltage equipment, which require highly durable, reliable and rugged PCB applications.

4.PCB design needs to adapt to the evolving new energy drive system, so innovative PCB applications are needed to meet these needs.

PCB Design Challenges for EVs

PCBs play a vital role in managing complex EV electronic systems. Designing PCBs for electric vehicles comes with unique challenges that engineers and designers must overcome to ensure optimal performance, safety, and reliability.

Size and Space Constraints
To maximize limited space, PCB designers must optimize components and routing paths. The challenge intensifies as the demand for additional functionalities, such as advanced driver assistance systems, increases. Maintaining structural integrity while accommodating sensors, communication modules, and safety features is challenging.

Thermal Management
In electric vehicles, thermal management is crucial for reliable and safe operation. Designers must carefully plan and implement cooling mechanisms to prevent overheating and ensure long-term reliability. A combination of high-power components and limited space necessitates using advanced thermal management techniques like heat sinks, heat pipes, and thermal vias to dissipate heat efficiently.

Vibration and Mechanical Stress
Due to uneven surfaces and vehicle acceleration, electric vehicles are subject to various mechanical stresses and vibrations. PCB designers must ensure that their boards are durable and reliable in these conditions. These challenges can be mitigated by strengthening the PCBs, selecting suitable materials, and using techniques like shock and vibration damping.

Electromagnetic Interference
Due to high-power components and sensitive electronic systems operating close together, electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a big concern in electric vehicle PCB design. To minimize EMI and maintain signal integrity, designers must use shielding techniques, ground plane separation, and filtering. Compliance with electromagnetic compatibility standards and regulations is crucial to prevent interference with other vehicle systems and external devices.

Safety and Reliability
Electric vehicles have to be safe and reliable. PCB designers need to follow strict safety standards. It’s important to ensure the appropriate isolation of high-voltage circuits, implement redundant systems for critical functions, and validate PCB designs for reliability and fault tolerance.

Electronic systems for electric vehicles pose a lot of challenges for PCB designers. Managing power electronics, optimizing space, and addressing thermal management and EMI issues are all part of the design process. PCB designers can help make electric vehicles safer, more reliable, and more efficient by addressing these challenges head-on and leveraging innovative design techniques.

PCB designers working on EV projects can use Cadence tools to help with challenges for electric vehicle design. Cadence tools include PCB Design and Analysis Software and OrCAD PCB Designer.