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One major trend in PCB design is the growing shift toward open-source hardware models and control systems; another is the explosive growth in development boards, with PCB design tools being increasingly used in the design of these boards. This article will explain how the industry has achieved low-cost PCB design and layout over the past 25 years.<\/p>\n
As PCB designs are increasingly used in conjunction with existing development boards, and as daughter boards are employed to drive hydraulic devices and servo motors or to perform tasks based on light, motion, and sound, PCB design trends are gradually shifting toward open-source hardware models and control systems.<\/p>\n
Another major trend in PCB design is the explosive growth of development boards. In October 2013, a survey was conducted among PCB designers worldwide, with respondents including professional engineers from 42 different countries.<\/p>\n
Survey results show that nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) believe development boards have, to some extent, reduced their need for custom PCB designs. At first glance, this finding may seem to threaten the development of PCB design, but the reality is that PCB design tools are being used in an increasing number of development board designs.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, PCB design has not undergone any fundamental changes since its inception. Innovations in the field of PCB design have consistently focused on reducing development costs and shortening development time, but PCB layout has remained essentially the same; the only thing that has continually changed is the use ofComponents<\/a>and product performance\u2014which is also the root cause of most design complexity.<\/p>\n In the face of a highly competitive environment, shortening product design cycles is crucial for engineers and managers. One of the top concerns for many companies is how engineers can obtain development tools that shorten time-to-market and reduce design costs, thereby addressing the increasing complexity of PCB design. The design cycle plays a decisive role in a product\u2019s time to market, and PCB layout is often used to make up for delays in the early stages of the design process. Furthermore, given that manufacturers\u2019 facilities and design teams are spread across the globe, it is not difficult to imagine how challenging it is to obtain the best development tools, which poses challenges for multiple design teams and time-to-market.<\/p>\n To address these challenges, manufacturers urgently need development tools that leverage existing resources, including human and computer-based tools that enable interoperability. These development tools are simple to use, scalable, and capable of connecting other time-consuming stages of the design process. Engineers frequently cite the following features of PCB design tools:<\/p>\n Offers a gradual learning curveundefined> \u201cAllows multiple designers to work on the same project layout without sacrificing productivity\u201d<\/p>\n Offers an ideal plug-and-play solution for performing resource-intensive tasks to boost productivity<\/p>\n Supports real-time collaboration among users around the world<\/p>\n At every stage of the design process, multidisciplinary technical experts can be brought in to support development and design without compromising production capacity.<\/p>\n Certain projects in the high-end segment of the electronics industry can be used to analyze designers\u2019 actual designs, how chips function internally, and how they interact with their peripheral devices. For engineers, the challenge lies in how they can achieve this with minimal effort and the fewest errors\u2014without relying on a bit of luck.<\/p>\n Although there are a large number of commercial products on the market (most of which are expensive\u2014very expensive), only a few are reasonably priced\u2026 These products not only combine powerful features but also offer very low initial licensing costs. Features such as ease of use are becoming increasingly important, as they can effectively accelerate complex designs while reducing costs in the early stages of design.<\/p>\n The survey also examined the factors engineers prioritize when selecting PCB design software, such as price, functionality, ease of use, and technical support. The results clearly show that most design engineers place greater emphasis on functionality than on price when purchasing design tools, and 60% of respondents considered functionality to be an \u201dextremely important\u201d factor. While we have consistently provided users with highly functional products, meeting user needs has become increasingly challenging with each new generation of software. Engineers need software that not only optimizes design time but also frees up more time for innovation and testing.<\/p>\n EAGLE is beloved by engineers worldwide and is widely used in the development of everything from open-source hardware to various collaborative engineering projects, including electric vehicles, Formula racing cars, microsatellites, and commercial lunar expeditions. The secret to EAGLE\u2019s success lies in its ability to cater to both beginners and advanced users, offering a wide range of options that help significantly reduce the time required for design and testing.<\/p>\n There are a wide variety of completely free development tools available on the market for Linux, Mac, and Windows systems. When cost-saving is a priority, what product features do engineers consider when selecting development tools?<\/p>\n Support for Feature Extensions<\/p>\n More specifically, it performs simulations, data input and output, and custom commands through the User Language Program (ULP). EAGLE users have consistently strived for breakthrough innovations and have collectively enhanced the software\u2019s versatility through the use of hundreds of ULPs. For example, the recently launched EagleUp 3D Design Converter enables engineers to export 2D layouts from EAGLE with a single click and import them into Google SketchUp, thereby creating precise 3D prototype simulations. This allows users to integrate multiple circuit boards into a single model, enabling them to detect misaligned connectors and \u201dcollisions\u201d between large components, while also allowing them to assess airflow around the device and test the availability of mounting points. These features are particularly useful when sharing and developing designs, as well as when reevaluating system-level issues. EAGLE also supports the import of mechanical format data from other manufacturers and provides all source code. The ULP framework allows users to build upon existing designs to create customized solutions that meet specific design requirements.<\/p>\n Speed Up the Design Cycle<\/p>\n Engineers typically place components on a circuit board, then load the schematic and place it on the PCB to simulate its behavior. A series of recent feature enhancements in CadSoft EAGLE version 6.4 now allow engineers to easily use Linear Technology\u2019s high-performance SPICE simulator\u2014LT-Spice\u2014along with its schematic entry tools and waveform display. Users can now simulate existing EAGLE schematics and perform automatic conversion directly from within EAGLE.<\/p>\n Get a quick quote or a more streamlined design process<\/p>\n Although engineers have developed a bill of materials (BOM) that fits within the project\u2019s budget and timeline and are ready to begin PCB production, they often need to submit the BOM for review and wait for a decision. As a result, engineers urgently need a specialized tool from a reliable, high-quality service partner that allows them to quickly obtain quotes for small-batch PCB production and access rapid prototyping services.<\/p>\n Large Component Library<\/p>\n This is crucial for productivity, as users cannot \u201ddesign custom components\u201d for every component they plan to add to a circuit. EAGLE itself provides a wide variety of component libraries, and users can also access libraries provided directly by manufacturers or shared by other users through the EAGLE Community. Since creating even a small custom database from scratch for each component takes 20 minutes, component libraries that provide engineers with a reliable, information-rich resource center\u2014vetted by active community members\u2014can be of immense help to engineers in their design work.<\/p>\n To further simplify and speed up the design process, electronic design engineers can also use DesignLink, a specialized tool, to specify the components they need. By setting parameters, they can quickly search for suitable components in EAGLE\u2019s online product database. In addition, engineers can access a wealth of technical information about components, including technical manuals, links to application-specific solution guides, pricing, and availability\u2014all accessible directly within the EAGLE design environment without having to navigate between multiple web pages.<\/p>\n In summary, as trends in electronic design continue to evolve, core elements such as product functionality, usability, and price remain the factors that engineers value most highly.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/strong>\uff1aDesign and Fabrication Methods for Multi-Stage Blind Orifice Plates<\/a> \u00b7 Electrical Safety Clearances<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PCB\u677f\u8bbe\u8ba1\u7684\u4e00\u5927\u8d8b\u52bf\u662f\u9010\u6e10\u503e\u5411\u4e8e\u5f00\u6e90\u786c\u4ef6\u6a21\u5f0f\u4e0e\u63a7\u5236\u7cfb\u7edf\uff0c\u53e6\u4e00\u5927\u8d8b\u52bf\u662f\u5f00\u53d1\u677f\u7684\u7206\u70b8\u6027\u589e\u957f\uff0cPCB\u8bbe\u8ba1\u5de5\u5177\u6b63\u88ab\u5e94 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"How to Design and Lay Out Low-Cost PCBs? Approaches Using Open-Source Hardware and Development Boards","description":"How can you design low-cost PCBs? From combining development boards with daughter boards and reusing open-source hardware resources to shortening the design cycle, here are several practical cost-saving strategies and trade-off recommendations."},"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,412],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-sourcing-cost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2481"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19091,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481\/revisions\/19091"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jingpengpcb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}III. Several Approaches to Shortening the Design Cycle<\/h3>\n