1. What is PCB Layout?
PCB Layout (Printed Circuit Board Layout) is a design process that achieves the required functions of circuit designers based on the PCB circuit schematic diagram. Excellent PCB Layout design can not only save production costs but also significantly improve PCBA performance. As a crucial part of hardware design, under the premise of reasonable hardware circuit design, the design quality of PCB Layout is a core indicator affecting product performance. Currently, most PCB Layout engineers complete the layout design according to the constraint rules provided by themselves or product hardware engineers.
2. Advantages of Maxipcb's PCB Layout Services
Maxipcb provides high-quality PCB Layout services with extensive professional capabilities—from minimizing the number of layers for high-volume, low-cost products to the layout of complex circuit boards with 48+ layers, all can be completed efficiently. Our engineers have rich experience and professional training, enabling them to accurately design noise-sensitive areas in the circuit and ensure product performance meets standards.
2.1 Types of Circuit Board Technologies Covered by Services
Maxipcb provides comprehensive professional PCB Layout design solutions, covering the following types of circuit board technologies:
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Single-layer PCB, double-layer PCB, multi-layer PCB
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High-speed backplane PCB, rigid-flex PCB, flexible PCB
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HDI PCB, blind and buried micro-via PCB, stacked micro-via impedance-controlled PCB
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Matched length/timing, analog and digital circuit layout
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Crosstalk timing control, signal integrity analysis, PCB simulation
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Differential/balanced pair layout
3. How to Complete PCB Layout Design from a Circuit Diagram?
PCB Layout design must follow the principles of "connectivity, functionality, and rationality" and proceed step by step in combination with circuit characteristics. The specific steps and core requirements are as follows:
3.1 Core Design Requirements
The basic requirement of PCB Layout is to ensure the effective connection of all networks, which is relatively easy to achieve, while design efficiency needs to be optimized in combination with signal characteristics: the circuit mainly includes digital signals and analog signals. For digital circuits, it is necessary to ensure sufficient noise margin; for analog signals, it is necessary to achieve zero loss as much as possible. The core of layout is to reasonably place circuit components, and the simple principle is "clear modular division"—personnel with a certain circuit foundation can quickly identify the functional purpose of each module when they get the PCB.
3.2 Specific Design Steps
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Generate the initial PCB file based on the circuit schematic, complete the pre-layout of the PCB, determine a relatively reasonable PCB Layout area, and simultaneously feed this area back to the structural design party. After the structural design party completes the overall structural design in combination with this area, specific layout constraints are provided.
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Before PCB Layout routing, it is necessary to first clarify the stack-up design of the entire PCB, plan the priority of all routing layers (optimal routing layer, sub-optimal routing layer, etc.), and a complete ground layer should be set for adjacent layers. The optimal routing layer is usually used to arrange important signals, including all DDR signals, differential signals, analog signals, etc.; ordinary signals such as I2C, UART, SPI, and GPIO are arranged on other layers, and at the same time, it is ensured that only circuit signals related to them (such as DDR, network ports, etc.) exist in important areas.
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Draw the board edges, positioning interfaces, and various forbidden areas according to the structural constraints, and then complete the placement of connectors.
3.3 Principles for Component and Module Placement
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Core Component Placement: The main MCU (Microcontroller Unit) is usually placed in the center of the board; the interface circuit should be placed close to the corresponding interface (such as network port, USB, VGA, etc.), and most interfaces need ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection and filter processing, following the principle of "protection first, then filtering".
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Power Module Placement: The main power module (such as system 5V power supply) is placed at the power inlet; discrete power modules (such as 2.5V power supply provided by the module circuit) can be placed in areas where the same power network is dense according to actual conditions. The power supply and power circuit must first ensure sufficient current-carrying capacity, and the entire return path of the power supply should be as thick and short as possible—from the perspective of EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility), the loop formed by the return path will become a loop antenna radiating outward, so the area of the loop should be minimized.
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Internal Circuit Partitioning: For internal circuits that do not lead to plug-ins, the basic principles of "high-speed and low-speed partitioning, analog and digital partitioning, and partitioning of interference sources and sensitive components" must be followed.
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Single Circuit Module: A single circuit module should be laid out in accordance with the current flow direction during circuit design.
4. Maxipcb's PCB Layout Design Methodology and Technical Capabilities
Maxipcb's PCB Layout design methodology can ensure that the requirements of product performance, time-to-market, unit cost, and production yield are met. Through professional simulation, we provide a "right first-time" guarantee in critical areas such as impedance, crosstalk, and signal integrity, avoiding the impact of rework on cost and construction period. At the same time, we optimize the design steps through simulation results to greatly reduce design risks.
4.1 Signal Integrity (SI) Related Services
Provide pre and post PCB system-level signal integrity analysis services, including:
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Timing and crosstalk analysis, topology and termination strategy design
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Design guideline formulation, margin analysis (SI and Timing)
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Stack-up and routing guidelines, decoupling and power delivery analysis
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Ball/bump/pad assignment, design reviews for good engineering practices
4.2 Typical Design Work Content
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Collaborate with customers to clarify system environment requirements and carry out related R&D work
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Formulate key signal quality inspection standards and conduct 2D/3D electromagnetic modeling
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Clock system design and review, pre-layout solution space analysis
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Formulate decoupling strategy, pre/post-layout power system design and analysis
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I/O buffer selection, topology and termination definition
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Clarify key timing requirements and build libraries (I/O buffers, interconnects, packages, connectors)
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Formulate physical and electrical design rules, post-layout verification, power integrity analysis
4.3 Team and Tool Capabilities
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Professional Team: We have a professional PCB design team. The average industry experience of team members is more than 8 years, among which senior engineers have more than 15 years of experience, and the average professional design experience is more than 10 years. They have a detailed and in-depth understanding of multi-layer PCBs and are proficient in the structure and routing rules of high-end PCBs with blind and buried vias.
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Design Tools: We mainly use professional design software such as Cadence Allegro, PADS, and PROTEL. We can independently complete PCB Layout design for various electronic products such as PC motherboards, industrial control boards, notebook motherboards, medical equipment, mobile phones, digital cameras, communication electronics, and optical networks, covering complex scenarios such as high-speed, high-density, and digital-analog hybrid.
4.4 Involved Buses and High-Speed Serial Buses
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Conventional Buses: I2C bus, SPI bus, CAN bus, ISA bus, EISA bus, VEAS bus, PCI bus, VME bus, VPX bus, RS232, RS485, RS422 bus, USB bus.
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High-Speed Serial Buses: High-speed serial lines such as PCIe, SIPO, SATA, SAS, SFP, XAUI, with a frequency range of 1.5Gbps to 28Gbps and a signal rate of up to 1G-10G.
5. PCB Layout Project Experience in Various Industries
5.1 Industrial Control Projects
We have rich experience in the design of PC, PLC, DCS, FCS, CNC, high-power X86 architecture, and low-power ARM architecture, and have successfully handled projects related to Haswell, Sandy Bridge, Core, Bay Trail, and other series.
5.2 Communication Equipment Projects
Focus on high-speed PCB design, with more than 10 years of experience in signal integrity, power integrity, and overall layout planning; the main control platforms include FBGA, ARM, and DSP, and the main design fields include CPCI, ATCA, VME, and PXI; we have rich experience in processing SFP10G optical ports, high-speed connectors, and high-speed signals (3.125G, 5G, 6.25G, 10G), and signal processing is based on the core premise of reducing crosstalk, reflection, and loss.
5.3 Consumer Electronics Projects
Focus on the lamination and process requirements of HDI blind via design; the main control platforms designed include Intel, Qualcomm, and Allwinner RK; we have rich experience in RF signal (2.4G, 5G WiFi, GPS, 3G, IQ signal) processing; we can efficiently handle electrostatic protection, signal interference, and crosstalk issues in accordance with the IEC61000-4-2/GB17626.2 electrostatic standards.
5.4 Security Camera Product Projects
Focus on signal integrity and electromagnetic interference control; the main control platforms designed include HiSilicon and TI; the design fields cover high-definition network cameras and NVR high-definition matrices; during signal processing, ensure that video and audio high-speed signals are away from heat sources and other interference sources, while ensuring the aesthetics of the layout and signal quality.
5.5 Automotive Electronics Projects
Focus on the PCB design of automotive peripheral electronic equipment; the designed products include on-board computers and dashcams; the main control platforms include Ambarella, Novatek, Allwinner, Sunplus, etc.; we can provide various solutions such as rearview mirrors, single-lens, dual-lens, dual-cable, and dual 1080P.
6. Reverse Engineering Services
For the need of PCB reverse engineering due to the loss of film files or schematics, Maxipcb has professional technical capabilities, which is one of our core featured services. With the help of computerized netlist generators and scanning processes, we can handle complex multi-layer boards. We can usually generate schematics, new layouts, film files, and optimize and upgrade old and obsolete designs. New chips can be replaced and new functions can be added, covering various scenarios such as fine-pitch, double-sided PCBs, and multi-layer PCBs.
7. Comprehensive Design Services and Core Value
Maxipcb provides full-process services such as PCB design, simulation design, EMC design, and schematic design. With service as the core, we help customers complete PCB and related project designs for various products. We have full-time PCB design engineers with rich PCB Layout experience, rigorous design processes, and standardized design standards, providing strong guarantee for customers to improve R&D efficiency, reduce R&D costs, and shorten R&D cycles.
Our service areas cover network communication, industrial control/IPC, computer/server, wafer test/IC manufacturer evaluation board, scientific research and development, medical equipment, consumer electronics, and other fields. Relying on a complete design process, strict quality control standards, and efficient and high-quality services, we have established long-term cooperative relationships with many customers and won wide recognition from customers.
Maxipcb provides physical printed circuit board layout services for customers. Our design team can cooperate with customer engineers to complete PCB Layout according to the schematics and related netlists provided by customers; we can also independently provide one-stop integrated electronic PCB design and layout services by our design engineers. We provide full-process one-stop services from PCB to PCBA, effectively shortening the design cycle, improving product reliability, and ensuring that customers' products are launched on the market on time.
