From hobbyists working on simple projects, to engineers creating complex systems, circuit design and PCB prototyping is a must-know skill for nearly everyone in the electronics field. But it is also a daunting path with involved design choices, deliberate component selections and potential mood-shattering debug sessions. Which is exactly where a book — like a PCB Route Book — could be so useful. What you might wish for, is that finally, an emergent body of content, which would serve as a user manual, allowing readers to navigate this treacherous road and to safely guide their ideas from purely conceptual, to a physical state where it could be held in the hand. Understanding Circuit Fundamentals
Developing a successfulPCB layout depends upon the fundamentals of circuittheory, suchas aggregateandindividualimpedances, expectedvoltage andcurrent at different spots to the circuit, Signal Integrity, etc. This section in Mastering Circuit Design PCB Prototyping think would include topics like Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, and basic methods circuit analysis. It would include the different topologies of circuits such as series circuits, parallel circuits, series-parallel circuits, and it will also show how to formulate voltage, current and resistance equations for different combinations of circuits. They should bypass theory and ease into more practical examples and exercises so that the reader can put theory to practice.
It also describes the types of electronic components — resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, and integrated circuits — as well as the basics of their operation, characteristics, and applications. But it would cover a deep study of the datasheet for every component and approach to choose the best component based on the desired specification which is one of the key skills for a designer which helps in avoiding the design trap and performance of the design.
Schematic Capture and PCB Layout
Once the Circuit is Designed successfully, the hard part begins-Schematics Generating and then the PCB Layout design. Circuit Design PCB Prototyping would delve deeply into Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software such as KiCad, Eagle and Altium Designer. This is just the basics of how to keep things clear and organized in a schematic — how to add and label parts etc.
Stress on good PCB layout will be a priority. You also have the placement of your devices as well as mini-route length as short as possible to minimise interference from all other signals, routing them out in a way where crosstalk and EMI (electromagnetic interface) are kept to a minimum as well as bulk/trace width (current carrying) specs. It will also explain various PCB manufacturing methods like SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and THT (Through Hole Technology).
Prototyping and Testing
At PCB level, the board is built and operability verified in the prototyping phase. Inspired by text book PCB Prototyping: Mastering Circuit Design which discusses breadboarding, prototyping PCBS, etc. as types of prototyping I would explain the necessity for disciplined testing regimes, mentioning the multimeters, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers used to confirm that the circuits operate correctly and that the problems are localized prior to the assembly of the system. This would also include debugging to teach readers about slaying common problems such as a short circuit, open circuit and failed components.
It might also introduce slightly more complex topics like impedance matching, signal integrity and power supply design and prepare the reader to tackle more advanced circuits. It would require proper documentation from schematic, to PCB layout, to test results, so someone later could reproduce it all.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Topics
Finally, Mastering Circuit Design PCB Prototyping may cover a few higher-level concepts such as high-speed design principles and EMC concepts, thermal management techniques, etc. This would enable the readers to go beyond the basic designs and appreciate the finer details of the different aspects involved in the designing of the robust electronic systems. Some more "real-world" application — cases of where projects have fared good and bad, and why, would help this page a lot.
A comprehensive guide such as Mastering Circuit Design PCB Prototyping would serve to fill this gap from theory to hands-on experience giving electronics newbies as well as experienced engineers the skills and knowledge they need to design their PCBs and prototype and test their circuits.