PCB Design

PCB types (single-layer, double-layer, multilayer), through-hole vs. SMD components, PCB materials and substrates, structure of a PCB (pads, vias, traces, silkscreen, solder mask), design workflow overview, schematic capture, netlists, introduction to EDA tools (KiCAD, Eagle, Altium Designer), library creation and part symbols.

Component placement strategies, design for manufacturability (DFM), trace width and spacing calculation, ground and power planes, decoupling and bypass capacitors, differential pair routing, impedance matching basics, EMI/EMC guidelines, schematic to layout process, netlist management, layout validation (DRC, ERC), use of design constraints.

PCB fabrication steps (photoresist, etching, plating, solder mask), via types (through-hole, blind, buried), panelization, surface finish types (HASL, ENIG), soldering methods (wave, reflow, hand soldering), SMD rework tools, bill of materials (BoM), Gerber file generation, pick-and-place file, understanding fabrication drawings.

Design of simple single-layer and double-layer PCBs: • Power supply board (linear and switching) • Microcontroller breakout board • Sensor interface (e.g., temperature or motion) • LED driver circuit Signal integrity simulation basics, thermal considerations, component derating, PCB testing and debugging, integration with embedded systems.