ABL Circuits from design process to finished PCB

Once we have finished the CAD layout as you can see on the screen, we produce Gerber files which is an output that all CAD systems produce that the photo plotters around the world – around the country can understand and they then produce a photo-plot of each layer that we require such as this which is the photo tools that we use to physically manufacture the board. We have tooling holes punched at either end which locate with the drill pattern on a tooling system so that everything lines up exactly and we end up on a two layer plated through board and end up with seven or eight layers which I can show you on the screen. So that is the underside tracking layer in red which is that photo plot there. You can see the tracks on the right hand side all match up and other side is the other layer. One is the tracking layer with all the horizontal tracks on as this typical example. All the tracks on that side are running horizontally; most of the tracks on the other side are running vertically – obviously some we don’t touch. We also have two silk screen layers which show the component references for either side of the board which are full of connectors labelled up so that we know where to assemble them and that’s on a different layer – so that’s the topside and that’s the underside so they are the two tracking layers then automatically we produce the solder resist photo plots which are used for photo image printing of the solder resist which covers the whole of the board just leaving the bare pads where they get tinned for soldering. So I can show you the finished board which is that, and you can see the green solder resist obviously vertical tracking on the front side horizontal tracking on the other side and it’s a perfect reproduction of what you see on the screen

For more information on ABL Circuits from design process to finished PCB talk to ABL Circuits Ltd