Hur man blir en PCB konstruktör

From dedicated hardware engineers to various technicians and support personnel, PCB design involves many different roles:

Hardware engineers: These engineers are responsible for circuit design. They usually do this by drawing circuit schematics on a CAD system designated for schematic capture, and they will usually do the physical layout of the PCB as well.

Layout Engineers: These engineers are specialized layout specialists who will arrange the physical layout of the electrical components on the board and connect all their electrical signals with metal wiring. This is also done on a CAD system dedicated to the physical layout, which then creates a specific file to send to the PCB manufacturer.

Mechanical Engineers: These engineers are responsible for designing the mechanical aspects of the circuit board, such as size and shape, in order to fit it into the designed device housing with other PCBS.

Software engineers: These engineers are the creators of any software needed for the board to function as intended.

Test and rework technicians: These specialists work with manufactured boards to debug and verify that they work properly, and make corrections or repairs for errors as needed.

In addition to these specific roles, there are manufacturing and assembly personnel who will be responsible for making the circuit boards and many others along the way.

Most of these positions require an engineering degree, whether it’s electrical, mechanical or software. However, many technical positions require only an associate’s degree to enable the personnel in those positions to learn and eventually grow into engineering positions. With high levels of motivation and education, the career field for design engineers is very bright indeed.

PCB design process

Considering the different types of design engineers involved in PCB design, there are many options when considering the career path to follow. To help you decide which way to go, here’s a brief overview of the PCB design process and how these different engineers fit into the workflow:

Concept: You must design before you can design. Sometimes it is the product of a new invention, and sometimes it is part of a larger development process of the whole system. Typically, marketing professionals determine the requirements and functions of a product, and then pass the information on to the design engineering department.

System design: Design the entire system here and determine which specific PCBS are needed and how to combine them all into the complete system.

Schematic capture: Hardware or electrical engineers can now design circuits for a single PCB. This will involve placing symbols on schematics and connecting wires to pins called networks for electrical connections. Another aspect of schematic capture is simulation. Simulation tools allow design engineers to identify problems in the design of the actual PCB before working on its layout and manufacture.

Library development: all CAD tools need library parts to use. For schematics, there will be symbols, for layouts, there will be physical overlay shapes of components, and for machinery, there will be 3D models of mechanical features. In some cases, these sections will be imported into the library from external sources, while others will be created by engineers.

Mechanical design: With the development of the mechanical design of the system, the size and shape of each PCB will be determined. The design will also include the placement of connectors, brackets, switches and displays, as well as interfaces between the system housing and the PCB.

PCB layout: After schematic and mechanical design is completed, this data will be forwarded to the PCB layout tool. The layout engineer will place the components specified in the schematic while adhering to the physical constraints specified in the mechanical design. Once the components are in place, the grid on the schematic will be connected together using thin wires that will eventually become metal wiring on the board. Some PCBS can have thousands of these connections, and routing all these wires to comply with clearance and performance limitations can be a daunting task.

Software development: Developing software while completing all other aspects of the design project. Using functional specifications developed by the market and components and electrical specifications engineered by the hardware, the software team will create the code that makes the board work.

PCB fabrication: After the layout design is completed, the final document will be sent out for fabrication. The PCB manufacturer will create the bare board, while the PCB assembler will weld all the parts onto the board.

Testing and validation: Once the manufacturer confirms that the board works, the design team goes through a series of tests to debug the board. This process usually reveals areas of the board that need to be corrected and sent back for redesign. Once all tests are successfully completed, the board is ready for production and service.

As you can see, there are many different aspects of printed circuit board design, involving several different expertise. Once you start working as a design engineer, you can look at these different positions and decide which areas you most want to focus on.