Charging Pile Control Board Design for Outdoor Use A shared charging pile is a networked power outlet with a meter, a payment interface and a safety chain. Its control board has to be robust, because it is installed outdoors and expected to run for years without attention. What the Control…

Percussion Massager Drive Design and Power Budget A percussion massager drives a small motor back and forth against a spring, and the electronics have to deliver a controlled amount of energy per stroke from a battery while keeping the pressure on a muscle rather than on a joint. What the…

Moisture Sensitivity Levels and Floor Life Control A sealed bag of components carries more information than most people read. The label states a moisture sensitivity level, and that number quietly defines how long the parts may sit on the factory floor before they must be dried again. Ignore it and…

Potting and Encapsulation of PCB Assemblies Potting and encapsulation surround the assembly with a material that protects it from moisture, contamination and mechanical damage. They also change the thermal path, the serviceability and the stresses on the components, and none of those effects is reversible. What Encapsulation Buys The material…

Vibration and Shock Design for PCB Assemblies A product that is transported, mounted in a vehicle or used on machinery will see vibration and shock, and the assembly is usually the part that is designed last for it. The failures that follow are not random: a heavy part on a…

PCB Barcode Placement: Somewhere the Scanner Reaches Buyers and engineers often focus on the finished product and forget the production line behind it. In practice, most field failures can be traced back to process decisions made during assembly. Understanding PCB barcode placement gives you a practical advantage when you choose…

PCB Serial Number Tracking: One Number, One Board Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB serial number tracking from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor,…

PCB Laser Marking Contrast: Making the Code Readable Buyers and engineers often focus on the finished product and forget the production line behind it. In practice, most field failures can be traced back to process decisions made during assembly. Understanding PCB laser marking contrast gives you a practical advantage when…

PCB Data Matrix Marking: A Square That Says Everything Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article…

PCB Inkjet Marking Durability: Will It Survive Cleaning Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains…