Mezzanine Connector: Preparation, Placement and Process Control Two boards stacked on a mezzanine connector look simple from the outside, and they are one of the harder interfaces to design. The connector defines the stack height, the pin assignment, and the impedance of every signal that crosses it, and a mistake…

PCB Paste Thawing Rules: Bringing Paste to Room 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…

PCB Snap Off Distance: Lifting the Stencil Away 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 snap off distance from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor,…

PCB Print Speed Setting: How Fast the Paste Rolls 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 print speed setting from the perspective of a PCBA factory…

Ionic Contamination and Cleanliness Control in PCB Assembly Most assembly residues are harmless at the moment of test and dangerous a year later. Ionic contamination left on a board by flux, plating chemistry, or handling provides the electrolyte that lets metal migrate between conductors, and the failure it produces is…

PCB Desmear and Hole Wall Preparation Process Guide Before a plated through hole can carry current, the resin that drilling melted onto its walls has to be removed. That is the job of desmear, a wet chemistry or plasma step that sits between drilling and <a href="https://www.gopcba.com/pcb-plating-thickness-guide/” title=”electroless copper”>electroless copper…

Custom PCB Production: From Layout to Volume Delivery Custom PCB production is a process rather than a purchase. Between a finished layout and a delivered volume order there are reviews, tooling, a first article and a ramp, and each stage either confirms the design or exposes a question that was…

Antipads And Inner Layer Copper Voiding Every via passes through layers it does not connect to, and on each of those layers the copper must be removed around the barrel. That clearance is the antipad, and its size is one of the few layout parameters that affects impedance, manufacturability and…

PCB Paste Mixing and Use: Stirring Without Damage 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 paste mixing and use gives you a practical advantage…

PCB Paste Shelf Life: Knowing When to Stop 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…