UART Serial Interface Circuit Design A UART is the simplest way to move data between two devices: one wire each way, no clock, and a frame defined only by the timing of the bits. That simplicity is also its weakness, because both ends must agree on the rate and both…

Traceability Marking: 2D Codes, Serialisation and Read Rate A board that carries a serial number and a two dimensional code can be traced from the panel it was cut from to the customer that received it. The marking is a small part of the cost and the enabler of everything…

PCB Antenna Design: Sizing, Ground And Tuning An antenna printed directly on a circuit board looks like a simple piece of copper, and behaves like something far less predictable. Its performance depends on the board it is printed on, on what surrounds it in the finished product, and on how…

ESD Control on the Assembly Floor: Wrist Straps and Beyond ESD control on an assembly floor is a programme rather than a piece of equipment, and the parts of it that fail are almost never the parts that cost the most money. A wrist strap that is worn but not…

PCB Exposure Energy Setting: Practical Process Controls 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 exposure energy setting from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor, covering…

PCB Via Design Optimization for Thermal Shock Cracks Thermal shock is a common failure driver in high-reliability boards. Aerospace, electric vehicle control units and RF modules often see rapid swings from cold to hot. The mismatch in thermal expansion between copper and dielectric creates periodic shear stress. That stress concentrates…

PCB Pattern Plating Thickness: Design, Process, and Quality Notes 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 pattern plating thickness gives you a practical advantage…

PCB Panel Plating Uniformity: Design, Process, and Quality Notes 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 panel plating uniformity from the perspective of a PCBA factory…

Aqueous Cleaning of Assemblies: Chemistry, Rinse and Drying Cleaning an assembly after soldering is a chemistry problem with a mechanical solution, and the failure mode when it goes wrong is residue left in a place nobody can see. The measurement that settles the question is ionic contamination, and it is…

PCB Electroless Copper Thickness: A Practical Manufacturing Guide 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 electroless copper thickness gives you a practical advantage when…