PCB Design

How do I determine the traces width when designing a PCB?

  • Trace width and trace (or copper) space go hand in hand for a minimum value.
4/4 Impact yield and increase cost
6mil With very high yield for most PCB houses
8/8 Better
12/12 Can be made by PCB houses which is even not good at QA
  • What is the finest pitch of parts? If you are using 0.4mm pitch BGA, you will need very narrow traces. Only for THT you will probably use larger traces.
  • Designing with a grid.In the days of thru-hole with 0.1″ typical component placement pitch, a grid of 0.025″ make routing easier. These days good PCB software will ‘push and shove’ so grid, and trace width/space becomes not important. I have typically routed on a 1 mil grid. Guess how does this effect trace width? The trace + space will equal your grid setting.
  • The most important factors are current carrying requirements and signal integrity. You need wider traces for higher current. Use a PCB calculator to determine your requirements or look to an IPC standard. For signal integrity, if you need controlled impedances the trace width will be a critical factor.
  • Last is copper thickness.If you use 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 1 1/2 oz, 2 oz, 3 oz, or even higher, the spacing and minimum trace with will increase. Etching is not limited to vertical removal of copper so the PCB manufacturer will have to edit your Gerber (or other) file to compensate.

Read More: Understanding Different Types of BGA Packages

#PCB Design

Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

Recent Posts

What Is a PCB Netlist? Everything You Need to Know Is Here

In the world of printed circuit board design and manufacturing, precision and accuracy are paramount.…

2 weeks ago

What Is Solder Wetting and How to Prevent Poor Wetting?

Soldering is a cornerstone technique in electronics assembly, it's used to connect electrical pieces and…

1 month ago

7 Critical Techniques to Improve PCB Thermal Management

Nowadays, electronic products are both compact and lightweight while performing a variety of functions. This…

1 month ago

What Is BGA on a PCB? A Complete Guide to Ball Grid Array Technology

As technology continues to advance in the electronics industry, packaging remains one of the key…

2 months ago

How to Create a PCB Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Bringing your electronic ideas to life begins with PCB drawing, which is the process of…

3 months ago

8 Leading PCB Design Software: A Comprehensive Comparison

Printed Circuit Board design is one of the most significant processes in electronics production. Deciding…

4 months ago