How does a PCB Prototype look like?

It is the first time I place a prototype order to a manufacturer for my research. And I want to know how a common prototype looks like.

Except for the PCB material, physical properties, and manufacturing process, there is no difference.

Often, prototypes are requested as a “quick turn” order. That is to say, the customer needs the boards urgently, so the making process and shipment require an immediate approach. This is typically done to meet certain deadlines and incurs an extra cost.

In addition, prototypes can be identical to the production unit if they are well passed by an experienced team, mechanical designer, testing lab, compliance engineers, and the requirements from each discipline are well defined. Otherwise, the initial prototype(s) may be very different from the production unit that you will eventually make.

Read More: A Brief Guide to Prototype PCB Assembly

#PCB Assembly  #PCB Manufacturing

Picture of Oliver Smith

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.
Picture of Oliver Smith

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.

What Others Are Asking

Is solder mask a valid electrical insulator?

There is a copper pour over the entire top of the my PCB, which is part of GND net. It turns out that the surface mounted 1W LEDs I’m going to use have the heat slug connected internally to the LED’s +ve terminal. Can I rely on the solder mask to insulate the +ve voltage (~3V ish) from GND? Long term?

How can I manage the firmware development precess?

I ordered PCBA for IoT device and received the hardware product with good quality. However, there is a process I ignored before – firmware development based on the hardware. How should I move on?

Read Detailed Advice From Blog Articles

Scroll to Top