Numerous strides have been made in the tools and technologies used to design, manufacture, assemble, and test printed circuit boards (PCBs). At this point, it might be readily assumed that due to the long history of PCB fabrication, the PCB design process doesn’t have any major “gotchas.” But that’s not the case, and they often come in the form of the physical properties and performance characteristics of the laminates used to make PCBs.
In particular, as we go up the performance curve with today’s high-speed, high-frequency applications, there’s a greater need to focus on how these factors impact product design, manufacturability, operability and reliability.