The Tech Blog

Anyone who’s ever designed a PCB knows the struggle of exporting files for manufacturing and assembly. Still, the question remains as to why there isn’t a proper file format to get PCBs to the board house and manufacture them end to end. Let’s discuss that today.

Today, the primary export options are Gerbers (in various versions) and ODB++. Most vendors support Gerbers as a standard but the issue is the number of files that get generated. Each layer gets its own file, on top of that you have to generate drill files, Pick n Place files, BOM files etc. If anyone has a non-automated workflow from CAD and it’s a pain to generate each time, double-check if it’s correct. ODB++ improves on this by bundling all necessary data into one zip file, yet its proprietary nature has its limitations.

Enter IPC-2581, which was released in 2004 and is an open-standard format designed to overcome these challenges. IPC-2581 consolidates everything from detailed design data and fabrication instructions to assembly information into one unified, XML-based file. It’s a single source of truth that aims to streamline communication across the entire supply chain, reducing the need for back-and-forth clarifications and lowering the risk of costly errors.

One of the standout features of IPC-2581 is that it handles fabrication and assembly. Not only does it provide all the necessary electrical and mechanical design details, but it also integrates manufacturing instructions such as solder paste application, pick-and-place coordinates, component footprints, and even inspection protocols. Additionally, it can incorporate the BOM, design tolerances, quality control benchmarks etc.

Although it hasn’t really taken off, it is currently in rev C of the standard with a lot of changes. I think part of the reason is most designers don’t know and some board houses don’t support them. To be honest, moving to this saves a designer & manufacturer so much trouble. The good news is that most CAD tools support this export as of today.

#BackToBasics #Electronics #PCBs

Over the last few posts, we’ve covered everything I wanted to write to you about resistors, what they are, how they work, and the different types based on construction. The series won’t be complete till I cover variable resistors and its following different types

Potentiometers are the most common type of variable resistor. They consist of a resistive track (usually made of carbon, cermet, or conductive plastic) with a movable wiper that slides along the track, adjusting the resistance between two terminals.
Use Case: Volume control in audio systems, brightness control in displays, and manual tuning applications.
Types: Linear (changes resistance uniformly) and logarithmic (better for human-perceived volume control). Digital potentiometers are also there which can be set to a particular resistance value via control signals to it.

Rheostats are essentially potentiometers used as two-terminal devices, where one terminal is connected to the wiper, and the other to one end of the resistive element. They are designed to handle higher currents and are often used in power control applications.
Use Case: Motor speed control, heater control, and lamp dimming.
Types: Rotary rheostats (knob-based) and slider rheostats (lever-based).

Trimmers(Trimpots, covered in great detail in older posts) are miniature, preset potentiometers used for fine adjustments during circuit calibration. Trimmers are usually set once and rarely changed unless recalibration is needed.
Use Case: Calibration of precision circuits, setting reference voltages, and fine-tuning oscillators.
Adjustment Methods: Screwdriver-slotted (single-turn) or multi-turn for finer adjustments.

Variable resistors offer flexibility where fixed resistors cannot and are an important tool in electronics.

And with that, we wrap up this Back to Basics: Resistor Series! Hope this helped you gain a new perspective on one of the most fundamental components. I will discuss something else from next week onwards.

#BackToBasics #Electronics #Resistors