Biggest Trends to Hit PCB Design and Fabrication
As more and more devices become smaller and smaller but also need to maintain a high level of resilience at the same time, there is no doubt that printed circuit boards can fit the bill in so many ways. However, it is also the case that there are different trends to impact and affect the area – just as this is true in terms of other key areas of electronics as well. With this in mind, let’s check out a few of the top trends out there that have hit PCB design.
High Power PCBs
First up on the list, there is no doubt that high-powered printed circuit boards have been in demand, as there is more of a use for them in different devices. This has certainly been a trend if you have been using them at any point in recent history. There are plenty of different industries that can make the very most of these high-powered PCBs. Just think about electric cars, solar panels, and other applications that could need to have their performance boosted. Ultimately, it may well have been the case that other methods would have been relied upon before PCBs started expanding and developing to such a significant degree.
High-Density Interconnects
Not all that long ago, high-density interconnects were not seen as all that common in the world of PCB design. However, there is no doubt that this has started to shift over recent months and years. The high-quality nature of the design software that is readily available out there, such as a Gerber viewer, means that it is more and more likely that these interconnects can be gotten right the first time, rather than a whole range of different initial starting points being required along the way.
Tighter Supply Chain Controls
Another one of the major trends that have been noticed over the past couple of years or so is the fact that supply chain controls are certainly tightening up in many different ways. As there has been a growing trend for counterfeit electronic components, this certainly makes all the difference in ensuring that every single piece is of a high enough quality to make the printed circuit board function as it should. Otherwise, all manner of issues could easily start to spring up if you are not all that careful.
COTS Components
Both the critical and the space-based parts are significantly boosted thanks to the reliability and regulation that are provided by COTS components, which are now commonly used. They can both improve and speed up the overall design process, meaning that there are plenty of benefits that are brought directly to the printed circuit boards as a whole.
Internet of Things
There has been a growing surge in the use of printed circuit boards in the use of typical Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart speakers. Ultimately, they can have a major and significant impact on the running of these devices as they are small enough to go inside them, but they can also provide a high degree of sturdiness. As more and more of our homes and our offices become smarter, there is certainly a growing probability out there that the internet of things is going to make all the difference when it comes to the world of the future.
As you can see from this list of five developments alone, there have certainly been great strides forward in the world of printed circuit boards over the last few years. Ultimately, the current demands for tech have certainly chimed greatly with what has been demanded in the world of PCBs and what they can provide to different devices. Ultimately, there has been a growing trend for all sorts of industries to get involved, including some of the major ones on the planet, such as smartphones and automobiles.
At the same time – as was mentioned there at the end of the blog post – there has certainly been a growing trend towards their use in various devices related directly to the internet of things and our increasing demand for products that are ‘smarter’. There have also been great advances in the different design software out there that is specifically made to support the development of these printed circuit boards, ensuring that it can all be done in the most efficient manner possible with all kinks ironed out at an early stage without too much fuss and trouble along the way. Plus, this is only the beginning.
