472 Printed Circuit Board Design, Manufacturing and Testing

For Whom Intended This course is intended for personnel involved in designing, testing and manufacturing printed circuit boards. Degreed engineers whose primary training is not in this field will benefit, as will technicians, quality assurance inspectors and manufacturing engineers. The course will also benefit managers and supervisors in charge of these functions.

Brief Course Description  The course follows a step-by-step approach to the deve-lopment and manufacturing cycle of a printed circuit board. After an overview of standards and existing technology, the course discusses the various engineering functions involved in PCB design and manufacturing. Specific issues are addressed in the areas of manufacturing and assembly, before moving on to PCB testing and quality assurance. The course addresses the potential pollution and safety impacts of PCB manufacturing, as well as applicable standards.

Diploma Programs  This course is a recommended optional course for TTi’s Electronic Design Specialist (EDS) Diploma Program, and may be used as an optional course for any other TTi Specialist Diploma Program. Any TTi course may be presented on-site, at your facility.

Related Courses  TTi is developing a complete PCB design curriculum, including Course 473, on mechanical, structural and thermal considerations and layout, Course 474 on electrical considerations and layout, Course 475 on manufacturing, Course 476 on assembly and testing including quality assurance, and Course 477 on production including QA and screening.

Prerequisites  Students should have completed TTi's Course No. 104/105, “Electronics for Non-Electronic Engineers” or the equivalent. This course is aimed toward individuals actively involved in related technical fields. An understanding of basic electrical theory is required.

Text  Each student will receive 180 days access to the on-line electronic course workbook. Renewals and printed textbooks are available for an additional fee.

Course Hours, Certificate and CEUs  On-site courses can vary from 14-35 hours over 2-5 days as requested by our clients. Upon successful course completion, each participant receives a certificate of completion and one Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for every ten class hours.

Click for a printable course outline (pdf).


Course Outline

Chapter 1 - Introduction

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • General References & Standards
  • Technical Organizations

Chapter 2 - The Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Definition and Evolution of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
    • Timeliine of PCB Evolution
  • Purposes of a PCB
  • Examples
  • Applications
  • Consumer Requirements/Market Drivers
  • Typical Development Flow for a PCB
  • Examples of PCB Activities
    • Design, Fabrication, Assembly, Testing/Inspection, Final Work/Release
  • PCB Problems and Root Causes

Chapter 3 - Basic Electronic Components

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Through-Hole and Surface Mounted Parts
    • Lead Configurations
  • Resistors
  • Capacitors
  • Inductors
  • Diodes
  • Transistors
  • Relays
  • Connectors

Chapter 4 - Integrated Circuits – PCB Characteristics

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Packaging Technology
    • How a silicon wafer becomes an Integrated Circuit (IC)
  • Printed Circuit Board Types and Characteristics
    • Single Sided PCB
    • Double-sided PCB
    • Multi-layer PCB
    • Flexible and Rigid-flex PCBs
  • PCB Features

Chapter 5 - PCB Materials

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Material Selection Criteria
  • Fillers
  • Resins
  • Laminates
  • Base Material Properties
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Thermal, Chemical
  • Dielectric, conductors

Chapter 6 - Design and Environmental Requirements

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Functional and Performance
  • Environmental Requirements/Environmental Testing
    • Product Life Cycle
    • Thermal
    • Vibration, Shock
    • EMI/EMC
    • Environmental Testing Standards for Electronics

Chapter 7 - Electrical Engineering

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Analog Signal integrity
    • Thermal Electromotive Force
  • Digital Signal Integrity
  • Electromagnetic Compatibility
    • Designing for Signal Integrity
    • Grounding concepts
  • High Frequency Considerations
  • Current carrying capacity
  • CAD, Schematics
  • PCB Layout rules of thumb
    • Conductor Spacing, Shape, Routing and Locations
    • Component Placement

Chapter 8 - Mechanical Engineering

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Panels
  • Standard board sizes
  • Packaging, Mounting, and Interconnects
  • Mechanical Design-related Specifications and Standards
  • Mechanical Layout and CAD Tools

Chapter 9 - Thermal Design

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Heat transfer basics
  • Convection, Conduction
  • PCB Thermal Design Features
  • Thermal modeling
  • Cycling and fatigue
  • Mathematical Models for Calculating Fatigue Stress
    • Example: Component Lead Wire
    • Example: Stress Load in Solder Joints
  • Reducing Thermal Cycling Fatigue Stress

Chapter 10 - Electrical Component Vibration Fatigue

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Structural Design and Analyses
  • Vibration Models and Terminology
  • Electrical Component Vibration Fatigue
  • Combined Thermal and Structural Fatigue

Chapter 11 - Contamination Control/Environmental Control

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Contamination Control
  • Conformal Coatings
  • Polluting Agents
  • Safety Controls
  • Pollution Controls
  • Recycling
  • Standards

Chapter 12 - Manufacturing

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • PCB Manufacturing Information
  • PCB Layout and Artwork
  • Fabrication Steps
    • Machining Operations
      • Blanking, Cutting, Punching, Drilling, Shaping
    • Imaging Techniques
    • Multilayer/Laminating Techniques
    • Plating, Etching, Surface Finishing
    • Conformal Coatings
  • Inspection and Checkout
  • Specifications and Standards

Chapter 13 - Assembly

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • PCB Assembly Drawing Examples
  • Component Considerations
    • Component mounting and support
    • Mechanical Devices
  • Soldering Technology
    • Solders and Fluxes
    • Hand-Soldering vs. Mass-soldering
    • Dip, Wave, Reflow
  • Cleaning
  • Parts Staking
  • Conformal Coating Removal
  • Repair and Rework
  • Safety Considerations
  • ESD protection
  • Specifications and Standards

Chapter 14 - Testing

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Common PCB Production Faults
  • Bare Board Testing
  • Electrical Performance Testing
  • Assembled PCB Testing

Chapter 15 - Quality Assurance

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00
  • Quality Assurance in Design
    • FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
    • FMEA Software Tools
  • Quality Assurance in Manufacturing
  • Quality Assurance in Assembly
  • Specifications and Standards

Appendix - Review of Vibration Effects

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OnDemand Short Topics$25.00

Final Review

Certificates for Successful Completion

Click for a printable course outline (pdf).