Circuit board

Aim

The aim of this course is to give the students the basic knowledge on design and manufacturing of electronics. The most important objectives of the course is to provide knowledge about printed circuit board (PCB) design, manufacturing and the component assembly process. After this course the student should be able to

• explain printed circuit board manufacturing, including material, the methods, tools and processes used in the manufacturing.
• explain printed circuit board assembly, manufacturing, and manufacturability, including calculation of thermal aspects and conductor dimensioning, in the course selected environmental aspects and directives that are relevant in connection with electronics production.
• design printed circuit board assemblies, assess appropriate component choices for a specific electronic circuit, analyze and implement appropriate printed circuit board design choices.
• use design-tools and manufacturing equipment for printed circuit board assemblies.
• analyze the functionality of an own manufactured and assembled circuit board.

Content

The course is focused on design and manufacturing of printed circuit boards (PCB, also known as printed wiring board (PWB)), and assembly of PCB (printed circuit board assembly (PCBA)). Topics covered in the course include: Printed circuit boards, including common materials, circuit boards and construction methods including common component packages. Soldering processes used for assembly, component mount. Troubleshooting methods and various types of test equipment used in the industry. Design with respect to technical functionality, testability and manufacturability, as well as, to a lesser extent, indirectly affected aspects such as the end product’s ergonomics and aesthetics. Societal conditions, business conditions, and economics are addressed by the inclusion of standards, directives and agreements commonly found in the electronics industry. Relevant environmental issues are discussed throughout different sections. Part of the project assignment involves initiating, managing, running and completing a technical project (including documentation). Practical exercises are carried out using manufacturing equipment for small-scale, manual production; more industrial manufacturing is addressed theoretically.