Common terms in PCB design

Hello. I'm very new to the world of PCB design. I came across many terms related to PCB on the internet. Can someone clearly explain what each term means. If possible please provide explanation with pictures. The terms I came across are:
1)Component side
2)Solder side
3)Gerber
4)Via
5)Drill
6)Pads
7)Silkscreen
Also tell me if I need to know a few more terms related to PCB. Thanks.

arunbhaskar said:

Hello. I'm very new to the world of PCB design. I came across many terms related to PCB on the internet. Can someone clearly explain what each term means. If possible please provide explanation with pictures. The terms I came across are:
1)Component side
2)Solder side
3)Gerber
4)Via
5)Drill
6)Pads
7)Silkscreen
Also tell me if I need to know a few more terms related to PCB. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Some of the terms look a little dated now with surface mount PCBs. If you think in terms of through hole components they will make more sense:

1. components go on the "top" of the PCB or component side
2. the soldering is done on the other side - the "bottom" or solder side
3. Gerber is the file format for the PCB manufacturing, excluding the holes/drilling
4. a via is a plated hole used to connect two sides of a PCB tracking (or to inner tracks)
5. "drill" or "NC drill" is the format for the hole drilling information for the PCB
6. pads are the areas you solder to. With through hole components it is the ring around the hole. With surface mount it is the area you solder to (usually a rectangle)
7. "silkscreen" usually refers to the component identification marking on the PCB. It gets its name from the process used to do the printing - silkscreen printing.

I am sure you will come across a lot more terms - just ask.

Keith.

Thank you so much.
I still have a doubt with regard to single layer PCBs with routing done on the component side. In through hole ICs, the leads are soldered on the solder side unlike SMDs right? How is there a contact between the solder pads on the solder side(which is the bottom side of the PCB if I'm correct) and the actual routes which are on the top side of the PCB.
Also, I still quite don't understand what a via is. I found somewhere that all the vias in a board have the same size. Please explain.

If you do a single sided PCB it would be one of the following:

1. through hole - components on one side, solder connections and tracks on the other

2. surface mount - components and solder & tracks all on the same side.

That is why the terms "solder side" and "component side" are a bit outdated.

There is a link here:

**broken link removed**

which may help your understanding. Figures 8 and 9 show cross sections of double sided & multi layer boards which may help.

Keith.

Instead of "Component Side" and "Solder Side", many folks are using terms like "Side A" and "Side B" or "Primary" and "Secondary" or (less commonly) "Top" and "Bottom".

Some other common terms you may come across are:

"Now that you have finished Gerbering that board, can you just fit another resistor here".

"Yes I know it has over 2000 components on it & 5000 nets but I still want you do do it on a double sided board"

"You want how many component to fit on this small board?"

"Stop complaining that it does not meet your manufacturing specs, just make the board!!"

"Yes I know it was not you that laid this board out - but I still want you to redo it but right this time"

"Er.... sorry but the new component I just got you to fit on that PCB has gone obsolete - can we change it now".

jmatt said:

Instead of "Component Side" and "Solder Side", many folks are using terms like "Side A" and "Side B" or "Primary" and "Secondary" or (less commonly) "Top" and "Bottom".

Click to expand...

Yes..when one knows thoroughly more about PCB, then one may use the terms like A, B and so on. But for a beginer who is learning the various terms used in PCB designing, "Component Side" and "Solder Side" will fit the best.

Never heard "side A" and "side B2, but "top" & "bottom" are common. Top is what would have been component side on through hole.

Keith.

keith1200rs said:

Never heard "side A" and "side B"...

Keith.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's a local thing here in Texas?

Hi all,
I think, its relative uninteresting how is the "side coding" realised, but you must descibe it & so, that a PCB producer somewho on the earths will understand it!
Especially by multilayer boards (but its for me a must for 1 o 2 side PCBs too), is the best and clear solution to have small windows on all sides with the layer codes in it (names or numbers), than professionally maked PCB originals has a "header" too; in that you have under your "titel" line the side codings too:
So can every times see a producer whats your system .
In case of exactly described thickness and follwing of internal layers (impedance controlled boards) you must drwo a small"cuted picture" on the PCB design over that.
Good progress!
K.

I'd go for top & bottom copper/mask/silk etc.

Top can only ever be top, ditto bottom (as viewed as the data is presented & identified).

Personally, since I do mostly double-side SMT boards, I prefer Primary and Secondary to label the external layers. Though I have some customers that prefer Top and Bottom. I can't think of anyone that I deal with that still uses Component and Solder anymore.

You also see actual board layers simply identified as Layer1 (or Layer01 or Layer_1 or L1, other similar version), Layer2, Layer3, etc. etc. With appropriate IDs for the silkscreen, solderpaste, assembly, soldermask, etc layers.

A layer stack diagram on the fab drawing is quite common. This would include not only the copper layers, but the mask and silk layers.

As is some sort of title block or other indicator for each individual Gerber layer. Your fab drawing should normally contain at least:

Any relevant notes. These would include notes on any specifications and standards the board or specific layers (like soldermask or silkscreen) must conform to, and finish information, plus any certificates of compliance the fab is required to furnish with the completed boards. Some of the above is also probably listed in the PO, RFQ, or in an order form, but I've found it's very much to my benefit for it to also show up on the drawing.
Dimensions. These don't have to be all-inclusive for a board, any relevant mechanical outline dimensions, plus a dimension locating to one board feature (a mounting hole or fiducial for instance).
Any necessary detail images.
Layer stackup,
Drill table (somewhat archaic with NC Drilling, but some fab shops still like to see this on the drawing)

As for impedance, I generally only specify the finished thickness and the required impedance(s) and leave the material (unless my customer specifies a material), individual layer thicknesses, etc up to the fabricator. The impedance requirement(s) and material requirements (such as a RoHs requirement for instance) can be in a note or notes or even in the layer stack diagram.

Line widths required for the impedance lines are determined in advance in consultation with the fabricator (preferred), through experience (mostly for something simple, like 50Ω diff pairs or 100Ω single-ended), or through the use of a calculator.

This is a great site with a glossary of PCB related terms.

https://www.goldengategraphics.com/pcgloss.htm


Ryan O'Connor
911EDA, Inc.
www.911pcb.com

This is a simple example.

It's a Eagle drawing. And altium can also does that .It seems some other softwares also can do.

I assume it is really this:

**broken link removed**

- a 3d extension to Eagle that uses the open source POVray software. It is not an integral part of Eagle.

Keith.

Yes ,it is.

I use Eagle but I have never actually tried the 3D extension, but it looks good!

Keith.