PCB Design Workflow
From schematic capture to Gerber files: the steps to design a board.
Easy
- Schematic capture — draw the circuit; assign footprints to every symbol.
- ERC — electrical rules check (unconnected pins, conflicting outputs).
- Board setup — outline, layer count, design rules from the manufacturer (min trace/space, via size).
- Placement — connectors and mechanical parts first, then critical parts (regulators, crystals, decoupling).
- Routing — power and sensitive signals first.
- DRC — design rules check.
- Outputs — Gerbers, drill files, BOM and pick-and-place file for assembly.
Order a few boards, assemble one, test, and revise. Version-control your design files.
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