-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIn Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
PCB Layout Rules of Thumb for Consideration
November 25, 2024 | Patrick Davis, Cadence Design SystemsEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Just because a “rule of thumb” is usually based on experience instead of precise facts doesn’t negate its value. For instance, when I told my kids that a good rule of thumb was not to back-talk to their mother, they discovered very quickly how accurate my advice was once they crossed that line. There are a lot of rules of thumb that we rely on daily, including those that apply to PCB design.
While many aspects of PCB layout are governed by procedures, standards, and workflows, there is still much that belongs only to tribal knowledge. Unless this knowledge is collected, documented, and incorporated into a design database, it will only exist in the information that gets passed from one designer to the next. Let’s take a look at some of the more common PCB layout rules of thumb and see how they apply to the boards we are currently laying out.
Start with a Plan
Something that you probably won’t ever find printed in a company procedure or a PCB design tutorial is the importance of having a plan before you start. Many layout designers have been known to plunge right into a new design, without first considering all the ramifications of what they are doing. This can lead to routing frustrations and eventual changes to the placement to complete the design correctly. To avoid problems like these, give some thought to what you are trying to accomplish before you start placing parts.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the November 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
atg Luther Maelzer Announces Grand Opening of New Office and Manufacturing Facility
06/02/2025 | atg Luther & Maelzer GmbHAtg Luther Maelzer, a leading supplier of electrical testing solutions for the PCB industry, recently celebrated with a grand opening of their new office and manufacturing facility in Wertheim, Germany.
Efficiency Unleashed: Breaking Down Lean and Six Sigma
06/02/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAs a child in the late 1970s, I lived in Fremont, California, near the GM automotive manufacturing plant. At the time, GM had a terrible reputation for producing poor quality cars that were dwindling in popularity. I toured the GM plant while in elementary school. Each child received a pair of safety glasses before our group was escorted around the plant with our teacher. I remember seeing the car pieces on the line, and workers using blow torches to assemble the car together.
Uyemura Expands Engineering Team in Great Lakes Region
05/30/2025 | UyemuraAndrew Jin has joined Uyemura’s Engineering Team as Technical Service Engineer for the Midwest. Jin was formerly with Sensient Technologies, Flavors and Extracts Division, where his focus was CO2 emissions and water quality; he also did capital project work with production equipment.
WellPCB, OurPCB Launch Low-Cost PCB Assembly and Custom Cable Assembly Solutions
05/29/2025 | ACCESSWIREWellPCB and OurPCB, world leading PCB manufacturing service providers, announced today that they have officially launched new Low-Cost PCB Assembly Solutions and Custom Cable Assembly services to meet the needs of the electronics manufacturing industry for high cost performance and flexible customization.
Standards: The Roadmap for Your Ideal Data Package
05/29/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this interview, IPC design instructor Kris Moyer explains how standards can help you ensure that your data package has all the information your fabricator and assembler need to build your board the way you designed it, allowing them to use their expertise. As Kris says, even with IPC standards, there’s still an art to conveying the right information in your documentation.