The PCB Documentation

We have a standard documentation package, which is supplied with all our design work. This package is quite complete at a technical level, and contains all the information required to manufacture, modify or further develop the product. The package is detailed below, and you can see actual examples by selecting the links. If you wish to see other examples of the documentation, please look in our circuit collection.

We also have one complete example technical documentation package online - for a weighscale. Due to size constraints, this html document is split into two parts, and the resolution of the images has been dropped so that they will fit the format of the page. Higher resolution images of the same project can be obtained from the circuit collection, which you can access from our circuit index page.

The standard PCB documentation file that you will receive with your job contains:

Front Cover

Title, date, version number, customer details, project features

Schematic

(One or more pages) See example circuit diagram.

ECO Sheet

Details of any circuit modifications. See ECO and version numbers.

Bill of material

The parts list. See example parts list.

Parts key

A glossary of the part number abbreviations, with package sizes, lead spacings, tolerance notes and preferred types

Front panel artwork

(If applicable to project). See example front panel.

Manufacturing notes

If project has proceeded from prototype to manufacture, this page will be included and will contain the notes relating to previous production runs - for instance problems encountered, methods of testing.

Drilling diagram

A diagram showing the positioning and size of every hole on the PCB. See example drilling diagram.

Actual size PCB overlay

A diagram showing the positioning and identification of the PCB components. The plan is printed actual size to allow components to be placed against it to check for fit. See example component overlay.

The printed circuit board and schematic diagram will also be supplied in CAD format on a diskette.

Naeser's Law: You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it damnfoolproof.

Design overview Examples: Circuit library PCB Assembly