Pcb Design BasicsBASICS of PCBs David Maliniak, Electronic Design Automation Editor Design PCBs Are Not So Simple Anymore rinted-circuit boards (PCBs) are at the heart of the modern electronic packaging found in almost every consumer electronics product. In essence, a PCB creates the connections between components within a system. Mass reproducibility for circuits with even a modicum of complexity and/or speed requires a PCBbased packaging scheme. When designed correctly, PCBs bring predictability. A correct design minimizes wiring lengths and lays out the board so signal-integrity issues are controlled. It also makes it much easier to find components during troubleshooting and repair. Even high-pin-count ICs can be removed, if necessary, and replaced. The printed-circuit-board design infrastructure has……