AstroPCB
PCB Engineering Blog
Technical articles on PCB design, materials and manufacturing.
Technical articles on PCB design, materials, manufacturing processes and industry comparisons. Written by engineers for engineers — practical guidance based on manufacturing experience, not marketing copy. Each article addresses a specific design decision, material selection question, or manufacturing trade-off that PCB designers encounter in real projects.
Materials & Laminates
PCB Copper Thickness Guide — How copper weight affects current capacity, impedance, fabrication and cost.
PCB Surface Finish Comparison — HASL, ENIG, ENEPIG, immersion silver, OSP: properties, cost and application fit.
Design Guides
HDI PCB Design Guidelines — Microvia dimensions, sequential lamination, impedance and DFM preparation.
High-Speed PCB Manufacturing and Design Inputs — Impedance matching, length matching, via optimization and laminate selection for multi-gigabit interfaces.
Rigid-Flex Manufacturing and Design Inputs — Bend radius, flex zone stackup, transition design and material selection for rigid-flex boards.
RF PCB Design Guide — Layout techniques for RF circuits: ground continuity, via transitions, impedance control and material selection.
Manufacturing & Process
Via in Pad Guide — Filled and copper-capped vias, IPC-4761 types and BGA pitch rules for fine-pitch designs.
AI Accelerator HDI PCB — BGA escape routing, sequential lamination, laminate selection and power delivery for AI boards.
Industry Comparisons
PCBWay vs JLCPCB — Comparing popular PCB prototype services: capabilities, quality and when to look beyond self-service platforms.
When to Evaluate Other PCB Suppliers — Questions to ask when a construction needs detailed engineering review.
Buying Guides
PCB Manufacturing Process and Capabilities — Fabrication stages, board types and AstroPCB’s published planning references.
Polyimide PCB Guide — When to specify polyimide over FR-4: flex circuits, rigid-flex, high-temperature applications.