Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best multilayer pcb design tutorial

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There’s nothing better in the world than a six layer chocolate cake. I do enjoy a single layer cake, but there’s no comparison to its larger and more decadent six layer cousin. A six layer cake however will take more time to prepare, more skill to bake, and it will be more expensive than a simpler cake. It will also take a little more time at the gym to compensate for the extra calories, but in the end it is really worth it.

If you’ve only laid out simple one or two layer circuit boards, you are going to find that laying out a multilayer PCB will have some similarities to a six layer cake. Like the cake, it will take more time, more skill, and more cost, but it will also be a very enjoyable design challenge without the burden of having to go to the gym the next day. There will be some new design methodologies to learn though, and we’ll give you an introduction to those here in this multilayer PCB design tutorial.

The First Step of a Multilayer PCB Design Tutorial; Setup and Prep

In some cases, older legacy PCB footprints may not be adequate for a multilayer design, and you need to find out if there are any additional requirements necessary. Depending on the CAD system being used, you may have to add layers or attributes to a footprint for multilayer use. Here is where having access to a more advanced PCB design system with links to online library services can be a real benefit. It makes it much easier to have the latest and most accurate PCB footprint source data to work with.

The main difference between a double layer and multilayer board setup, will be in planning your layer stackup. The following are some of the points that you will need to consider while planning your board layer stackup:

• Performance: How fast the circuitry will operate at, and the operating environment of the final board, may make a difference in the materials that the board will be fabricated with. There are more advanced materials than FR-4 that may be better suited for your application depending on what the needs are, but those materials may affect parameters such as your impedance calculations. Here is where the help of your PCB manufacturer will be an invaluable source of information.

• Cost: The fabrication materials as well as the layer count and configuration, will have a direct bearing on the overall cost of building the board. Here, again, you need to work with your manufacturer to consider all of the options.

• Density: The routing density of your board is another factor when determining the configuration of your board layer stackup. It is very painful when you have to go back and add layers to a board design after you’ve already started your layout. Not only do you have to reconfigure your CAD database, but you may have to make a lot of changes to your layout. On the other hand, if you start with too many layers you will be paying more for the boards then you should.

• Circuitry: You also need to understand the needs of your circuitry in order to create the most optimum layer configuration. For instance, sensitive signals may require a stripline layer configuration for their best performance, which will mean adding additional ground planes. Areas of analog and digital circuitry will need to be separated with their own ground planes, and onboard power supplies will need isolation. All of this could have an effect on the layer configuration, and this should be planned for before layout starts.

Once you’ve gathered your data and created your board layer stackup in the layout database, it will be time to start placing and routing the board.

With tools like this board outline generator, creating board layer stackups is a much easier

A Different Perspective on Place and Route

When working on a multilayer layout, one of the first things that will be different is how much you need to start thinking in terms of “3D” design. A two layer board only requires you to consider it in terms of ‘top,’ and ‘bottom.’ Now you are in a world of multiple layers, and there are different things happening internally that could affect the top and the bottom. For instance, you may not want to place a noisy part in a certain location, because of the sensitive routing on an inner layer underneath it.

As far as the tools go, placing components will be the same as with a double sided board, but the landscape that you are working with will be different. For instance, you don’t have to worry about leaving as much space for routing channels between your parts since they will be mostly routed on the inner layers. There will still be a need for short direct routes on the surface layers for sensitive circuitry, but for the most part, you now have more room to work with. This is a good thing too because with a multilayer board, there are probably a lot more components that need to be placed.

Internal trace routing and power planes will be a joy to work with, but at the same time there are some important considerations here as well:

• Multilayer boards will typically have more components and therefore more routing than a double sided board, so plan ahead for it. Depending on the technology of the board, some of this routing may have specific routing widths and spaces or other requirements, such as differential pairs or impedance controlled traces. 

• Some routing will require a stripline layer structure and must be routed on layers adjacent to ground planes. Additionally, sensitive routing must be crossed perpendicularly on adjacent internal signal layers to help reduce any possible broadside coupling or crosstalk.

• Ground planes will have a lot of vias in them for connectivity, but those vias could affect signal return paths. This requires carefully planning your routing to avoid blocking up the planes.

• Split planes need to be laid out so that sensitive signals don’t cross the splits and thereby ruin their return path. A situation like this can create a lot of noise on the board.

Once the placement and routing is done and checked, the rest of the design work will be similar to a double sided board. Now you are ready to have the boards built.

Multilayer PCB layout requires a 3D perspective to circuit board design

Finalizing the Design with Documentation and Output Files

To get your multilayer design out for manufacturing, you will need to create the same kind of documentation that you’ve always created, but with a few exceptions. First of all, there will be more details needed on your manufacturing drawings. Your fabrication drawing will need a multilayer board stackup detail, and notes detailing the specifics of how the board will be built. Second, if you are using Gerber files for your manufacturing outputs, you will obviously need to generate additional files for the multiple board layers. Here is where using an advanced set of CAD tools can be very helpful in creating and managing your manufacturing output files.

Fortunately, there are PCB design systems available that already have the tools you need for successful multilayer circuit board design. OrCAD PCB Designer is the type of advanced system that will give you access to online CAD library services, board outline creation wizards, and manufacturing and documentation generation utilities.

If you’re looking to learn more about how Cadence has the solution for you, talk to us and our team of experts.

Multi-Layer or Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), or Multilayer Boards (MLBs), which have more than 2 copper layers. A multilayer PCB must have a minimum of 3 conductive layers of conductive material or copper layer. All the layers are interconnected with copper plated holes, including NC vias and laser microvias either in plated through, or in buried and blind.

Layers of copper foil, prepreg (PP) or adhesive, and core materials are sandwiched together under high temperature and pressure to produce multilayer PCB boards. Pressure is needed to squeeze out air while heat is required to melt and cure the thermosetting PP or adhesive which holds the multilayer PCB together.

Layer Counts of Multilayer PCB

At MADPCB, we can fabricate, assemble and design multilayer PCBs in different types, like rigid, flex, rigid-flex and metal core PCBs, and each type has different layer counts.

• Rigid Multilayer PCBs: 4, 6, 8, … up to 30 layers
• Flex Multilayer Circuits: 3, 4, 5, … up to 8 layers
• Rigid-Flex Multilayer PCB: 2, 3, 4, … up to 20 layers
• Metal Core Multilayer Boards: 4 layers at most

How to Manufacture Multilayer PCBs?

Are you interested in learning more about bulk industrial control fr4 pcb? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Manufacturing multilayer circuit boards is a straightforward process but does require a high level of attention to detail in all fabrication processes. Care must be taken to ensure all layers are correctly registered to the required drilled holes despite the deformation stresses produced by the heat and pressure. The buildup requires the operator ensures correct materials are chosen, the build sequence is followed and the orientation of each sheet is correct. Each unpressed PCB panel is loaded as a “chapter” with up to 10 chapters presses together to form a “book” separately by heavy steel plates. These books are then loaded into each chamber of a hydraulic press. At MADPCB, we have the capacity to press up to 30 PCB panels into each load. The press for pressing polyimide material is modified slightly from the process required for FR4.

Multilayer PCB Stack-up Design

In some cases, older legacy PCB footprints may not be adequate for a multilayer design, and you need to find out if there are any additional requirements necessary. Depending on the CAD system being used, you may have to add layers or attributes to a footprint for a multilayer use. But nowadays you have access to a many PCB design system to online library services can be real benefit. It makes it much easier to have the latest and most accurate PCB footprint sources to work with.

The main difference between a double layer and multilayer board setup, will be in planning your layer setup. The following are some of the points that you will need to consider while planning your board layer stack-up:

• Performance: How fast the circuitry will operate at, and the operating environment of the final board, may make a difference in the materials that the board will be fabricated with. There are more advanced materials than FR4 that may be suited for your application depending on what the needs are, but those materials may affect parameters such as our impedance calculations. Here is where the help of your PCB manufacturer will be an invaluable source of information.

• Cost: The multilayer PCB fabrication materials as well as the layer count and configuration, will have a direct bearing on the overall cost of building the board. Here, again, you need to work with your manufacturer to consider all of the options.

• Density: The routing density of your board is another factor when determining the configuration of your board layer stack-up. It is very painful when you have to go back and add layers to a board design after you’ve already started your layout. Not only do you have to reconfigure your CAD database, but you may have to make a lot of changes to your layout. On the other hand, if you start with too many layers you will be paying more for the boards then you should.

• Circuitry: You also need to understand the needs of your circuitry in order to create the most optimized layer configuration. For instance, sensitive signals may require a stripline layer configuration for their best performance, which will mean adding additional ground planes. Areas of analog and digital circuitry will need to be separated with their own ground planes, and onboard power supplies will need isolation. All of this could have an effect on the layer configuration, and this should be planned for before layout starts.

Multilayer Board Layout: Placement and Routing

Once you’ve gathered your data and confirmed your board layer stack-up in the layout database, it will be time to start placing and routing the board.

When working on a multilayer PCB board layout, one of the first things that will be different is how much you need to start thinking in terms of “3D” design. A two-layer PCB only requires you to consider it in terms of top layer and bottom layer. Now you are in a world of multiple layers, and there are different things happening internally that could affect the top and the bottom. For instance, you may now want to place a noisy part in a certain location, because of the sensitive routing on an inner layer underneath it.

As far as the tools go, placing components will be the same as with a double-sided board, but the landscape that you are working with will be different. For instance, you don’t have to worry about leaving a s much space for routing channels between your parts since they will be mostly routed on the inner layers. There will still be a need for short direct routes on the surface layers for sensitive circuitry, but for the most part, you now have more room to work with. This is good thing too because with a multilayer board, there are probably a lot more components that need to be placed.

Internal trace routing and power planes will be a joy to work with, but at the same time there are some important considerations here as well:

• Multilayer PCBs will typically have more components and therefore more routing than a double-sided board, so plan ahead for it. Depending on the technology of the board, some of this routing may have required specific routing widths and spaces or other requirements, such as differential pairs or impedance-controlled traces.
• Some routing will require a stripline layer structure and must be routed on layers adjacent to ground planes. Additionally, sensitive routing must be crossed perpendicularly on adjacent internal signal layers to help reduce any possible broadside coupling or crosstalk.
• Ground planes will have a lot of vias in them for connectivity, but those vias could affect signal return paths. This requires carefully planning your routing to avoid blocking up the planes.
• Split planes need to be laid out so that sensitive signals don’t cross the splits and thereby ruin their return path. A situation like this can create a lot of noise on the multilayer PCB.

Fabrication Drawings and Output Files

Once the placement and routing are done and checked, the rest of the design work will be the similar to a double-sided board. Now you are ready to have the boards fabricated.

To get your multilayer design out for manufacturing, you will need to create the documentation. In your fabrication drawings, you need a multilayer PCB Stack-up detail, and notes detailing the specifics of how the PCB will be built. If you are using Gerber files for your manufacturing outputs, you will obviously need to generate additional files for the multiple PCB layers.

Design for Manufacturability for Multilayer PCBs

• Taking PCB manufacturing capabilities of your manufacturer into considerations
• Copper areas -on inner layers, all copper should be kept at least 10mil from the outer edge of the PCB, 20mil is preferred.
• Via clearance through inner layers (antipads)
• Allow for clearance around any holes or via barrels not connected to an inner layer. This clearance should be at least 15mil although 20mil clearance is preferred.
• Thermal Relief Pads -the tie should be a minimum of 8mil while more is preferable.
• Larger geometries -will result in higher yields which will be reflected in your PCB cost.

Bow and Twist

Bow and Twist in multilayer PCBs is typically the result of unconventional designs, which is more likely occur in asymmetric designs which can result in unbalanced stress conditions. For example, odd layer counts (3, 5, 7 layers) are known to cause issues. Another source of multilayer PCB bow and twist comes from designs which specify variable layer thicknesses. For example, a 4 layers buildup specification of 7/28/21 creates more risk of deformation than a standard build. Even different PCB configurations can be influencing factors. For reaching the IPC standard bow and twist, the designers should use symmetric stack-ups.

Choosing the Right Manufacturer for Multilayer PCBs

Manufacturing multilayer printed circuit board requires specialized equipment and a significant commitment to operator training, not to mention the financial consideration when the board with complex design. This explains why some PCB fabricators have been slower to step in multilayer boards production market than us. MADPCB can provide the advanced capabilities to support advanced PCB designs with demanding requirements including laser ablated microvia, embedded passive boards, heavy copper PCB, via-in-pad, high frequency boards and others.

View our PCB Capabilities, PCB Fabrication Process and Get A Quick Quote today→

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