Resources to learn true PCB design skills

[beaker353]

I’ve been playing in and around electronics and associated fields since early high school (graduated in 1998) and just recently started pursuing an associate EET degree at a local community college.  I’ve discovered that the depth of PCB design concepts I will be taught even in the most advanced courses I will be taking is quite lacking in my opinion.  I guess this is a specialty industry that is not part of normal programs.  I hunted around the internet and found a handful of sites that offer some good information, and I have to say that Dave’s is one of the best.  However, I guess I am looking for something more like a textbook format or approach that takes me from schematic to final finished board in good detail.  I don’t want to focus on a single software package, but rather core skills and “the art” that would still apply to any software.  Any titles or such that the greater intelligence of the forum like to offer up?  Thanks!

-EM

[Mat]

Hi!

Dave actually wrote an entire article about PCB design. Check it out :

http://alternatezone.com/electronics/pcbdesign.htm

M.

[beaker353]

Mat: Dave's guide was one of the first and I think finest resource I have found on the net.  I'm looking for the next level, maybe a textbook that a college level course would teach from.   I don’t expect something with that much effort and detail to be free or even cheap for that matter.

-EM

[Mat]

Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were talking about Dave's PCB article in your first post..

I don't know if it's common, but during my bachelor studies, we didn't have a course dedicated to PCB design.
PCB design skills had to be acquired by experience during semester projects, which of course gives you a limited overview of the subject.

M.

[Psi]

yeah, it's kind of a thing you just have to 'do' to learn.

[remon404]

i have pcb desing skill............

[cristoper]

There are several PCB design reference/best-practice type books. The Circuit Designer's Companion seems to get the best reviews.

[WarSim]

There are several PCB design reference/best-practice type books. The Circuit Designer's Companion seems to get the best reviews.

Interesting.  I have been using ICP and thousands of skills handed down to me by the previous generation and peers.  It will be interesting to find out how many can be found in such a reference.  Would also be nice to have a reference to help remember some of the more seldom required knowledge. 

Have you read it?  Do you personally recommend it as a reference for experienced people? 

[rsjsouza]

Quite interesting reference. A bit more detail can be found here:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780080971384

[nctnico]

An interesting book may be Designing and Creating Printed Circuits written by Sikonowiz. Besides design guidelines it also has a very extensive section on how PCBs are being made. Some of the information is probably outdated because the book was first published in 1981 but many principles still apply:
http://www.abebooks.com/9780810409644/Designing-Creating-Printed-Circuits-Sikonowiz-081040964X/plp

Anyway I've found it very informative when I started with electronics.

[Kremmen]

There are several PCB design reference/best-practice type books. The Circuit Designer's Companion seems to get the best reviews.

Interesting.  I have been using ICP and thousands of skills handed down to me by the previous generation and peers.  It will be interesting to find out how many can be found in such a reference.  Would also be nice to have a reference to help remember some of the more seldom required knowledge. 

Have you read it?  Do you personally recommend it as a reference for experienced people?

I have the book and can recommend it in general. It is not specifically or only a book on PCB design, it has got plenty of other stuff as well. If you are looking for an in-depth book on PCB design then this is not it. This is more like an overview of things to bear in mind when designing a product.

[WarSim]

There are several PCB design reference/best-practice type books. The Circuit Designer's Companion seems to get the best reviews.

Interesting.  I have been using ICP and thousands of skills handed down to me by the previous generation and peers.  It will be interesting to find out how many can be found in such a reference.  Would also be nice to have a reference to help remember some of the more seldom required knowledge. 

Have you read it?  Do you personally recommend it as a reference for experienced people?

I have the book and can recommend it in general. It is not specifically or only a book on PCB design, it has got plenty of other stuff as well. If you are looking for an in-depth book on PCB design then this is not it. This is more like an overview of things to bear in mind when designing a product.

Maybe a good choice for a different reason then.  I don't miss thing often but I do.  At work we use peer review to catch what is missed.  A book like that could be a good tool when there is no peers to review.  When I stop the 9-5 I may not have access to a peer network when I need one. 

[Smokey]

Check out Right the First Time.  PDF downloadable for free.

http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

The best resource for learning PCB layout is a senior engineer over your shoulder.  Don't expect to learn any useful layout skills in an EE program.  That's not really what you are there for anyway.  That stuff will come on the job or through a ton of side projects in your spare time.

[cristoper]

Have you read it?  Do you personally recommend it as a reference for experienced people?

I do actually own the second edition, but I've not read much of it. I've flipped through and read a few sections, but I'm not qualified to recommend or discourage its use as a reference.

I should clarify, as Kremmen mentioned, that there is only one chapter dedicated specifically to PCB design. As a reference it seems to fall somewhere between a compendium of facts and a collection of short design notes -- closer to the collection of notes end of the spectrum. The sections vary in depth, usually starting out with an overview of basic principles then adding in some practical considerations. As a hobbyist [non-professional], I can tell I'm not the primary target audience (with production checklists with items like "Have you involved purchasing staff as the design progressed?" and notes on very high-cost production/testing techniques).

[Köcki]

just stumbled upon this topic, very useful links for learning.

here is a list of books on pcb, check it out: books about pcb design

k

[hanndoddi]

This just showed up on reddit I had not seen it before looks really good.

http://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/242joh/if_your_electronics_project_needs_fcc_or_ce/

Maybe this should be a Sticky Topic "PBC design books and material"

http://www.emcfastpass.com/rightfirsttime/

http://www.emcfastpass.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EMC_Reference_Material.pdf

[Dago]

http://www.amazon.com/High-Speed-Digital-Design-Handbook/dp/0133957241

"High Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic"