A smoother electronic product development cycle means getting to market faster and more profitably. Minimizing PCB design iterations is key to an innovative, problem-free process. Prototyping offers an early opportunity to save time, eliminate the need for rework, and discover opportunities for improvement.

As the product team prepares their first PCB prototype for manufacture, they must consider the following:

• Schematic design

• Layout

• Interaction with firmware or software required for operation

• Operation of chosen parts as listed in the component datasheet documentation, functional specifications, and schematic-driven simulation data.

• The PCB manufacturer’s ability to manufacture the board to spec.