What is prototyping? A lot of us are familiar with the standard dictionary definition — an early model of a product that functions as something to be replicated or learned from. But what is it when referring to electronics? A lot of us have heard phrases like “prototype PCB manufacturing,” but when we ask what it means we get looked at like we have three heads. If an explanation is given, it’s usually so full of technical jargon that we might as well have three heads for all the sense the world makes. Some people just barely understand technical terms, and that’s more than fine. It’s a very confusing subject, and hopefully one that can be — at least somewhat — explained here. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll use printed circuit boards, or PCBs, and prototype PCB manufacturing as examples.
Basically, prototype printed circuit boards take the prototype definition to the next step — it’s almost like a custom printed circuit board. These printed circuit board prototypes are easily replicated and are essentially working models. While, visually, it may not resemble the final product, the circuits themselves will be electrically identical.
So what’s the reason for prototyping? Basically, they are tests. Like with most sciences, a theory is formed. In this case, it’s a theoretical circuit design. All theories need to be tested, and that’s where prototyping comes in. The theoretical design is given a raw prototype — the circuits are put on a board according to the design — to verify it works. If everything works, fantastic. If it doesn’t there’s now an actual, physical model that can be tested and refined. This allows people to see exactly where the flaw is and how it can best be fixed.
One of the most common prototypes built are prototype circuit boards. Here’s where it’ll get more technical, and some of you may be lost. There are three types of circuit board construction. There’s single sided, which uses only one copper layer; double sided, which uses two copper layers; and multi-layered, which has outer and inner layers of copper. From there, there are two main methods to connect the circuits — Through Hole Construction and Surface Mount Assembly. Through Hole is the older method and it connects electronic components through the use of leads that are inserted through holes. Surface Mounting emerged in the 1960s and became immensely popular by the 1990s. It works by soldering components directly onto the PCB, which allows for much smaller circuits.
Prototyping is complicated, there are a lot of technical words involved, and there aren’t many online explanations designed for the layman. Prototype PCB manufacturing is typically best left to professionals with the proper gear and knowledge.
