American Made Advocacy: Lobbying Congress Supports the Supply Chain
Defense Speak Interpreted: Is There Still a CHIPS Act?
Beyond the Board: Empowering the Next Generation of Tech Innovators in Electronics
Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost
December 3, 2024 | Matt Stevenson, ASC SunstoneEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In the rapidly evolving aerospace industry, precision and reliability are paramount. “AeroTech Solutions” (not the company’s real name), an aerospace company specializing in satellite technology, recently faced a significant challenge that tested its operational integrity: A flaw identified in the PCB design of its latest satellite model led to unexpected delays and cost overruns. This article explores the issues the company encountered, its collaboration with its PCB manufacturer to resolve these challenges, and the steps taken to ensure project success moving forward. The real cost to manufacture can be greatly affected at the PCB design level.
AeroTech Solutions has built a reputation for innovation and excellence in the aerospace technology market. With numerous successful satellite projects under its belt, the company was poised to launch its newest satellite designed for advanced communications and earth monitoring. However, during the final stages of production, the engineering team detected a flaw in the PCB design which was causing functional failures and putting the satellite’s operational functionality at risk.
The Issue: PCB Design Flaw
The PCB design flaw was identified during the final test stage of the prototype PCBA. Engineers kept finding assemblies that showed the flaw at various levels throughout the testing phases, and finally identified the root cause during final test. They discovered that the designer had overlooked critical routing on a very sensitive portion of the design. That created issues with the clean transfer of the signal and created isolated overheating. This led to delamination and jeopardized the satellite’s mission objectives.
To read the entire case study, which originally published in the November 2024 PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
CE3S Launches EcoClaim Solutions to Simplify Recycling and Promote Sustainable Manufacturing
05/29/2025 | CE3SCumberland Electronics Strategic Supply Solutions (CE3S), your strategic sourcing, professional solutions and distribution partner, is proud to announce the official launch of EcoClaim™ Solutions, a comprehensive recycling program designed to make responsible disposal of materials easier, more efficient, and more accessible for manufacturers.
WellPCB, OurPCB Launch Low-Cost PCB Assembly and Custom Cable Assembly Solutions
05/29/2025 | ACCESSWIREWellPCB and OurPCB, world leading PCB manufacturing service providers, announced today that they have officially launched new Low-Cost PCB Assembly Solutions and Custom Cable Assembly services to meet the needs of the electronics manufacturing industry for high cost performance and flexible customization.
Siemens Expands OSAT Alliance Membership to Build Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chains
05/29/2025 | SiemensSiemens Digital Industries Software announced the latest members to join its OSAT Alliance program which enables outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers to develop, validate and support integrated circuit (IC) package assembly design kits (ADKs) that drive broader adoption of emerging technologies by fabless semiconductor and systems companies and help to build secure domestic semiconductor supply chains.
Standards: The Roadmap for Your Ideal Data Package
05/29/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this interview, IPC design instructor Kris Moyer explains how standards can help you ensure that your data package has all the information your fabricator and assembler need to build your board the way you designed it, allowing them to use their expertise. As Kris says, even with IPC standards, there’s still an art to conveying the right information in your documentation.
High-frequency EMC Noise in DC Circuits
05/29/2025 | Karen Burnham, EMC UnitedEMC isn’t black magic, but it’s easy to understand why it seems that way. When looking at a schematic like that in Figure 1, it looks like you’re only dealing with DC signals all across the board. There’s a 28 VDC input that goes through an EMI filter, then gets converted to 12 VDC power. Except in extremely rare circumstances involving equipment sensitive to magnetostatic fields, DC electricity will never be part of an EMC problem.