JLCPCB Blog

Design Fundamentals & Schematics

What is Solder Mask and How Does it Impact Your PCB Designs?

Solder mask may not be the most exciting topic in PCB manufacturing, but it's definitely one of the most crucial. Without proper solder mask, your Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) could suffer from shorts, bridges, corrosion, and other costly and time-consuming issues. So, if you want to ensure the quality, reliability, and longevity of your electronic products, you need to know everything about solder mask - from it's purpose and types to it's application and design implementations. In this ultimate gu......

Jul 25, 2023

HDI PCBs

Via in Pad (VIP) Technology : Driving Density and Reliability in Advanced HDI PCB Fabrication

Via in pad is exactly what it sounds like: placing a via directly within a component’s soldering pad rather than routing it off to the side with a short trace. While this concept seems straightforward, it represents a significant evolution in PCB design philosophy that has become essential for modern high-density interconnect (HDI) boards. In traditional PCB design, vias were always placed outside the component pad area, connected by a short fanout trace. This approach works fine when you have plenty ......

Feb 25, 2026

Design Fundamentals & Schematics

Understanding Schematics: A Design Walkthrough

Every electronic design is based on a schematic diagram. The schematic diagram is the blueprint that shows how electronic components are connected to create a circuit. The schematics serve as a route map showing how current and signals will flow from the input stage to the output stage. Before a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is actually made, we typically design a schematic. When it comes to the revision of the circuit, the main work is done first at the schematic level, and after that PCB is again modi......

Oct 25, 2025

HDI PCBs

Understanding Multilayer PCB Design in Modern Electronics

Introduction As electronics changes quickly, people want devices that are smaller and more powerful. This has led to the development of more advanced printed circuit board (PCB) designs. Multilayer PCBs are very important for meeting these needs because they offer higher density, when better usefulness in a smaller package. The complicated PCBs are used in a lot of high-performance devices, like smartphones, telecommunications gear, medical devices, and industrial machines. This article covers with a ......

Dec 25, 2024

Signal & Power Integrity

Understanding Impedance Matching for High-Speed PCB Designs

With the advancement of technology and the ever wider application of integrated circuits, the frequency and speed of electronic signal transmission have been increasing, making it essential for PCB conductors to provide high-performance transmission lines. These transmission lines are responsible for delivering signals from a source to the input of a receiver accurately and completely. This requirement emphasizes the need for impedance matching. Electrical impedance, commonly represented as Z and meas......

Aug 23, 2023

PCB Structures & Fundamentals

Types of PCB Boards: Ultimate Reference with Specs & Use Cases

A printed circuit board (PCB) consists of laminated insulating and conductive materials that connect multiple electrical devices. A PCB can be thought of as a layered composite of fibreglass and epoxy with copper patterns etched onto it. These serve as electrical conductors and pathways for signals and power. A PCB can be Simple (one layer of conductive material), Double-Sided (two conductive layers), or Complex (three or more conductive layers) to allow numerous circuit paths on a small piece of hard......

Dec 31, 2025