Hi,
This is my first time making a PCB which cannot be hand etched. I am in the debugging phase and my query is:
What should be the minimum distance between traces?
What should be the minimum distance between traces and vias?
Maximum voltage on my PCB is 24V.
*I am not sure which manufacturer I am going to go with but I assume that all manufacturers would have somehwat similar equipment, hence the minimum distance between traces/vias etc would be standardised. *
Kind Regards,
Waqas
There are a number of IPC and UL standards that can be looked up for guidance in setting minimum spacing on a board. Unless you are working on a project that will legally require a UL standard to be met, odds are very good that you will exceed either the board house’s capabilities or your budget before you reach the minimum spacing requirements. For a project board at home running on 24V, most of your spacing requirements are 4mils or less.
Don’t assume that manufacturers have similar capabilities because not all do. Most publish their capabilities on their websites so you can design a board to work with their services. For the board houses that can produce boards with smaller features, you can expect the price to go up as your clearances go down. Many board houses for standard production set the lower limit at 6-8mils before they really start increasing prices. If you can get your board to meet an 8mil minimum, just about every board house will be able to build it for you.
-Bill
Phalanx is right. 6 mils is the standard hobby level minimum. I use [Osh Park, good price and the best quality compared to hobby level fab houses. They also have fast turn around times.
Thanks alot guys… 