Your Excellent Hard Drive PCB Manufacturer in China

Your Number 1 Hard Drive PCB Supplier

When you are looking for a professional and reliable hard drive PCB manufacturer, PCBMay is the right place for you. We engage in supplying and designing an excellent hard drive printed circuit board. For your business, we can offer a one-stop PCB solution.

The PCBMay hard drive PCB has full capability in protecting unit files. They can enhance and improve the entire system’s performance. Choose the hard drive PCB for your personal and business applications. This PCB provides a reliable solution and functions professionally.

PCBMay hard drive PCB is available in single-sided PCB to 22 or more layers. We have different hard drive PCB thicknesses and forms. If you desire to get an exact hard drive PCB with your dimension and sizes, check at PCBMay. We can supply your hard drive PCB according to your expectations.

PCBMay hard drive board does not need complicated operations and preparations. Since it consists of solid components, they offer a long service life and strong ability in every application. They have a quick and convenient installation. PCBMay hard drive boards are popular for laptops, computers, and other devices. 

At PCBMay, we offer an abundant hard drive printed circuit board selection such as external PCB, mobile PCB, laptop PCB, digital  PCB, hard drive PCB swapping, and the prototype hard drives PCB.

PCBMay offers a competitive and affordable rate of PCBs.  You can afford a PCBMay’s hard drive PCB. You will enjoy and be happy with PCBMay’s services. PCBMay serves with product quality, reasonable price, and excellent service base.

Aside from hard drive PCB, we also offer various PCB products like motor driver PCB, energy meter PCB, transmitter PCB, rflink PCB, radar PCB, wireless PCB, and coil PCB. If you plan to add any PCB product for your business, always count PCBMay.

We provide a fast and quick response to your inquiries. PCBMay’s products are top-rated and famous in a wide range of electronic markets. By supplying high-quality outcomes, we obtain the best reputation and receive desirable feedback from different customers.

If you are interested in PCBMay hard drive PCB, please feel free to contact us!

Hard Drive PCB: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Are you worried about protecting data in a hard drive?

It is capable of storing essential information in computers or other storing devices. Its long working period and supreme efficiency are desirable for advanced applications.

PCBMay is the leading supplier and manufacturer of this PCB. We have been designing the most effective hard drive PCB for many years. This FAQ guide will meet up your thrust of knowing about its applications, components, assembly, etc. Let’s begin.

What Is Hard Drive PCB?

It is a worthwhile electric circuit to make a hard drive functional. This is applied to preserve, recover, and transfer information in electronic appliances. Its tremendous features improve the performance of the entire system.

This PCB transfers electrical energy in the form of binary code to the hard drive. It operates in reading and writing modes. There is a spinning platter along with a magnetic layer in the hard drive. Hard drive stores data on the magnetic coating.

Hard Drive PCB

A “head” is placed on the spinning platter that passes current to the drive’s surface and inscribes binary code in the writing mode. On the contrary, it functions in the opposite way during the read mode.

Then, the magnetic field passes electricity to the read head. It converts the binary signal to digital form. PCB controls these encoding, decoding with supreme efficiency. This PCB consists of microcontrollers that ensure excellence in signal processing and the motion of spinning motors.

Hard drive PCB enables storing around a trillion bits in a platter. You can recover your lost data easily because of this highly functional PCB. It is compatible with both single and multilayer PCB stack-up.

Besides, this lead-free compatible PCB has different solder mask colors. Its customization facility makes it a trustworthy circuit solution in desktops and laptops.

What Are The Applications Of Hard Drive PCB?

It is a reliable circuit for keeping your important files uncorrupted. Its major applications are in computers, mobiles, laptops, programmable devices, etc. Some PCBs are effective for both laptop and desktop applications. Hard drive bracket PCB is a good example of these multiple uses.

Hard Drive PCB Applications

How To Fix A Damaged Hard Drive PCB?

You need to fix your hard drive PCB when it becomes faulty or damaged. In that case, it is important for you to learn how to repair this PCB.

In the beginning, separate the damaged portion of the PCB and eliminate its soldering. Then, use copper tape on this part to cover this pard and solder the connections. Now, replace through-holes on the PCB surface.

Hard Drive PCB Repair

In the last part, place the PCB components in the required locations and solder them. Then, just remove the tape and use your hard drive PCB again and experience its high-quality performance.

What Are The Components Of A Hard Drive PCB?

Printed circuit boards are the principal career of signal transmission in computer’s hard drives. Its vital components are-

• BIOS chip
• Crystal oscillator
• TVS diode
• Resistor
• Capacitor
• Cache chip
• Controller integrated circuit
• Motor controller

Hard Drive PCB Components

How Does Impedance Control Affect The Performance Of Hard Drive PCB?

Impedance is a major property in electronics applications. Its inconsistent values have adverse impacts on the performance of hard drive PCB. So, you need to pay attention to impedance control seriously.

Unstable impedance measurements hamper the constant flow of current through the PCB layers. That means hard drives don’t receive regular signals from the circuit board in writing mode. It reduces the efficiency of data storage.

Hard Drive PCB Impedance Control

Again, excessive current flow lessens the dielectric strength of this PCB. This property influences insulation in PCB materials. Impedance control plays a vital role in maintaining the necessary insulating properties of dielectric materials.

In multilayer PCB stack-up, controlled impedance is the topmost priority of the designer. If you want to ensure a large current carrying capacity in a multilayer design having a heavy copper thickness, impedance stability is a mandatory factor.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Faulty Hard Drive PCB?

It has great control over the functionality of hard drives. That’s why faulty PCB is not desirable at any point for the stable performance of your device. A consumer needs to be familiar with the symptoms of a defective hard drive printed circuit board.

Let’s have a look at the notable signs-

• Hard drives overheat quickly compared to regular operations.
• The response time of hard drives is considerably high.
• Unconventional errors start cropping system files.
• Hard drives require formatting from time to time.
• There is a smell of burning while powering the device.
• The refresh time and file opening period are extremely long.
• The computer delivers wrong information about the hard drive’s size, storage capacity, etc.

Faulty Hard Drive

These are the most common signs of a faulty PCB applied to control hard drives. If you notice any one of these symptoms, you can consider your PCB as defective. Then. you need to find out the PCB problem and repair it or replace this PCB.

What Are The Advantages Of Hard Drive PCB?

It always keeps you relaxed about file preservation and signal transmission in different electronic appliances. It provides tremendous advantages due to having effective materials and technologies.

Effective Hard Drive PCB

The most noteworthy benefits of a hard drive circuit board include-

• Its easy and effective mechanism ensures proper data storage in electronic devices.
• This PCB is highly durable against mechanical forces.
• The repairing process of this PCB is easier compared to other PCBs.
• Its firmware transfer process is not very complicated.
• It can hold information for around 2-3 years without having power.
• You can recover lost data from the hard drive through this PCB.
• The thermal drainage system is impressive in the case of hard drive PCB.
• It is extremely functional in prototype applications and multilayer
• This highly operative PCB is moisture-resistant.
• It has a negligible adverse impact on the environment.

Watch this video to learn more about data recovery:

Hard Drive PCB Data Recovery

What Are The Most Reliable Types Of Hard Drive PCB?

It offers versatile types concerning their application, layering, etc. The most reliable types of this PCB are-

• External hard drive PCB
• Hard drive bracket PCB
• Digital hard drive PCB
• Hard drive multilayer PCB
• Hard drive motor PCB
• Mobile hard drive PCB

Widely-Used Hard Drive PCB

What Is Hard Drive PCB Firmware?

Hard drive PCB firmware is a program data on the BIOS chip. It holds all programming details about the hard drive’s operation. Firmware plays an important role to upgrade the software. It links the hardware and software of hard drives. Usually, it is coded on the hard drive’s disk platters.

There is a logical block addressing in the disk platter. It influences the operating systems, programs, data, etc. The microcode of the service zone needs to be matched to the firmware code. It is highly essential for maintaining the integrity of the whole system.

BIOS (Binary Input-Output system) on a PC is a firmware that works to generate hardware components and load the operating systems. Thus, it boots up a computer.

Why Do You Need To Transfer The Firmware While Replacing A Hard Drive PCB?

Firmware is an unavoidable part of a Hard drive PCB. It contains unique codes to configure hard disk drives. You can’t get access to the hard drive’s system area without these programming codes.

Hard Drive PCB Firmware transfer

That means a hard drive is unusable to you without the correct firmware. For that reason, it is required for you to transfer the firmware during the replacement of the hard drive PCB.

Which Factors Do You Need To Know For Transferring Hard Drive PCB Firmware?

The following factors are essential for transferring hard drive PCB firmware.

Firmware Location

Firmware is stored in Bios chips. These chips usually have 4 pins on both sides. You can easily locate the firmware when you look for an 8 pin chip. 25F512, 25F1024AN, etc are firmware having 8 pins.

Multiple BIOS-Chips Operation

If there are multiple BIOS chips, you need to transfer all of them separately. Otherwise, you can’t get access to your data.

Controller Chip

In hard drive PCB, firmware is attached to a controller PCB. It contains more than 8 pins. That’s why you have to transfer this controller chip.

Hard Drive PCB Firmware

If you are aware of these factors mentioned above, you are ready for PCB firmware transfer. You just need to remove the BIOS chip from the new hard drive and solder the previous firmware on this hard disk drive board. Watch the following video:

How Long Does A Hard Drive PCB Last?

The lifespan of a hard drive PCB depends on multiple factors. Such as heat dissipation, current load, material’s stability, magnetic forces in writing and reading cycles, etc.

But, this PCB remains functional for around 3-5 years on average. This shelf life is commendable compared to other PCB-driven storage devices. After that period, its performance starts declining.  So, you should replace your hard drive PCB with a new one so that your device never becomes deficient.

HDD PCB Long Lifespan

Besides, regular inspection keeps this PCB worthwhile for a long period. Since hard drive PCBs have waterproof features, you can be relaxed about their protection against water and moisture effects. Inquire us. We manufacture long-lasting hard drive PCBs consisting of top-notch materials and components.

Is High Glass Transition Temperature Good For A Hard Drive PCB?

The glass transition temperature is the highest temperature where materials can resist their phase transition from solid states. That means If you apply a higher temperature from this TG value, materials will start losing their rigidity. So, a high glass transition temperature is an essential requirement in hard drive PCB design.

A high Tg PCB shows a great performance against thermal power. It does not allow changing materials characteristics due to a high temperature. So, you can apply hard drives to unconventional atmospheres. This improves the product’s stability to a great extent.

High TG hard drive PCB

Hard drive PCB contains worthwhile materials and components having mechanical endurance. Its thermal drainage system is highly impressive that is responsible for distributing excess heat. Besides, its low relative permittivity controls the thermal expansion that enables it to maintain a high glass transition temperature.

Which Component Mounting Technology Is Effective For Hard Drive PCB Assembly?

Hard drive PCB supports different technologies for component mounting. But, surface mount technology is the most effective way for achieving optimum output from the PCB components.

There are some definite reasons behind the application of SMT in this PCB assembly. Such as:

• SMT provides better solderability to the surface mount devices than through-hole technology.
• Surface mount devices are very supportive of hard drive PCB thermal management.
• This mounting process is comparatively cheaper than THT.
• It is effective for carrying high current loads.
• SMD takes a smaller surface for placement. That’s why the designer can utilize the maximum portion of this PCB surface for vias.
• SMT enables you to design a lightweight hard drive PCB for your projects.

PCB Surface Mount Technology

Through-hole technology is effective for high robustness. But, weak solderability and high cost make this process less applicable in hard drives.

How Can You Test A Hard Drive PCB?

Hard drive PCB delivers outstanding performance in preserving a huge amount of data. Similar to other electric circuits, you should conduct some reliable tests to check its functionality, design layout, component placing, and so on.

We are here to share some testing methods of this PCB with you.

In-circuit Test

Its other name is the nail probe test. You can understand the reason for such naming when you learn about its mechanism.

Here, the circuit board is placed on a bed of probes. There are some specific points designed on the PCB surface to connect it to the probes perfectly. Probes are directed at different angles for having better results from complex portions of the PCB.

The inspector of ICT tests finds defects of solder joints, current and voltage rating, loose connections, etc. You can rely on this test for high-volume PCB applications. Excessive time consumption is a drawback of this test.

Automated X-ray inspection

The AXI test is useful for checking hidden connections which are not easy to detect through manual testing. High penetration power of the X-ray enables you to inspect the barrel size, solder connections, the diameter of drilling holes, etc.

It is an extremely trusted inspection process for prototype PCB as well as high-density hard drive PCB assembly.

Functional test

It verifies the functional ability of hard drives. The functional test should be conducted at the very last stage of manufacturing. You can’t get the output of circuit defects, but it delivers you the analysis of PCB performance in a real environment. That’s why you achieve a clear idea about its behavior in a practical case.

We have a recommendation for you to run this test along with ICT or AXI tests. Then you will get more perfect results.

PCB Flying Probe Test

Except for these tests, the flying probe test and automated optical inspections are very worthwhile methods for PCB testing.

Is A Hard Drive PCB Customizable?

A hard drive PCB can be customized and this facility keeps this PCB one step ahead of other traditional electric circuits. It allows you to include versatile features through proper customization.

You can also make this PCB programmable. Besides, if you intend to customize the dimensions of the PCB trace and dielectric thickness, It will allow you without declining its efficiency.

Hard Drive PCB Customization

Customization can promote the dimensional stability and impedance control of your PCB projects greatly. Again, you have an opportunity of adjusting motors in the hard drives. In a nutshell, a customizable hard drive PCB develops the system performance undoubtedly.

How Long Does A Hard Drive PCB Hold Data Without Power?

Hard drive PCB has immense applications for holding information for a long period. But, there is a certain time limit for this PCB to store data without a power supply. This is around 2-3 years. Then, there is a chance of losing information.

Usually, it depends on several factors. Like environmental conditions, mechanical failures, magnetic field breakdown, etc. Magnets lose their strength because of regular use. Then, it causes a breakdown of the magnetic field after a certain time.

Besides, heavy mechanical stress causes the failure of disk platters. All of these factors result in degrading the data holding capacity of this PCB. If you protect a hard drive PCB from these effects, then it will be able to hold data for a long period.

What Are The Limitations Of Hard Drive PCB?

Hard drive PCB enhances the information storage capacity of electronic gadgets significantly. But, at the same time, it also has some limitations. You should be conscious of these disadvantages while choosing this PCB for your devices.

Some of its notable limitations are-

• This PCB often faces burning issues due to excessive current flow.
• Its manufacturing cost is a little bit high compared to other PCBs ’ costs.
• Its design in advanced applications contains an extra bit of complexity in some cases.

Highly Functional Hard Drive PCB

Don’t worry about these negative sides. You can overcome all limitations by choosing a trusted manufacturer and ensuring superior quality PCB materials.

Can A Hard Drive PCB Be Compatible With A Multilayer PCB Stackup?

Yes. You can use a hard drive PCB in a multilayer stackup. It becomes possible due to its dielectric materials. Multilayer PCB stackup requires different dielectric constants for separate PCB layers.

Here. FR-4 and epoxy materials in different layers ensure a wide range of relative permittivity. That’s why the multilayer structure of this PCB becomes more durable and effective than single-layer designs.

Multilayer PCB

Besides, this PCB allows an effective arrangement of different PVB vias. These vias with a suitable drilling process ensure trouble-free conduction of heat and current. Thus, it makes its thermal management effective.

Multilayer hard drive PCB has a programmable feature that improves its compatibility with enormous storage devices to a great extent. Again, you can apply various copper thicknesses to enhance the current conduction ability as per your requirements.

How Do You Choose The Best Manufacturer Of Hard Drive PCB In China?

If you want to ensure the premium efficiency of hard drive PCB, you need to choose a reliable manufacturer. But you should check some properties to be confirmed about the capability of its manufacturer. Such as:

Experience

An experienced manufacturer can provide trustworthy ODM and OEM services. Again, to know the minute details about the PCB assembly, the manufacturer requires a long experience. That’s why you should focus on this factor while making a choice.

Cost

Cost is a vital factor in this event. You need to choose one which can deliver different types of hard drive PCBs at a reasonable price.

Quality

There are different reliable standards like RoHS, IPC, etc that certify the quality of PCB. A manufacturer should have certification from these standards. Besides, it must have an abundant supply of high-quality materials.

Technical Support

You should look for the manufacturer’s technical support facility. If it can render skilled technicians for one-stop manufacturing service and custom solutions, you should rely on that manufacturer.

Customer Service

A 24/7 customer care facility is a mandatory requirement for PCB manufacturers. It should ensure full-time technical and sales support for the convenience of the consumers.

We have been engaging ourselves in designing and supplying top-quality hard drive PCB for more than 15 years. You can enjoy a low-cost assembly service here. Contact us immediately for having the best hard drive PCB experience.

Conclusion

So, it should be clear to you that hard drive PCB renders you the ultimate perfection in data storage and signal transmission. Its flexible size and useful properties promote the integrity of electronic applications. There is no other circuit that can deliver such advantages.

PCBMay offers the best quality hard drive PCB for your projects. We hope this FAQ guide will help you a lot to experience an elite performance of the hard drive. You must feel free to contact us for any kind of manufacturing details about this outstanding PCB. Stay tuned.