Your Professional Load Board PCB Manufacturer in China

Your Trusted Load Board PCB Supplier

Need experts to manufacture your ideal load board PCB? PCBMay is your first and best choice. We can help you get the high-quality Load Board PCB that fits your application.

With more than a decade of fabrication experience, we can manufacture different kinds of Load Board PCB. You can also select the base material depending on your preference. Numerous options are offered for you to choose from: Hi-TG FR4, FR-4, CEM-3, CEM-1, Ceramic, or Metal-core.

PCBMay offers Load Board PCBs that are durable and reliable. You can get your Load Board PCB in different thicknesses, sizes, and customized designs.

All Load Board PCBs we offer are RoHS compliant. This is perfect for various industrial applications. At the same time, we make sure every Load Board PCB passed the electrical testing and AOI inspection to ensure good performance and high quality.

Be one of the PCBMay business partners today! We are confident our capabilities will bring your ideas into reality. We can meet your different PCB requirements instantly. We will support your starting business, from the prototype, manufacturing, final assembly to inspection, you can rely upon PCBMay.

Our PCBMay serves numerous industries, such as medical, automotive, military, industrial control, and many more. And as of today, we keep an eye on the industry to produce the latest design. If your projects require Load Board PCBs, no doubt, PCBMay is your ultimate source. We can help you boost your brand through our products and services.

All our Load Boards are carefully inspected and 100% tested. The testing process will ensure zero defects and flaws for your orders. Also, we will update you about your orders movements for your assurance.

Do you need more information about PCBMay Load Board PCB or services? Please contact us and discuss your inquiries.

Load Board PCB: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Load Board PCB is one kind of special PCB that exists in the PCB industry. The Load board PCB comes into play during initial testing for devices.

In the modern era, every electronic device contains a PCB. It is a particular type of PCB that has several distinctions.

This article will guide you to know more about Load Board PCB. We’ll answer some essential questions for you.

What Is A Load Board?

A Load Board is a PCB that is uniquely designed to facilitate electrical and mechanical interface between the Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and the Device Under Test (DUT). The physical dimension of the Load Board PCB should be a perfect fit inside the interface of the ATE.

Load Board PCB

The Load Board accompanies two distinct interfaces. One is in the forthright of the test dealing with the unit, which picks the DUT and spots it into the testing socket. Another is down towards the analyzer’s pogo pins. These interfaces connect the analyzer to DUT electrically, which is fundamentally the input/output ports of the analyzer.

This video shows a working load board tester:

What Is The Basic Difference Between Load Board PCB And Typical PCB?

The typical PCB and the Load Board PCB or ATE PCB are substantially different from each other. The Load Board PCB is known to the industry as a test board. The main target of the Load Board PCB is to test recently created and fabricated chips. This includes profoundly progressed framework chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other exceptionally highlighted integrated circuits.

A Conventional PCB

The principal distinction between the Load Board PCB and the standard PCB is the DUT region. The DUT region is planned deliberately. It is unique compared to the standard PCB. The DUT is highlighted with a 30-40 GHz rapid to coordinate the ATE PCB’s traces and trace length.

Additionally, the creator handles the bent steering and backtraces, which are both complex manipulations. Clients of the test board request the Load Board PCB plan with explicit consideration for high-speed traces.

This type of information goes with the high-velocity traces assigned with SerDes, loopback, and SerDes with Capacitors.

What Are The Design Rules For A Load Board PCB?

You should not be worried about designing a Load Board PCB since it’s not much different from designing conventional PCBs. The design rules are the same as the standard PCBs. Except the Load Board PCB has a “test board” concept.

Any designer who designs conventional PCBs also can also create a Load Board PCB easily. Typically, a Load Board is made of FR4 material with a very thick PCB layer. Generally, it has 20 or more layers, certainly there is a logic for requiring these many layers.

ATE Load Board

A Load Board PCB design is like the customary PCB design. But the Load Board design has alongside it: power supply appropriation, fast signals steering, clock signals directing, signal respectability, wire length. These have equivalents to the standard PCB.

Additionally, after setting the routings, the following stage is to create the routings. The Load Board PCB parts are the same as customary PCB parts.

What makes the Load Board exceptional is that the configuration means there is need for two sheets rather than one. The second board is considered the reinforcement board since the test sheets go under a big heating stage and electrical power load.

If any harm happens to the primary board, the reinforcement board can back up the cycle. It lowers the danger of loss in the testing process.

How To Build A Load Board PCB?

The design process of the Load Board PCB is the same as the conventional PCB. Following are  the step-by-step designing process of the load board PCB.

Here are the gradual steps of making a load board.

Design The Plan

The first step is to design the schematic diagram to show the PCB dimension, components placement, layout types, layer numbers, etc. The schematic diagram is the pre-visual representation of the load board.

Make Your Baseboard

Construct the baseboard of the PCB with necessary materials such as epoxy resin, copper clad, and other essential materials.

Draw The Visual Layout Of The PCB

Draw your Load Board’s layout using computer software as per the schematic diagram.

Printing

Print the board layout design onto the baseboard that is previously drawn in the computer software.

Holes And Traces

Make holes and copper traces onto the PCB with the machine carefully. Holes help you to connect the layers, and the copper traces ensure the current flow on the PCB.

Holes And Traces On PCB

Place The Components

Now, carefully place all necessary components including ATE socket onto the PCB, and connect them by wiring. Place the right parts in the right places.

Soldering

Next, solder the connection of the components with utmost care. Most of the soldering parts will take place with an automated machine. Others you have to do by hand.

Testing

Now test your load board by different testing methods. Testing the PCBs helps you to find out any fault if it exists and ensure the real-life performance of the PCB.

What Are The Materials Used in a Load Board PCB?

The materials used to make standard PCBs are also used in Load Board PCB construction. The most basic materials that are used to create a PCB are:

Prepreg

Prepreg is a thin glass reinforced material that is coated with epoxy resin. The resin begins to melt at a high temperature, and after reaching a particular state, it starts to harden again.

The most used epoxy resins are FR4, TEFLON, Polyamide, and others.

Laminate

Laminate, also known as copper-clad laminate, is the composed state of prepreg sheets. High pressure and thermal flows are things that laminate the prepreg and compose copper foil together.

Solder Mask

Solder mask is the green epoxy coating applied on the outer side of the Load Board PCB and protects the board from corrosion and oxidation.

Copper Foil

The copper foil helps to generate conductance on the Load Board PCB surface. The copper foil is a negative electrolytic material.

Copper Foil

Nomenclature

Nomenclature is the white silkscreen letters showing on the PCBs where the components go on the PCB.

Final Finish

To protect the outer surface of the load board PCB, different surface finishes such as gold, nickel, palladium, tin, etc. can be used. These surface finishes are the final finish of the PCBs.

Which Components are Generally Placed on a Load Board PCB?

Different components are a must for creating and making a Load Board PCB work, following the parts used on a PCB.

Resistors

Resistors resist the current flow on the Load Board PCBs. It is one of the most common components of PCBs.

Capacitors

Capacitors are the components that store the electric charges for the time being. It releases the power when needed, wherever the power goes to the Load Board PCB.

Inductors

Inductors also store energy like the capacitors, but not in electrostatic energy, rather, in a magnetic field. Inductors are the coil of wire. Inductors generate the magnetic field when the current flows through the PCB.

Transformer

The transformers transfer electrical energy from one circuit to another circuit of a Load Board PCB.

Diodes

Like a one-way road, diodes ensure the flow of current in a single direction. This typically happens from the anode to the cathode. (from + to -). This holds zero resistance to the directed way and high resistance to the opposite directions.

Transistors

The transistor is an amplifier that is used to control the current flow on the Load Board PCBs. The bipolar transistor is the most common transistor.

Sensor

Sensors detect the change in the environment and pass the signal to the components of the Load Board. Energy from a physical occurrence is converted into electrical energy via the sensor.

Integrated Circuit

Integrated circuits are the combination of small semiconductors such as transistors, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. The integrated circuit performs the same activities as the big circuit.

Integrated Circuit

Watch the following video to know more about IC:

What Are The Properties Of Load Board PCB?

The DUT signals are neither twisted nor postponed by an effectively built Load Board PCB since they are rendered electrically imperceptible. The Load Board ought to have the option to pass certain tests.  For instance, if it runs on the analyzer, i.e. future testing, the results should pass. Another example is  supporting quad parallel testing for future use.

Most engineers prefer to use passive components to run the Load Board PCBs rather than using active components. This is done to reduce the chances of the PCBs failing. It takes a long time to fix issues on a complicated Load Board.

Even though each automated test equipment requires varying Load Board sizes, all Load Board PCBs have the same fundamental components including:

• DUT application-specific integrated circuit socket
• Tester interface pads
• Stiffener
• Basic PCB components
• Connectors

The Load Board also can contain direct onboard testing capabilities such as FPGA and loopbacks.

In How Many Ways You Can Generate Load Board PCB Testing?

PCB testing is one of the crucial parts of manufacturing PCBs. Testing is necessary to find out if any fault exists. This is to ensure the good performance of the Load Board PCBs.

If you don’t test your PCB during the manufacturing period, and then a fault exists in the PCB manufacturing, your whole production might go to waste.

Following are the popular Load Board testing methods used to test the PCBs during the manufacturing period.

In-Circuit Testing

In-circuit testing is said to cover 100% of PCB screening, although you will only get about 90 percent accuracy. In this test, powering up every individual circuit is done for testing purposes.

Flying Probe Testing

Needles are attached to the circuitry to test certain features such as resistance, opens, capacitance, inductance, and diode issues. It is almost the same as ICT, in principle.

Flying Probe Testing

Automated Optical Inspection

One 2D or two 3D cameras are used to verify the Load Board according to the schematic design in order to compare the design and the actual board. If the Load Board contains the same features as the schematic diagram, then the board has no problems.

X-ray Inspection

An X-ray machine is used to find the hidden faults on the Load Board PCB by passing x-rays into the PCB. The x-ray test checks the solder connections, inner traces, and barrels.

Burn-In Testing

In burn-in testing, the Load Board PCB goes under thermal pressure for up to 168 hours to prove board durability and performance.

Functional Testing

Functional testing ensures the real-life performance of the Load Board PCBs. This testing is done manually to check if every feature is working.

What Should Be Followed to Improve an ATE Load Board Design?

Here are some tips and hints for you to improve the design of an ATE load board:

• A typical BGA package of DUT pin has the loop backtraces in and out.
• Capacitor-integrated steering SerDes is the third of short trace types. The trace routing concludes the two capacitor pins.
• Capacitors that have perfect size are applied in the BGA.
• Place the decoupling capacitors close to the BGA pins.
• Bend directing is needed for signal transmission and gathering to keep up with signal trustworthiness. Likewise, this is done to avoid signal irregularity.

ATE Load Board

The design of an ATE load board also follows the rules of the standard PCBs. So, keep the above mentioned elements and stick to common design factors in order to improve the ATE Load Board PCB design.

What Are the Surface Finishes of Load Board PCB?

A surface finish is the metal coating applied to the surface of the Load Board PCB to protect the surface front corrosion and oxidation.

There are several types of surface finishes there to protect the PCBs surface.

ENIG

Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) is gold plating with nickel that protects the nickel of the Load Board PCB from oxidation. The nickel protects the copper surface of the PCBs. ENIG is lead-free, RoHS compliant, but a little expensive.

ENEPIG

Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) is almost the same as the ENIG. The main difference here is the adding of palladium. Palladium is less costly, hence, ENEPIG has become a more popular finish for its effectiveness along with its cost-effectiveness.

Immersion Silver

This lead-free and RoHS compliant surface finish is also cost-effective. Immersion Silver finish competes with ENIG because they almost the same features with less cost.

Immersion Silver Finish

What Are The Types of Load Board PCB?

Because of a particular necessity, Load Board PCBs are only available as one type of PCB. This is the double-sided multilayer load board type. Substantial thickness is required for a Load Board PCB. Hence, other inferior PCBs are useless for a Load Board design.

20 Layer Load Board

Double-sided Multilayer Load Board PCB

There are more than two copper layers on multilayers PCBs. By and large, any board with at least three conductive layers falls under the classification “Multilayer PCB”. A Load Board PCB, specifically, needs somewhere around 20 layers or more.

A few double-sided conductive layers are isolated by an equivalent number of protecting material sheets in Multilayer PCBs, developed in a layered form.

How To Ensure The Quality Of A Load Board PCB?

You should check the following quality features of a PCB to ensure the quality of your Load Board PCB.

• Validate the PCB design
• Ensure that the Load Board can be feasibly manufactured
• Check if the the selected materials and the components of the PCB are high-quality
• Check and assure that your Load Board manufacturer has IPC certification
• Check if your PCB can be tested using PCB test methods
• Know the capabilities of the manufacturer to fabricate large-capacity PCB
• Ascertain if the manufacturer has an organized workspace

What Types of Different Capacitors Are Used in a Load Board PCB?

Capacitors are one of the essential parts of PCBs. Capacitors store the electric charges for PCBs and supply electricity when needed. There are different types of capacitors used for constructing Load Board PCBs. The following are the various types of available capacitors for Load Board PCBs.

Different Types of Capacitors

• Ceramic capacitors
• Silver mica, air-gap, silicon, glass, and vacuum capacitors
• Paper and film capacitors
• Aluminum, niobium and, tantalum electrolytic capacitors
• Polymer capacitors
• The supercapacitor is the family name for:
  • Hybrid capacitors
  • Double-layer capacitors
  • Pseudocapacitors

What Are the Advantages of Load Board PCB?

The fundamental objective of the ATE Load Board PCB is to guarantee that once electronic gadgets are used, the gadgets work. The gadget’s electrical capacity should be as planned, keep faulty or deficient items from being getting sold to customers.

The instant benefit of having a Load Board PCB, is that during testing, it can be known if there are any detects or faults in design. Load Board testing also helps diagnose why the problems occurred. The manufacturer can then resolve the issue before manufacturing the electronic devices.

The other significant advantages of Load Board PCB ATE testing are:

• Reduces testing and procedures’ cycle time
• Data input error does not occur while using the Load Board PCB for testing the electronics
• It is more efficient because of the available engineering resources
• Load board PCB ATE testing is fast and accurate
• Overall, testing is a cost-effective way to reduce rework expenses

Why Should You Use a Microcontroller in a Load Board PCB?

A microcontroller is a type of integrated circuit used to control the other parts of the electronics. This includes using a microprocessor unit, memory, and other linear components. There are significant advantages to using a microcontroller in Load Board PCBs.

Microcontroller

• The procedure can be completed in a short amount of time in the load board PCB.
• It is straightforward to use, diagnose, and keep up with deployment.
• Many activities can be completed at a certain time, reducing human influence.
• Because the processing unit is so tiny, it allows for a lot of versatility.
• The system’s cost and size are lowered as a result of its increased integration.
• It can function as a microcomputer even without any discrete components.

Why Should You Give Importance to Considering the Form Factor of Load Board PCB?

The form factor for Load Board PCB refers to its size, shape, and precise detail. Equipment form factor configuration is propelled and affected by the form factor plan of the parts into the greater equipment unit.

The association and force norms, just as the parts’ sizes and structures, are influenced. Most part creators have normalized rule set-up to guarantee that components impart electrically and electronically. At the same time, the parts should squeeze into the given space.

Functional Load Board Circuit

For a clear understanding, think about the ATE socket. If the socket and the DUT are not adjusted or physically not shaped, the Load Board PCB will be useless in terms of form factor. You cannot place any electronics for testing in this case.

What Are the Sectors that Use ATE Testing with Load Board PCB?

ATE Load Board PCBs are mostly used in the aerospace and military sectors. They are used in military aircraft, vehicles, missiles, weapons, radar, and wireless communications because the boards supply vital and safe electronics.

The gadgets military and aerospace devices utilize must be thoroughly scrutinized. This is because these applications are linked to national safety concerns. Hence, both military and aerospace sectors spend a significant amount of money on ATE testing.

Load Board Test

However, this does not imply that ATE testing Load Board PCBs are solely used by these two sectors. ATE testing technique is used in a variety of industries. Here are a few examples:

• ATE is used to validate semiconductor fabrication
• Automotive and transportation sectors use ATE systems to ensure the vehicles’ functionality. They do so by applying testing on advanced driver-assistance systems and other related systems.
• ATE is used in general consumer electronics such as smartphones, residential gateways, cable-modem termination, etc.
• Medical technology is one of the biggest users of the ATE load board PCB testing technology. Medical electronics must be assessed properly before use on human patients.

Load Board PCB Manufacturing

How Can You Choose the Best Load Board PCB Manufacturer?

The following are specific features the best Load Board PCB manufacturer have:

• Industry experience
• Large production capacity
• Standard customer services
• Cost-effective production
• Large and well-managed workspace
• Deadline meeting ability
• Quick response

Last Thoughts

PCBMay is one of the largest and leading Load Board PCB manufacturers in China. PCBMay provides one of the best quality Load Board PCB manufacturing facilities. As proof of this, we have expanded our business worldwide with quality products.

If you are thinking about getting superior quality production of Load Board PCBs, consider PCBMay as your best option.