​ReelMag - The Revolutionary way to sort and store SMD components

Using SMD components for prototypes, hobby projects small batch production is all cumbersome and difficult but unavoidable. If you are into it, There is a High probability you would end up with bix boxes of ESD and component packets

https://preview.redd.it/sdr2k2xquyt91.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9322113d80963666eae25be787dd56ef77e52c76

This resulted in

⛔Delayed projects  

⛔Searching for components  

⛔No track of stock  

⛔creates a mess while soldering

🎉Introducing ReelMag🎉. The Revolutionary way to store and organize SMD components

https://preview.redd.it/al6wyzvruyt91.jpg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=721cd42a9d208eeb6c9e1af4f39d149c15144cd3

https://preview.redd.it/11b2hfvtuyt91.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed143909ce684d78251ab44d2e27437821f0d412

https://preview.redd.it/m6dikuwuuyt91.jpg?width=2667&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88de34a91e4d4b434216c5a5204b8d8958d7cdbd

Grab the limited-time offer to get a free ReelMag!! Check [www.reelmag.store](http://www.reelmag.store/)  

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates as we launch - [https://www.instagram.com/reelmag.store/](https://www.instagram.com/reelmag.store/)

We are planning for a Kickstarter launch soon! Comments and questions are most welcome.

PCB Selection Tutorial

WHAT IS A PCB

PCBs are the most important part of any electronics product or project or a building block, PCBs are a sandwich of a few different materials, for a basic 2 layer 1.6mm board you would generally have a stack-up of Top Solder Mask, Top Copper Layer, Core (FR-4), Bottom Copper Layer and then Bottom Solder Mask, the number of copper layers will increase proportionally with the number of layers. PCBs have lots of little copper tracks to conduct the power.

PCBs have two complementary functions, one being to electrically and mechanically affix them to the PCB which can also aid in thermal conductivity, and two being to provide reliable electrical connections and reliable open circuits along with controlled impedance for high-speed traces or RF. Nowadays we have a large choice of PCBs between standard Rigid boards, Advanced Rigid boards, flexible boards, Rigid-flex boards, and Aluminium boards.

PCBs can range from a single layer to 100 layers, with most phones and laptops using upwards of 16 layers to accommodate for lots of signals along with different surface finishes, like ROHS Lead-free, leaded HASL, ENIG Immersion gold or Immersion Silver and even hard gold!

All of these types are available at PCBWay for quick manufacture!

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PCB

We’ll suppose that the user has the need to create a simple amplifier as in the following circuit:

For this, the user will generate a PCB design as the following:

Before ordering the PCB the user will face some choices that have to be evaluated.

Board Type. Board type is the different types, for example, single layer board, double layer board, Flex PCB, Rigid-flex. All of these different types have different uses, for example, most PCBs are single, double layer boards which is a non-flex boards, the flexible board is like an FFC cable, flexible base with traces and components soldered, and rigid-flex is a board with parts that are rigid and flexible parts to connect each rigid part.

The default type, for most projects is single or panel, our reference is a single board.

Layers. The number of conductive layers. The layers number depends on how complex the PCB design is. If this has connections that are crossing, your design must foresee more layers and the user will provide a design for each layer.

The default value, for projects like our reference above, most designs nowadays are 2 or more layers.

Material. Base material for the PCB. FR-4 is the cheapest material, but it has lower conductivity compared to the other. Aluminium is more expensive than FR-4 but is only mainly used on PCBs requiring large heat capacity, like a torch with lots of hot LEDs. Rogers is very important when you need low electrical signal loss, can improve impedance control, and better performance when carrying high frequencies. Copper is similar to Aluminium board but has better thermal capacity.

The default material, for most projects, is FR-4, our reference is FR-4

FR-4 TG. Only applicable to PCBs using FR-4 as base material. FR-4 TG is the glass transition temperature for the core material, PCBWay is offering TG150-160 for free instead of TG130-140. The meaning of TG or glass transition temperature is when the internal fibreglass turns from a solid state to a soft and rubbery state, this is important for any high heat application.

The default TG, for most projects, is TG130-140 but with the free upgrade by PCBWay you can get TG150-160 free of charge.

Thickness. Thickness is how thick your board is, this value doesn’t change when ordering PCBs apart from if you have an edge connector where the pins are on either side where thickness is vital, if you have an edge connector consult the datasheet for information. Layers can affect the thickness, for example, a 100-layer board cannot be 0.8mm

The default thickness, for most projects, is 1.6mm

Min Track Spacing. This means minimum width between any conductors between two adjacent traces, the smaller...