Information Sheet 1.2.

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. Acquire knowledge how to etch printed circuit board.
2. Perform Printed circuit board etching using the materials needed
in PCB etching.
3. Appreciate the importance of printed circuit board etching in
making PCB module

EMI Electromagnetic Interference: the fundamentals

Electromagnetic Interference, EMI is the interference caused by one electrical or
electronic device to another by the electromagnetic fields set up by its operation.

There are many forms of electromagnetic interference, EMI that can affect
circuits and prevent them from working in the way that was intended. This EMI
or radio frequency interference, RFI as it is sometimes called can arise in a
number of ways, although in an ideal world it should not be present.

EMI - electromagnetic interference can arise from many sources, being either
man made or natural. It can also have a variety of characteristics dependent
upon its source and the nature of the mechanism giving rise to the
interference.

By the very name of interference given to it, EMI is an unwanted signal at the
signal receiver, and in general methods are sought to reduce the level of the
interference.

Types of EMI - Electromagnetic Interference

EMI - Electromagnetic Interference can arise in many ways and from a number
of sources. The different types of EMI can be categorised in a number of ways.

One way of categorising the type of EMI is by the way it was created:

 Man-made EMI: This type of EMI generally arises from other electronics
circuits, although some EMI can arise from switching of large currents, etc.
 Naturally occurring EMI: This type of EMI can arise from many
sources - cosmic noise as well as lightning and other atmospheric types of
noise all contribute.
Another method of categorising the type of EMI is by its duration:
 Continuous interference: This type of EMI generally arises from a
source such as a circuit that is emitting a continuous signal. However
background noise, which is continuous may be created in a number of ways,
either manmade or naturally occurring.
 Impulse noise: Again, this type of EMI may be man-made or naturally
occurring. Lightning, ESD, and switching systems all contribute to impulse
noise which is a form of EMI.
It is also possible to categories the different types of EMI by their bandwidth.

 Narrowband: Typically this form of EMI is likely to be a single carrier

source - possibly generated by an oscillator of some form. Another form of
narrowband EMI is the spurious signals caused by intermodulation and
other forms of distortion in a transmitter such as a mobile phone of Wi-Fi
router. These spurious signals will appear at different points in the spectrum
and may cause interference to another user of the radio spectrum. As such
these spurious signals must be kept within tight limits.
 Broadband: There are many forms of broadband noise which can be
experienced. It can arise from a great variety of sources. Man-made
broadband interference can arise from sources such as arc welders where a
spark is continuously generated. Naturally occurring broadband noise can
be experienced from the Sun - it can cause sun-outs for satellite television
systems when the Sun appears behind the satellite and noise can mask the
wanted satellite signal. Fortunately these episodes only last for a few
minutes.

EMI coupling mechanisms

There are many ways in which the electromagnetic interference can be coupled
from the source to the receiver. Understanding which coupling method brings
the interference to the receiver is key to being able to address the problem.

Example of EMI

Here, we're using an old picture as an easy example of what EMI looks
like.
On the left, you see a picture taken from an old television. Since it was not
designed for EMI, the old TV is very susceptible to EMI and the failures caused
in its environment. The picture on the right shows the results of this type of
interference.
So put the picture into a real-life scenario: You’re watching TV, and somebody
decides to come in and vacuum the living room. The result of the EMI emitted
by the vacuum is a distorted screen, like the image on the right. Not a pretty
picture.
Luckily, standards have now been put in place to prevent this type of situation.
Self Check 1.1-2
ANSWER KEY 4.2-2
 Information Sheet 1.2.3

History of EMC

In the early days of electronics comparatively few items of electronics

equipment were in use. However today the number of electronics items in
everyday has vastly risen. Some of these transmit signals, while many others
are sensitive receivers. Others may utilise digital electronics systems that could
be falsely triggered by transient signals. These any many more examples may
EMC a crucial element of any electronics design.

In the early days of electronics systems, pops, bangs and general noise received
by radios were taken as being part of "experience" of listening to a radio - even
if they were man-made from other local electrical equipment.

Some of the first major concerns of the effects of electrical interference on

electronics systems arose from military applications. After the Second World
War, with the rise in importance of nuclear weapons, the electronic pulse
generated by an explosion and its effect on equipment became a concern. Also
the effects of high powered radar systems on equipment were also a concern.

Later the risks to electronics equipment associated with ESD became visible.
Not only did these damage the electronics equipment, but they could also set
false triggers.

During the 1970s the use of logic circuitry grew rapidly, and with this the
switching speeds increased. The opened up these circuits to the effects of EMI,
and realisation grew of the need for EMC precautions to be incorporated into
the design if these items were to work satisfactorily in the real world.

As a result of this growing realization, many nations became aware of EMC as

a growing problem. Some started to issue directives to the manufacturers of
electronic equipment, defining standards that the equipment should meet
before equipment could be sold. The European Community was one for the first
areas where EMC requirements were enforced. While many were sceptical at
first, the introduction of EMC standards has raised standards and enabled
most types of equipment to operate alongside each other without interference.
This has been particularly important with the rapid growth in the use of mobile
phones.
What Is Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)?
Defined as the ability of devices and systems to operate in their
electromagnetic environment without impairing their functions and without
faults and vice versa.
Electromagnetic compatibility, EMC ensures that operation does not influence
the electromagnetic environment to the extent that the functions of other
devices and systems are adversely affected.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

The aim of employing EMC measures is to ensure that a variety of different

items of electronics equipment can operate in close proximity without causing
any undue interference.

The interference that gives rise to impaired performance is known as

Electromagnetic Interference, EMI. It is this interference that needs to be
reduced to ensure that various items of electrical equipment are compatible
and can operate in the presence of each other.

There are two main elements to EMC:

 Emissions: The EMI emissions refer to the generation of unwanted

electromagnetic energy. These need to be reduced below certain acceptable
limits to ensure they do not cause any disruption to other equipment.
 Susceptibility & immunity: The susceptibility of an item of electronics
to EMI is the way it reacts to unwanted electromagnetic energy. The aim of
the design of the circuit is to ensure a sufficiently high level of immunity to
these unwanted signals.

What is Silk Screen?

Silkscreen is a layer of ink traces used to identify components, test points,

parts of the PCB, warning symbols, logos and marks etc. This silkscreen is
usually applied on the component side; however using silkscreen on the solder
side is also not uncommon. But this may increase the cost. Essentially a
detailed PCB silkscreen can help both the manufacturer and the engineer to
locate and identify all the components.

The ink is a non-conductive epoxy ink. The ink used for these markings is
highly formulated. The standard colors we normally see are black, white and
yellow. PCB software also uses standard fonts in silkscreen layers but you can
choose other fonts from the system too. For traditional silk-screening you
require a polyester screen stretched on aluminum frames, a laser photo plotter,
spray developer and curing ovens.
Methods of Silk Screen

There are three basic ways to apply silkscreen.

1.Manual screen-printing

Manual screen-printing is done when the line widths are greater than 7
mil (0.007”) and the registration tolerance is 5 mil. For this method you require
a stencil of the text and traces made of nylon. The ink is pushed through the
stencil onto the laminate. Next the board is baked in a curing oven for the ink
to cure. The application and set up is easy but the result is least precise.

2.Liquid Photo Imaging

This method is used when the line widths are greater than 4 mil. Liquid Photo
Imaging is quite similar to the process used for the application of solder mask. In
this a liquid photo-imageable epoxy is coated on to the laminate and then
exposed with UV light. After this the board is developed and cured. It is much
more accurate than manual screening.
3.Direct Legend printing

DLP is the most accurate of all these processes but is more expensive. In this
process an inkjet projector is used with acrylic ink that is applied onto the raw
PCB directly from the CAD data. The ink is cured with UV light as it is printed. It
should be noted though that the acrylic ink does not cure on boards with silver
finishes.

Importance of Silk Screen

A properly designed silk-screen can prove to be highly useful as it can reduce
the chance of error and can reduce time taken to spot the error. The silkscreen
can easily label the passive components of the PCB no matter how packed the
board may be.

There are a few things you should keep in mind regarding silk-screening. For
example, the silkscreen epoxy should not be printed over pads or land PCBs
that will be soldered as it will melt into the solder joint. This is why it should be
applied over the solder mask. While designing you should keep the component
outlines away from the pins (almost at a distance of 0.25 mm). Also you should
check to see if the width of the silkscreen graphics is suitable to the design. Try
to keep the line widths no less than 6 mil.
Knowing more about PCB and silk-screening can help you to reduce your PCB
costs. For example, applying silk screen on only one side and choosing the
standard colors will give you better overall pricing and give you the same
benefits.

Importance of the Silkscreen PCB to Testing

Another important usage of the silkscreen PCB layout is informing the

engineer or technician of the location where measurements should be taken
during testing or troubleshooting. Along with component manufacturer
guidelines, these can be used to verify device performance or help identify
potential failure causes. Silkscreen PCB markings used for testing and
troubleshooting may include:

 Test points – these are dedicated locations on the board where the
desired values are usually known, which makes them useful as first
indicators of problems with board operation.

 Warning symbols – these may be used to indicate unusually high voltages

or other parameters that should be avoided or require special care.
  Part numbers – these are extremely helpful if device information, like
datasheets, is not readily available.

What is Photo Transfer in PCB Manufacturing?

Photo Transfer basically involves the transfer of the conductor pattern from the film master
on to the copper clad base material or any other metal clad laminate. Image transfer is to affix to
or coat with a layer of photosensitive film on the surface of copper. Under the irradiation of
ultraviolet rays, the film on the film pattern transfers to the surface of copper, and forms a resist
mask pattern. Which is not protected by the etchant, will be etched in a subsequent chemical etch
process, and the resist film is removed after the etching process to obtain the desired bare copper
circuit pattern. In PCB manufacturing, the two methods common for image transfer are
photo printing and screen printing.
1. Photo printing
Photo printing is a very precise process, which is generally used in the manufacture of
semiconductors and integrated circuits, where the width of the conductor is usually in the region
of a few microns. While such precision technology is not required for general PCB production,
the 100μm conductor width requirements and printed circuit board are used in professional photo
printing processes.

2.Screen printing
Less accurate than the photo printing, but screen printing is still a relatively cheap and simple
method in PCB manufatcure. And the majority of PCBs produced worldwide are screen printing
for its low cost and simplicity.