9 Best Books on PCB Design

“Make Your Own PCBs with EAGLE: From Schematic Designs to Finished Boards (Electronics)” Book Review: This book guides you through the process of designing a schematic and converting it into a PCB layout. It shows you how to generate standard gerber files that can be sent to a manufacturing service to create your finished circuit board. The book includes step-by-step demonstrations, photos, and screenshots to help you understand the process. It focuses on using EAGLE, a software with specific features for creating PCBs. Additionally, the book provides downloadable example projects to further assist you in learning.

“PCB Design for Real-World EMI Control (The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science)” Book Review: This book offers practical guidelines for designing circuit boards with good electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). It presents traditional EMC design practices that are rule-based, providing a set of thumb rules for board designers to follow. The book emphasizes that achieving proper EMC design doesn’t require advanced degrees or complex mathematics. It enables circuit board designers to make informed decisions during the design process to ensure optimal EMC performance. The book addresses common sources of emissions and provides techniques to reduce, control, or eliminate them. It empowers designers to apply the concepts discussed directly to their real-world designs.

“PCB Design: Printed Circuit Board” Book Review: This book is a guide to P-CAD PCB, a comprehensive software used for designing printed circuit boards. It also provides information on P-CAD PCB (6/400), a version with reduced capacity. The book includes instructions for installing the software and gives an overview of its basic features. It covers topics such as creating and navigating a simple design. The book equips readers with the necessary information to effectively work with P-CAD PCB. It also explains some of the advanced features of the software, including manual, interactive, and automatic routing, as well as utilizing design technology parameters.

“PCB Design Using AutoCAD (EDN Series for Design Engineers)” Book Review: This book offers a range of exercises aimed at assisting in the creation of electronic schematics and facilitating the design of single-sided, double-sided, and surface-mount PCBs. The contents of the book encompass drafting schematics, designing PCB artwork, and preparing detailed fabrication and assembly drawings. These topics pertain to PCBs produced through alternative EDA systems. The book’s appendices include critical information on the Gerber and Excellon formats, which are essential to professional PCB design. Additionally, the book provides a comprehensive overview of PCB manufacturing technology.

“Complete PCB Design Using OrCAD Capture and PCB Editor” Book Review: This book is designed for students and engineers who want to learn how to use the OrCAD design suite for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs). It offers detailed instructions on using the software and also provides background knowledge on the PCB design process. The book specifically focuses on utilizing OrCAD Capture and OrCAD Editor for designing a PCB. OrCAD Capture is used to create the schematic diagram of the circuit, while OrCAD Editor is used to design the circuit board for manufacturing.

“PCB Design in EAGLE – Part 1: Learn about EAGLE’s user interface, adding parts, schematics, and more!” Book Review: The book details the steps involved in installing PCB software and utilizing it to design projects, add libraries, and create schematics. It includes definitions of essential menus and options, and guides readers through the process of adding components and establishing electrical connections. Additionally, the book offers valuable tips and tricks for producing efficient and effective schematics.

“Designing Circuit Boards with EAGLE: Make High-Quality PCBs at Low Cost” Book Review: This book is a comprehensive guide that covers single-sided, double-sided, and multilayer board knowledge. It enables us to design practical circuits using the schematic editor and convert them into physical board designs. Additionally, the book teaches us how to generate Gerber output files for fabrication and enhance EAGLE’s capabilities with new libraries and components. It also includes instructions on how to streamline circuit design and generate libraries using User Language programs (ULPs).

“PCB Currents: How They Flow, How They React (Prentice Hall Modern Semiconductor Design Series’sub Series: Prentice Hall Signal Integrity Library)” Book Review: This book comprehensively covers the subject of electronics and current flow, providing a wealth of knowledge. It delves into the nature of current, its behavior, and reactions. Starting with the basics, it explains the flow of current in simple circuits, delving into the sources that supply and drive it, and discussing the issues related to current on PCBs. The book also explores signal integrity problems resulting from current flow. Topics covered include the Five fundamental laws of current, which encompass Kirchoff’s law and Ohm’s law, as well as fundamental circuit concepts like resistive circuits, reactive circuits, and impedance. Additionally, it offers insight into current-related issues in PCB design, making it an indispensable resource for all PCB designers.