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PCB DesignJul 18, 20265 min read
PCB Design for Manufacturing: A Practical DFM Checklist
By SparkEmbedd
The difference between a board that assembles cleanly at scale and one that racks up rework costs comes down to DFM. Here's the checklist we run before every release.
Why DFM matters
Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is what keeps your bill of materials profitable and your yield high. A board that's clever but hard to assemble costs you on every single unit.
The checklist
- Component footprints — verified against real datasheets, not library defaults.
- Courtyard clearances — enough room for pick-and-place and rework.
- Thermal relief on pads tied to large copper pours.
- Panelization — mouse bites vs. V-scoring chosen for the assembler.
- Test points — expose critical nets for bring-up and production test.
- Fiducials — for accurate optical alignment.
Talk to your fab early
The cheapest design change is the one you make before fabrication. Share your stackup and constraints with your manufacturer up front and you'll avoid costly re-spins.
#PCB Design#DFM#Manufacturing#Hardware
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