Printed Circuit Board Assembly Checklist

Create an Assembly Drawing

• Load title block on top assembly layer.
• Add page # to each sheet.
• Enter design info on assembly fields or designated areas.
• Load basic notes according to board type.
• Load silk Gerber, remove all exterior to the board and copy to top assembly.
• Draw side/bottom view of board (including parts and screws, etc.).
• Using parts list, add find number leader with quantity.
• Add notes as required and triangle find numbers as needed.
• Place additional tables for any wire(s) used. Always add note and triangle find number with basic note.
• Check for mounting hardware on all components and sub-assemblies. 
• Check soldering, shrink (all soldered terminals), glue locations, required fixture,mounting brackets, and    card guides.

Conformal Coating only

• Place phantom lines. 
• Place dimensions for conformal coat clearance with note find number. 
• Place serial number box block next to the serial number silkscreen. 
• Add appropriate additional notes and place find numbers 
• Place appropriate distribution statements and proprietary notes 
• Place revision sheet information on all layers. 
• Place revision status block on assembly drawing, top sheet. 
• Get assembly drawing(s) approval. 
• Compress Gerbers into drawing number.ext.

PCB Inspection after Fabrication

• Check initial look of board. 
• Note cleanliness and appearance.
• Check mask, including:
• Specified color 
• Specified thickness 
• Quality 
• Blemished 
• Pitting
• Is plating adequate? 
• Are holes centered in pad (annular ring and alignment)?
• Are hole sizes correct? 
• Are layers registered? 
• Adhesion test 
• Does appearance match artwork? 
• Does silkscreen match artwork? 
• Are overall board dimensions correct? 
• Is board warped? 
• Is any copper showing on board edges? 
• Trace width in tolerance 
• Check electrically the following items:
• Several plated holes front to back (less than 2 Ohms) 
• Longest trace from one end to the other (less than 5 Ohms per inch, or specified value) 
• Resistance between planes of different nets for shorting (should be open) 
• Test pads closest place for continuity (known opens should read open)

Defining Constraints for a PCB Layout

Define Constraints

1. Define board dimensions.
2. Define top and bottom board clearance.
3. Note dimensions of cutouts slots and unusable areas.
4. Define the board thickness.
5. Define edge clearance areas.
6. Define all slots and cutouts.
7. Define assembly requirement such as keying information.
8. Mark predefined component locations, including hardware, connectors, lights/LEDs, and switches.
9. Place polygon on mask layer for area that requires no mask.
10. Place keep-out (all layers or per layer) on area that require clearance from/for traces, vias, pads, and hardware clearance (by hardware-to-hole tolerance, hardware movement area, or hole tolerance).
11. Define requirements: IPC, Mil-spec, etc.
12. Determine assembly type for production, such as manual, automatic, or manual prototype-to-automatic. 
13. Determine servicing type:

•   No service/troubleshooting (throw away board) 
•   Low service (inexpensive components on the board, or easily swappable application, low serviceable location)
•   Highly serviceable (expensive components on the board or difficult to swap application, highly serviceable location)
•   Determine technology limitations and target technology.