Q: What are the manufacturing design rules (DFM) that every PCB designer must follow?
Answer
Essential DFM rules: (1) Minimum trace width/spacing: 0.1 mm (4 mil) standard; 0.15 mm (6 mil) recommended for yield. (2) Minimum drill: 0.2 mm (8 mil) for PTH. (3) Annular ring: >=0.15 mm annular ring for reliable plating. (4) Via-to-trace spacing: >=0.15 mm to prevent drill breakout. (5) Copper-to-edge clearance: >=0.2 mm. (6) Silkscreen legibility: text >=1 mm height 0.15 mm stroke width. (7) Solder mask bridge: >=0.1 mm between adjacent pads. (8) IPC Class 2 for standard products Class 3 for medical/aerospace. Run DRC in your EDA tool before generating Gerber. Include a PCB fab drawing with all special requirements.
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