You're facing budget constraints for PCB layout optimization. How can you still achieve ideal strategies?

If the concern is budget then look at the follow: 1. Are the components on the BOM lowest cost? 2. Cost to FAB the PCB can be more depending on the type of via used in the layout. 3. Is there a lower cost material with the same or similar properties that could be used? 4. Is there a lower cost stack-up? Work with the vendor. 5. Give your FAB vendor more time for a lower cost. 6. Shop price with the 3-4 known FAB vendors you trust.

What i do is, I start by simulating the design before proceeding. Next, I select the enclosure for the PCB and prepare the BOM. If the cost exceeds the target, I optimize it using standard components. Finally, I determine if I can reduce costs further and redesign the PCB in KiCad, minimizing the number of layers as much as possible.”

You can't just make this a PCB Layout issue. Engineering is the art of coming up with the least unpalatable set of compromises. If the product development or manufacturing budget is tight then every part of the design process must do its part in contributing to the solution. Which budget is the issue? - development? - manufactured cost of goods? - if it is both then you are already in trouble. This needs management review and decisions. Designers often don't have enough authority to address this. For cost of manufacture, you need to know the manufacturing capability and stick to the middle of that. This is a LEAN principle to reduce rework and scrap. If the bill of materials is too high, that is redesign territory as is assembly cost.

Let's start with the fact that the budget is always limited. The term "budget" itself means a type of constraint. If you managed to simplify the design based on budgetary considerations, then there may be two options: 1) your approach to design initially was incorrect, after all, simplicity of design is the key to reliability; 2) the budget was initially determined incorrectly. . On the other hand, something can always be done better; one should start with the “ideology” of design and remember the “Golden Hammer” - the most insidious enemy of the designer.

This is only useful if the current product is a variant on an existing design and you can design it as a delta on that design. If the change is too large, attempted design reuse can just be buying more problems. So review that is reusable and what is not and only import the parts that are reusable. Common examples of PCB Layout features you really want to reuse are: - high speed busses - Linux core systems with interconnects for DDR RAM, eMMC, Ethernet etc. - RF subsystems that are already tuned for PCB layout But again, beware the sunk cost fallacy. It might not save time if the deltas are too large.

In general, smaller PCB size increases the difficulty of optimising placement, fitting everything and routing effectively. The biggest mistake I see is adding extra layers to solve the routing issue at the expense of PCB fabrication cost. This should be an intentional design choice and not a last resort. The next is reducing track sizes and clearances because you have to. It is worth discussing tradeoffs with the PCB fabricator. You want to stay as far inside their capability envelope as you can in order to minimise waste which will also reduce cost. This is a LEAN principle. Negotiate with the schematic designers on resistor packs or higher integration chips. Autorouting often fails on dense PCBs so hand route; the results are better.

Facing budget constraints for PCB layout optimization means making smart use of available tools. Leverage affordable or open-source software to optimize critical design elements like signal integrity and thermal management. Collaborate with manufacturers early to find cost-effective components and production methods. By focusing on high-priority areas, you can still achieve quality results without overshooting the budget.

Doing more in SW allows you to reduce the bill of materials in some cases. For example, digital filters are lower parts cost than active analogue filters provided you can sample at a high enough rate to avoid aliasing. This works unless you are in a battery operated or highly power constrained environment.

One day at work, I encountered difficulties with its dimensions while designing a device. While I was racking my brain, new elements appeared on the market that solved my problem. Since then I remember that I live in the era of nano-technology and often I can find elements with a higher degree of integration. Such elements reduce the costs and increase the reliability of the designed device.

From my experience, I know that any seller always has some "free" margin. You have to identify it and prove your potential to the vendor. For example, relative price (the ratio of the prices of a certain basic and the desired materials from different vendors) can be the identifier. Complex purchases can increase seller interest. A long-term contract will encourage the vendor to compromise. And so on... Supply chain management principles should be taken into account at the design stage.