Seven checks before you order your first PCB batch

Ordering the first batch of boards is the moment a design stops being free to change. A mistake caught on screen costs minutes. The same mistake found on an assembled board costs weeks and a new order. These are the seven checks we run before anything goes to the manufacturer.

1. Run the design rules of your actual manufacturer

Every fab publishes its capabilities: minimum trace and space, minimum drill, annular ring, solder mask clearance. Load those numbers into your layout tool's design rules instead of relying on defaults, and run the check again. A board can pass your own rules and still be rejected, or worse, produced with marginal tolerances.

2. Inspect the manufacturing files in an independent viewer

Open the Gerber and drill files in a viewer that is not your layout tool. You are checking what the factory will actually see: board outline, layer order, missing copper pours, drills landing where they should. Confirm that the stack-up and any controlled-impedance requirements are written down in the order, not assumed.

3. Check every footprint against the datasheet

Footprint errors are among the most common reasons a first board does not work. For any part that is new to your library, check pad size, pitch, pin 1 and the recommended land pattern against the manufacturer's datasheet. For connectors and unusual packages, print the layout at 1:1 and place the real component on the paper.

4. Review the bill of materials for availability

A design is only buildable if its parts can be bought. Check stock and lead time at more than one distributor, look at the lifecycle status of each component, and note a second source for anything critical. Minimum order quantities can also change the real cost of a small batch.

5. Plan how you will test and program the board

Add test points for the power rails and the key signals, and make sure you can reach the programming and debug interface once the board is assembled. It is much cheaper to add a header or a few pads now than to wish for one when the first board does not start.

6. Write the first power-up plan

Decide in advance how the board will be powered for the first time. A current-limited bench supply, a check of each rail before the next one is enabled, and a list of expected voltages turn a possible damaged board into a controlled measurement.

7. Prepare the assembly data

If the boards will be assembled by a service, send what they need: a clean placement file, polarity and pin 1 markings, fiducials, and an assembly drawing for anything ambiguous. Ask whether your board needs panelization and what edge clearance they require.

After the checklist

Even with all seven checks done, a first prototype is a learning step. Keep notes while you bring the board up, group the fixes, and decide what the next revision changes before you order it. If you would like a second pair of eyes on a design before manufacturing, that is exactly the kind of review we do.