PCB Design Rule Check

Design rule checking or check(s) (DRC) is the area of electronic design automation that determines whether the physical layout of a particular chip layout satisfies a series of recommended parameters called design rules. Design rule checking is a major step during physical verification signoff on the design, which also involves LVS (layout versus schematic) check, XOR checks, ERC (electrical rule check), and antenna checks. For advanced processes some fabs also insist upon the use of more restricted rules to improve yield. It is particularly recommended that a batch mode design rule check always be performed before generating final artwork.

Some example of DRC's in the design include:

1: The space between the traces, trace, and pads, trace and through holes, pads, and holes, and also the space between the through-holes are reasonable or not. Can the space design fit the production or not.

2. Is the width of the power line and ground wire suitable and is there a tight coupling between the power supply and the ground wire? Is there any place in the PCB that can be widened for the ground lines?

3. Is it the best design for the key signal lines. Check the length of the traces, guard wires, and also check whether the input line and the output line are separated?

4. Check whether analog circuits and digital circuits have separate ground.

5. Check whether the ICONS and labels added in the PCB will cause the short circuit.

6. Modify some undesirable lines.

7. Is there any processing line added to the PCB?

8. To ensure the quality of the electric equipment, you also need to check whether the resistance welding is in accordance with the requirements of the production process, whether the welding size is suitable, and whether the character sign is pressed on the device welding plate.

9. Whether the outer rim of the power layer in the multi-layer board is reduced or not, for example, it is easy to short-circuit if the copper foil of the power layer is exposed.

Only parts of the checking are listed here. There are many other inspects that need to be checked in the design.

Reference for DRC in PCBWay

PCB Engineering Questions

• Gerber files are not completed

• The parameters in gerber files are different from the order details online.

• V-cut standard-Limited to Quick-turn PCB

• Slots standard size - Limited to Quick-turn PCB

• Soldermask bridge

• Confirm the panel way of the boards

• Vias process of design is different from order details option

• Some drills overlap the slots at GM or GKO

• The outline of shape is too thick to ensure the dimension of PCB

• The layout of PCB is unclear

• Solder mask layer is opening entirely

• Some Issues concerning BGA(Ball Grid Array)

• Design has no silkscreen layer but online is yes with silkscreen

• Please clarify 1-layer or 2-layer

• Requirement about castellated holes

• The distance between the trace and board outline is less than 0.25mm

• The holes is in the trace and it will cause open circuit

• The are some pads out of the board outline

• Two silkscreen files in your gerber file

• Route Process in panel file

• Break lines exist in your file

• Several gerber files have in your order

• Solder mask file is empty or None

• Stackup information

• The tab route is smaller than 1.6mm

• V-scoring line/Slot in silkscreen layer

• Line/Shapes in GM layer

• UL Marking

• Legends on Copper layer

• No Gold fingers design in file

• Drills hurt the circuit

• No Drills in your file

• Legend on every layer

• Soldermask opening for Gold fingers

• Remark for drills is not fitted with the actual drill table in file

• BGA pad opening

• Board outline design standard

• The holes design standard

• There is only top solder mask layer in your file

• Without D-code

• Spiral coil board

• the spacing requirement from slot to copper trace

• Edge plating

• the spacing requirement from hole to the edge of board

• The spacing from one hole to another is too narrow

• It is wrong that copper traces are solder mask opening

• pls confirm whether solid rectangle area should be made as slot or not

• The requirement of beveling on gold finger area

• all the holes are with the same size

• The castellated holes are partial set in outline instead of in the center for common designs

• stamp holes standard

• min non-plated holes

• the hole limitation for single-side Aluminum boards

• the spacing from hole to trace

• silkscreen over pads

• limited holes spacing

• the bottom silkscreen is mirrored

• Do you need round holes or slots holes made?

• Mask openings are smaller than copper pads

• notes in the order are different from the designs in the files

• do not design texts on the copper layer

• drills are not matched with pads

• Negative or positive inner layer

• NPTH design rule

• Silkscreen standard size

• Spacing between silkscreen and openings

• silkscreen size and spacing in solder mask layer

• How to design cutout or big hole

• Remark on rectangle slot

• How to regard GPT or GTP

• Negative legends in copper layer

• Slot in oval pads

• Which layer to put round or any shape of cutout

• There do not have fiducial marks or tooling holes on break away rails

• There is no stamp holes on tab routing

• The non plated holes break traces

• No layer orders for multi layers boards

• There is no solder mask openings on some pads

• The layer order information you filled online doesn’t match the name suffix in gerber file

• Copper line and the pad are not connected

• There are no drills in the areas pointed with arrows

• Solder mask opening of some pads is too much which cause copper open as well

• PCB file you uploaded seems the production file, not the original PCB file

• Negative legend dimension is too small for production

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