Everything You Need to Know About PCB Clone

Most electronic devices require PCBs to function. In the electronics sector, these circuit boards perform a vital function. PCB fabrication has increased due to recent advancements in manufacturing electrical gadgets. A new set of PCBs is being manufactured to fulfil the expanding demands of electrical designers.

This constant evolution can lead to inefficiency and waste, which is where PCB clone service can help. For a variety of reasons, PCB cloning is crucial. One of the most common reasons for a PCB cloning service is the necessity to replace an out-of-date PCB that is no longer in manufacturing.

One of the industry’s key challenges is replacing old-school PCBs used in high-frequency applications. To comprehend PCB clone service, it is necessary first to comprehend what PCB clone is, its benefits, and how it functions.

Table of Contents

What is PCB Clone?

PCB duplication or PCB copy are other terms for PCB clones. PCB cloning is a reverse-engineering process that uses existing PCB boards to create a replica. It’s a part of the PCB reverse engineering process.

Hardware engineering can benefit from reverse engineering. It is crucial in human mapping DNA and the development of computer software. You replicate the circuit board’s precise design when you clone a PCB. PCB clones are designed to copy and replace old circuit boards.

Making the Bill of Material (BOM) and duplicating the schematics are the two most important steps in PCB cloning. A PCB clone board employs various research methods to create a PCB design circuit for a high-quality electronic gadget. It also uses a bill of materials (BOM) and a circuit schematic.

PCB cloning is a difficult topic to grasp. Electronic gadgets evolve daily, and numerous electronics are upgraded at least once a year. Many engineers have concluded that traditional R&D methods will not be sufficient to keep pace with the evolution of electronic product replacement. As a result, reverse engineering is becoming increasingly popular. Re-designing a board with a PCB clone is a cost-effective solution. It assists in extending the life of devices and systems when components become obsolete. The wonderful thing about PCB clones is that you can modify an existing design to meet your needs.

What is a PCB Clone Service?

The PCB clone service allows you to generate an electronic circuit board replica. It isn’t difficult to make a PCB replica. Cloning should be the last option if the correct circuit has a decent controller.

PCB cloning allows you to generate more printed circuit boards without designing them from the ground up. PCB cloning services are critical in today’s electronics. PCB clone is becoming more popular among electronics manufacturers as a cost-effective option.

How might PCB Cloning aid PCB re-design and development?

PCB Cloning is a reverse engineering process that employs several ways to obtain a PCB design, circuit schematic, and bill of materials for an existing and manual electrical design. A new product development that used to take two or three years might now be completed in months, thanks to reverse engineering technology.

The advancement of electronic technology has changed with each passing day over the last decade, and many electronic items have been modified at least once a year. Future electrical device updates may be quicker. Many electronics experts have believed that traditional R&D processes can no longer keep up with the fast speed of modern electronic product replacement. Since there are millions of different designs on the market, reverse engineering has become a way to catch up to the front runners quickly.

Advantages of PCB Clone

It is critical to grasp the benefits of PCB clones now that we understand how they work. PCB clones provide several advantages, which we’ll go through below.

Economical and Cost-effective Option

PCB board manufacturing is a lengthy process. It’s a difficult job that necessitates the use of high-quality boards. PCB makers face a significant issue. It might be pretty expensive depending on what you want to accomplish with the PCB.

PCB boards are far more expensive to design from the ground up than duplicates. It covers the costs of creating and testing prototypes. The expense of adjusting design parameters and optimizing the design will also be incurred.

PCB cloning is a more cost-effective approach. The PCB manufacturing process becomes more cost-effective as a result of this. If you choose a PCB replica, you will not have to spend any money on a design.

It has also been demonstrated that reverse engineering products are far superior to those produced using traditional methods.

Streamline Production

PCB cloning makes it easier for producers to make PCB boards with less effort. This reverse engineering technology aids in the identification of some excellent designs. Manufacturers can combine these designs and begin producing PCBs based on the new one.

This strategy aids in the automation of manufacturing processes and, as a result, the streamlining of production activities. Manual labour will be reduced by automation and simplification. This will save money on labour.

Streamlining the manufacturing process can also aid in the production of high-performance and long-lasting boards, hence boosting product quality.

Conscientious engineering technique

When discussing conscientiousness, we’re paying close attention to the smallest details when constructing aboard. When a company relies heavily on PCB clones, it must thoroughly investigate the board in question. This allows engineers to create high-quality goods.

Engineers can also use this technology to create reliable and stable PCBs in various temperatures. The engineer can use a PCB clone to create a product that fits the needs of people. The engineer is limited to the existing PCB design when using reverse engineering. As a result, the engineer is motivated to increase the product’s performance.

Improved scalability and freedom

One of the advantages of PCB clones is that they give companies a lot of flexibility. It enables them to be more adaptable throughout the manufacturing process. As a result, the printed circuit boards that result are personalized and adjusted to meet the needs of the consumers.

PCB cloning enables manufacturers to produce a large number of boards from a single PCB design. As a result, they can create many PCB board clones. They can also help us enhance our production processes to meet your needs. This allows manufacturers to earn more money.

Reverse engineering also aids producers in aligning their manufacturing operations with users’ existing designs. As a result, users can specify their market requirements and place orders. Both the manufacturer and the user benefit from PCB cloning.

Consistent performance

When manufacturers employ PCB clones to mass-produce many PCB boards, they will have an identical design. These boards will, without a doubt, function identically under similar situations. PC clone assists in ensuring that these boards are built with precision. As a result, their performance is superior to PCB boards made by more traditional methods.

A PCB clone allows a manufacturer to create boards with better performance. Because of their particular electrical and mechanical properties, most of these boards are used in high-speed applications.

How to Copy a Printed Circuit Board

These days, several companies specialize in cloning complex PCBs. Duplicating simple circuit boards is simple. Certain instruments are required for PCB cloning. All of the following are required: computers, AUTOCAD, scanners, and PORTEL99.

Place the board you want to replicate in the scanner and scan it. Make sure your scanner’s contrast and brightness are set correctly.
Make a file with the AUTOCAD software and select the raster image from the insert option. The insert picture box will appear once you select the image you want to use.
Draw a frame around the image to protect the PCB border after being inserted. When drawing the border, you must use the object lock point.
Make a drawing of the component packaging as well as the shape. When drawing the component package, count the number of packages utilized on the board. Each package must draw a number, after which it will be sent to PORTAL 99 for processing.
After opening PORTEL99, create a new PCB file and select import CAD file from the PROTEL 99 PCB editor’s menu. In it, place the CAD file. After importing it, the graph of component packaging will appear in the PORTEL99 editor.
Make a second PCB component editor. Then, from the PORTEL99 editor, please select a component and copy it into the component editor.
Put the component packages in PROTEL 99 editor and transfer them to a CAD file after finishing.
Open the CAD file you imported into the PCB picture and the CAD file you imported into the CAD. Then, using the PCB image as a guide, copy the component package to the CAD.
Place the vias and pads in the appropriate places. The pads’ outside and inner sizes must be measured in the CAD. Determine the ring’s outside and interior diameters. Make sure they’re placed according to their sizes when laying the pads. You can’t use the polygon and square pads together, but you can use the filling approach.
The aggregate line is used to draw the trace. Start drawing after selecting the aggregate line from the drawing menu.
Place the silkscreen on the surface. Make use of the polymer line if the silkscreen is irregular.

PCB copy necessitates a lot of attention and care to be done correctly. A seasoned PCB clone service makes the duplicate. To clone a PCB board, you must properly follow a series of important processes.

PCB cloning Basic Steps

When you receive a PCB, write down the components’ type, specifications, and location, including the diodes and the triplet and IC gap directions. It’s recommended to snap two images of the component locations with a digital camera. Nowadays, the PCB circuit board is becoming increasingly sophisticated above the diode triode, which some people are oblivious to.

Remove all components from the PAD hole, as well as the tin. After using an ultrasonic wave to clean the empty PCB board, place it in the scanner. It is important to note that the PCB must be scanned horizontally and straightly, or else the scanned image will not be usable.
Then open Photoshop and drag the scanner into the program. Let’s say the resolution is 600DPI. The bottom screen-printing method is the same as the top screen-printing approach, which uses a color sweep and saves the name of the custom out.
Using water yarn paper, lightly polish the TOP LAYER and BOTTOM LAYER until the copper film shines. Put it in the scanner, open Photoshop, and then colour-sweep the two layers. Note: The PCB must be put horizontally and straight in the scanner.
Adjust the canvas’s contrast, lightness, and darkness so that the sections with copper film and those without strong contrast convert the secondary picture to black and white and verify if the lines are clear; if not, repeat the process. If the image is clear, save it as a BMP file in black and white. You can also use Photoshop to restore and correct the image if it has any flaws.
Transform each of the two BMP files into a Protel file. In Protel, create two levels. If PAD and VIA are in the same place through the two layers, the previous stages were completed correctly. As a result, PCB board copying is an uphill task requiring patience, as even minor issues can degrade the quality and degree of matching after board copying. Convert the TOP layer’s BMP to the TOP layer’s BMP.
Note the SILK layer, which is the yellow layer, on the PCB, then trace the line in the TOP layer and install the device as shown in step 2. After drawing, delete the SILK layer. If you choose a PCB duplication, you won’t have to pay for a design.
PCB and BOT are two different types of circuit boards. Convert the PCB to PROTEL and integrate the two diagrams into one.
Print the TOP LAYER and BOTTOM LAYER on clear film (1:1 ratio) on a laser printer, place the film on the PCB, compare for errors, and you’re done.

The original board was cloned, but that was just half of the job. A test must be performed to determine whether the copy’s electronic performance is identical to the original. If that is the case, it is truly complete.

Conclusion

The electronic sector is progressing in today’s globe. The electronic sector is a unique type of industry in that it is more prone to innovation. The importance of PCB clones should never be underestimated. Electronic manufacturers always want to modify their PCB designs when there is a market innovation.

For more details, contact us at ICRFQ, we are the best electrical components manufacturer and supplier in China.