10 PCB faults that pass DRC and still cause a respin
Your PCB passed DRC with zero errors. The Gerbers look clean in the viewer. So the board is ready for fab, right? Not quite. DRC checks the rules you gave the tool. It has no idea what the board is meant to do. In design reviews we keep finding the same small group of faults on boards that passed every automated check. Each one is cheap to fix on screen and expensive to fix after the boards come…
Passed DRC checks, seemingly flawless PCBs still suffer from defects that force costly re-spins. Despite clean Gerber files and automated compliance, design reviews consistently uncover a handful of recurring issues. By scrutinizing ten common pitfalls, we highlight design oversights that appear trivial yet prove critical during production.
First, ensure the exact part number mirroring the BOM matches the datasheet - suffixes and version numbers matter. Next, meticulously map every strap pin to its intended function, preventing boot mode inconsistencies. Verify land patterns against datasheet specifications, accounting for variations between vendors. Control signal traces away from plane splits by using stitching capacitors or redesigning traces.
Confirm trace width sizing against your fab's stackup, not just a generic calculator output. Lastly, validate connector orientation and mating sequences within the enclosure's actual geometry. By flagging these frequent oversights early in design reviews, you save significant time and expense in addressing costly re-spins later.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
