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High-frequency PCB Boards Application In Smart Automotive Electronics

2024-06-07

High-frequency PCB refer to special circuit boards with higher electromagnetic frequencies. They are circuit boards used in high frequency (frequency greater than 300MHZ or wavelength less than 1 meter) and microwave (frequency greater than 3GHZ or wavelength less than 0.1 meter).  With the rapid development of science and technology, equipment functions are becoming more and more complex, and the requirements for smart car technology are getting higher and higher. PCB manufacturers need to continue to improve PCB design and fabrication technology to meet the growing performance requirements of smart cars. Among them, high-frequency PCB play an irreplaceable role in smart automotive electronics manufacturing.

1. Reasons Why High-frequency PCB Are Popular In The Smart Automotive Electronics

● High Data Transfer Rate

Smart automotive electronics relies on large amounts of sensor data and real-time processing, requiring fast and reliable data transmission. High-frequency circuit boards support higher data transmission rates and enable internal and external communications in smart cars.

● Signal Integrity  

At high frequency operation, signal integrity is critical. High-frequency PCB boards can reduce signal loss and interference and ensure the stability and reliability of electronic systems. This is particularly important for vehicle control and safety systems.

● High Precision and Reliability  

Smart car electronic systems require high precision and reliability. High-frequency PCB use high-quality materials and advanced manufacturing processes to meet these strict requirements and ensure that the vehicle system works normally in various complex and harsh environments.

● Thermal Management  

High-frequency PCB boards usually have excellent heat dissipation designs to help manage the heat of electronic components. This is particularly important in electric and autonomous vehicles, as these vehicles rely on high-power electronic systems.

● Strong Tolerance  

High-frequency circuit boards can adapt well to a variety of environments (such as humid weather) because they are made of materials with extremely low water absorption that can challenge such environments.

2. Specific Applications of High-frequency PCB In The Field of Automotive Electrics

The rapid progress of smart automotive is closely related to the rapid development of the electronics industry. Many automotive electronic devices are inseparable from high-frequency PCB, such as:

● Vehicle Radar System

Vehicle-mounted radar systems detect the environment around a vehicle, such as obstacles, other vehicles, and pedestrians. These systems operate in the high-frequency range (usually 24 GHz or 77 GHz) and require high-frequency PCB for precise signal processing and transmission.

● Vehicle Communication System

Smart cars rely on V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication, including V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) and V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) communication. These systems require high-frequency PCB boards to support high-speed data transmission and reliable wireless communications.

● ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System)

The ADAS system includes automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. These systems require high-speed and high-precision data processing and transmission, in which high-frequency PCB play a key role.

● Electric Power System

The power system of electric vehicles, including battery management system (BMS) and motor control system, requires high-frequency PCB boards to process complex power electronic signals and ensure efficient operation.

● Multimedia and Entertainment System  

Smart car multimedia and entertainment systems also benefit from high-frequency PCB boards, supporting high-definition display, fast data transmission and high-fidelity audio output.

Vehicle electronic PCB design and manufacturing

3. Key Equipment for Automotive Electronics High-frequency PCB Manufacturing

In manufacturing automotive electronics high-frequency PCB, several key equipment are essential.

● Laminating Press

The laminator is one of the key equipment used to manufacture multi-layer PCB. It stacks the pre-prepared single-layer PCB sheets and dielectric layers together according to the design requirements. Then it applies high temperature and high pressure to make them work with the thermosetting resin. Laminator In the manufacturing of automotive electronic equipment, the lamination process must be exact to ensure that the insulation and conductive properties between each layer meet the requirements, reduce signal loss and interference, and ensure that the manufactured high-frequency PCB complies with the strict automotive electronics industry Design requirements.

● Fully Automatic VCP(Vacuum Compression Press) Production Line   

The fully automatic VCP production line is mainly used to press copper foil, insulation materials and prepreg in a vacuum environment. This method can better control the generation of bubbles and impurities, and improve the quality and reliability of PCB boards. In the manufacturing of high-frequency PCB boards, vacuum lamination can effectively reduce air gaps and impurities between layers, improve the integrity of signal transmission and the mechanical strength of the board. It is especially suitable for applications such as automotive electronic equipment that require extremely high PCB quality.

● Outer Layer LDI (Laser Direct Imaging) Imaging

Outer layer LDI technology can achieve higher resolution and accuracy, and is suitable for high-density, high-precision high-frequency circuit board manufacturing. Compared with traditional exposure imaging methods, LDI technology can reduce pattern shift and distortion and ensure accurate transmission of high-frequency signals. Intelligent automotive electronics PCB design usually requires the integration of complex circuits and functional modules in a limited space. Outer layer LDI imaging can achieve high-density and high-complexity PCB design to meet the functional requirements of automotive electronics.


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