Creating an User Interface that Provides Optimized Distribution of Microelectronic Components on the Printed Circuit Board Used in Automobile Lighting Systems

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) can be in various sizes depending on the application. In addition, depending on the application, the microelectronic components (transistors, capacitors, resistors, integrated circuits, etc.) and the location of these components on the PCB may vary. This situation makes it very difficult to define the design concept of the PCBs by considering certain loading conditions. Vibration loadings can cause damage on the PCBs and also on the electronic components. It is very important to take into account of certain dynamic test conditions in automotive lighting industry when designing and validating the PCB’s. The aim of this study is to take into account of the road conditions when designing PCBs used in automotive lighting systems and to distribute the components to the appropriate locations by using the design of experimental (DoE) method. In the study, a finite element model of the PCB with all its components was created and correlated with physical testing by using the dynamic test scenario frequently used in the industry. The locations of the components on the PCB were determined as the design parameters, the stresses and fatigue damage obtained after random vibration analysis as the response functions in the DoE method. As a result, an interface has been created where the PCB designer can choose the component locations on the board based on test specifications with the virtually/physically verified analyses, rather than based on user experience. This interface also allows the designer to perform a pass/fail check of the PCB for fatigue damage and obtaining the optimum component locations.