Build High Density Interconnect PCBs with Skip Vias

How you place and route your high-density interconnect (HDI) circuit board traces can significantly affect each trace's saturation current, resistance, and capacitance. With HDI PCB manufacturing, you want to create the best possible board while avoiding waste by placing the tracks in the most space-efficient manner. Skip vias have helped address this concern– making it easy to build substantial HDI boards containing hundreds or thousands of terminals.

When working with HDI boards, skip vias can be helpful in a couple of ways: they provide a route for via connections when they are not on the edge of a board and provide a way to maintain signal integrity on diagonal traces that cross more than one via. This post is an introduction to skip vias and how to use them for building high-density interconnect printed circuit boards.

What Are Skip Vias?

Skip vias are a particular type of via designed to carry signals in one layer and connect the pads to another layer. This makes it possible to create traces on the top layer without drilling holes through multiple layers. Skip vias are very often used in HDI PCBs.

Skip vias can be used in several different ways:

Connecting Two Layers - A single layer of copper will not conduct electricity, so connecting two different layers of the board is necessary if you want those two layers to be able to communicate with each other. Skip vias can be used for this purpose because they are small enough to fit through the holes in both layers of the board. They also don't require additional drilling or routing, which would take more time and money.

Connecting Two Sides of a Trace - The signal does not have to travel through every layer from one endpoint to another endpoint on a single layer. Skip vias can be used if there isn't room for a trace on one side of the board, but it does need to go through another layer from one endpoint to another on the same layer where it started at one endpoint.

Skip Vias and HDI PCB

Skip vias are popular in HDI PCB manufacturing because they allow more flexibility in routing signals and other electrical connections. They connect copper layers without drilling a hole through the entire board.

Skips vias are needed because copper traces on an HDI PCB are not continuous but connected in a grid pattern with no continuity between them. This makes it difficult to create connections between two different layers because you need to drill holes through both layers for continuity between them. Skip vias are essentially short traces that connect one layer with another. If a trace is too long, or there is no other way to reach its destination on another layer, it can be broken up into multiple sections by placing skip vias between each section of the trace.

Skip vias place components at different heights without worrying about breaking connections between them. For example, if you have a component that needs to be placed high up on the board but another one that needs to be placed low down on the board, skip vias can help maintain connectivity between them so that signals can still travel from one end to another seamlessly. With this technique, you do not have to worry about signal loss or disrupted connections due to height differences between two parts of your circuit board design which would otherwise have been impossible using regular through-hole vias.

Advantages of Using Skip Vias in HDI PCB

• The main advantage of using skip vias is that it saves a lot of time and money because you do not need to use bigger via, which requires a drilling machine. It will also increase the quality of your final product because there is no chance that the copper will get damaged during the drilling process.
• Another advantage of skip vias is that they save space on your HDI PCB. For example, if you have two ground planes at different heights on one side of your board, you can use a single via to make both connections instead of having two separate vias for each plane. Skip vias also allow for easier routing because there are fewer obstacles for signals to pass through on their way from one layer to another.
• To ensure your product runs smoothly, you must test it thoroughly. Skip vias HDI PCB helps you do this by making it easy to connect various components through a single hole. This makes testing a lot simpler and faster than before because it reduces the number of connections required to test each component individually.
• Skip vias HDI PCB provides high interconnect density without compromising signal integrity or reliability. This makes it suitable for complex mixed-signal circuits where performance is critical.

Building HDI PCBs with Skip Vias: Applications

Skip vias HDI PCB is an advanced technology that can be used in many applications such as:

Audio Applications

The skip vias HDI PCB can be used in audio applications like speakers and headphones. This type of PCB is used to connect two different parts so that the speaker works appropriately. It also helps remove noise from the speaker and make it more efficient.

Video Applications

The skip vias HDI PCB is also used for video applications like cameras and projectors. This type of PCB helps connect different components to work correctly in these devices. The skip vias HDI PCB helps reduce interference between devices and makes them more efficient.

Computer Applications

The skip vias HDI PCB can also be used in computers because it helps increase efficiency by reducing interference between different parts of a computer system, such as memory cards or hard drives.

The Bottom Line

Skip vias are an excellent choice for high-density interconnect designs. They enable the designer to seamlessly transition between two different conductor sizes without sacrificing the conductivity of the connection. Plus, they remain well defined in proportion to the other features on the board and are easier to pick out for assembly and inspection. With attention to detail, your next PCB project will be better than the last for display or function with high-density interconnects made with skip vias. To learn best practices for designing HDI boards, visit Hemeixin.