Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers about working with Circuit Board Design, the PCB design brand of Electuni LLC. Can't find yours? Ask us directly and we'll reply within 24 hours.

Cost, turnaround and deliverables

See pricing →
How much does PCB design cost?
PCB design starts from $1,000 for simple 2-layer boards and rises with complexity — multi-layer, HDI, RF, and rigid-flex designs cost more. Cost depends on layer count, signal complexity, turnaround time, and whether DFM review and schematic capture are included. Request a free quote for an accurate estimate within 24 hours.
How long does PCB design take?
Simple 2-4 layer boards typically take 3-5 business days for layout. Complex HDI or high-speed designs take 7-14 days. We provide a firm timeline in every quote with a 48-hour quote turnaround guaranteed.
What file formats do you deliver?
We deliver Gerber files (RS-274X), NC drill files, assembly drawings (PDF), BOM (Excel/CSV), schematic PDF, pick-and-place files, and native source files in Altium Designer or KiCad format.
Do you offer DFM review?
Yes. Every PCB layout includes a full Design for Manufacturability review against JLCPCB and PCBWay fabrication rules. We check trace clearances, via sizes, soldermask, silkscreen, and annular rings before delivering files.
What industries do you design PCBs for?
We design PCBs for medical and wearable devices (biosignal acquisition, patient monitoring), energy metering, industrial control and automation, motor control and power electronics, RF and LoRa wireless, industrial IoT, and consumer electronics.
Can you design high-speed PCBs for DDR4, PCIe, or USB 3.x?
Yes. We specialize in high-speed digital PCB layout including DDR4/DDR5 memory interfaces, PCIe Gen 3/4, USB 3.x, and Gigabit Ethernet. All high-speed designs include controlled impedance routing and signal integrity verification.
Is Circuit Board Design a US company?
Yes. Circuit Board Design is the PCB design division of Electuni LLC, a US-registered company with its registered office at 30 N Gould St Ste N, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. Electuni LLC was founded in 2016 and launched Circuit Board Design in 2018. Our engineering team works remotely, and every contract runs through Electuni LLC.
Do you work with companies outside the United States?
Yes. We work remotely with hardware teams in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. We reply within 24 hours and send a detailed quote within 48 hours, and we design to the capabilities of whichever fab or contract manufacturer you use, wherever it is.
Do you work with startups?
Yes. Startups are a large share of our work. We take a breadboard or dev-kit prototype to a production-ready layout, quote a fixed price with a firm timeline, and include a DFM review and full manufacturing files with every layout. Simple 2-layer layouts start from $1,000.
Do you work with large companies?
Yes. Established hardware companies use us as an extension of their engineering team for fixed-scope layouts, pre-fab design reviews and DFM/DFT reviews against their own design rules. We work in Altium Designer or KiCad and deliver native source files, so your team owns and can edit everything we produce.

PCB layout

About this service →
What layer counts do you support for PCB layout?
We support 2 to 32+ layer PCB designs. Simple boards typically use 2-4 layers; complex HDI designs with blind and buried vias can exceed 16 layers. We define the optimal stackup based on your signal integrity, power, and manufacturing requirements.
Can you handle high-speed PCB layouts for DDR4, PCIe, and USB?
Yes. High-speed digital layout is a core speciality. We apply impedance-controlled routing, differential pair length matching, and guard traces for DDR4/DDR5, PCIe Gen 3/4, USB 3.x, LVDS, and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. All critical nets are verified against your SI targets.
What EDA tools do you use for PCB layout?
Our primary tool is Altium Designer. We also work in KiCad and can deliver native files in either format. Gerber (RS-274X), ODB++, and IPC-2581 outputs are included with every project.
Is a DFM review included with the layout?
Yes. Every layout delivery includes a DFM review against common fab rules (JLCPCB, PCBWay, or your nominated CM). We check trace clearances, via annular rings, soldermask slivers, acid traps, and assembly keepouts before releasing Gerbers.

Schematic capture

About this service →
What EDA tools do you use for schematic capture?
Our primary tool is Altium Designer. We also support KiCad and can deliver native source files in either format. Net lists and BOM exports are compatible with all major PCB layout tools.
Can you create custom component libraries?
Yes. We create IPC-7351-compliant schematic symbols with accurate footprints, 3D STEP models, and supply chain data (MPN, preferred distributor, approved alternates). Libraries are delivered with the project and remain yours.
Do you perform ERC and design review?
Every schematic delivery includes a full ERC pass and a manual design review covering circuit functionality, component selection, power budgets, and interface compliance. Issues are resolved before the design is handed off for layout.
What deliverables are included with schematic capture?
Deliverables include: schematic PDF, native source files (Altium or KiCad), net list, BOM (Excel/CSV with MPNs and alternates), component library files, and a design review report.

Pre-fab design review

About this service →
Can you review my PCB before I order it?
Yes. There are two levels. The free quick check is a checklist pass on the faults that kill boards most often: footprints and pin 1, ground return paths, decoupling placement, antenna keepout, protection parts at the connectors, and DRC against your fab house's rules. You get short written notes within 2 business days. The production-ready review goes through the schematic, layout, DFM and BOM in full and is quoted per board before work starts.
Is the quick check really free?
Yes. There is no charge and no obligation. It covers the checklist above for one board. If we see something that needs a deeper look, we will say so and you can decide whether to book the production-ready review.
How much does a production-ready PCB design review cost?
It is a fixed price per board, quoted after we see the files and before any work starts, so the price never changes mid-review. Layer count, part count and how many high-speed or RF sections the board has set the price. If the report contains nothing ranked Critical or Major, you pay nothing.
Will my PCB work if I get it made? How do I know it is ready to order?
Clean DRC only proves the board can be built, not that it will work. Before ordering, check footprints and pin 1 against the datasheets, keep one continuous ground plane under fast signals, place decoupling at the power pins, respect antenna keepouts, put ESD protection at the connectors, and run DRC with your fab's own rules. The free quick check covers exactly these points.
What do I need to send for a design review?
Your schematic, layout files (KiCad, Altium, or Gerbers), and your BOM. Share them as a link you control — Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or a repository — so you can revoke access at any time. We will sign an NDA before files change hands if you prefer.
How long does a design review take?
The free quick check takes 2 business days. The production-ready review takes 3 to 5 business days from the point the files are complete and the quote is approved. It ends with a written, severity-ranked fault list and a 30-minute call to walk through it.
What does the review actually check?
Power stage calculations, absolute maximum ratings on every active pin, protocol and boot-strapping configuration, part-number suffixes against what the schematic actually calls for, impedance and layout rules, and BOM availability and substitution risk. It is an engineering review, not an automated design-rule check.
What happens if you do not find anything?
For the production-ready review: if the report contains zero findings ranked Critical or Major — nothing that would plausibly have required a new board revision, reassembly, or re-tooling — the review is free and you keep the report. Findings ranked Minor do not trigger payment.
Do you fix the faults you find?
Not as part of the review. The review finds and documents; implementing the changes is quoted separately so the fixed scope stays fixed. Most clients take the fault list back to their own team.
Is a design review the same as a DFM check?
No. A DFM check verifies a board against fabrication rules — trace clearances, annular rings, soldermask. A design review checks whether the circuit will actually work: component ratings, power design, signal integrity, and configuration. Both matter, and the review includes DFM as one part of it.

DFM/DFT review

About this service →
What's included in a DFM/DFT review?
Our DFM review checks trace widths, clearances, via annular rings, soldermask slivers, acid traps, and paste stencil apertures against your target fab's process window. The DFT review covers test point placement, ICT fixture clearances, boundary scan integration, and functional test access. You receive a severity-ranked report with corrective actions.
What file formats do you need to perform a DFM review?
We need Gerber files (RS-274X) or ODB++, an NC drill file, your BOM, and the schematic. If you have fab-specific design rules or a target CM in mind, sharing those lets us benchmark your design against their exact process capabilities.
How quickly can you turn around a DFM report?
Standard turnaround is 2-3 business days for boards up to 16 layers. Complex HDI or rigid-flex designs may require 4-5 days. Rush 24-hour turnaround is available on request.
Do you support IPC-2221 and IPC-A-610 standards?
Yes. Our DFM review is benchmarked against IPC-2221 (generic PCB design standard) and IPC-2222 (sectional design standard for rigid boards). Assembly acceptance criteria reference IPC-A-610 Class 2 or Class 3 depending on your product category.

Firmware integration

About this service →
What MCU and SoC platforms do you support?
We work primarily with STM32 (all series), NXP i.MX RT and LPC families, Nordic Semiconductor (nRF52/nRF53/nRF91), and Espressif ESP32. We can also support other ARM Cortex-M and RISC-V platforms — contact us with your target device.
Can you help with RTOS selection and porting?
Yes. We advise on RTOS selection (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or bare-metal) based on your real-time requirements, memory constraints, and connectivity stack. We handle the full port including memory map configuration, interrupt routing, and peripheral clock setup.
Do you provide source code and documentation with the delivery?
Yes. All firmware deliverables include full commented source code, build system files (CMake or Make), a documented HAL API reference, and a bring-up checklist. IP ownership transfers to you on project completion.
Can you work alongside our existing firmware team?
Absolutely. We often engage as a specialist embedded layer — delivering the BSP and low-level drivers while your team owns the application. We use Git-based collaboration and can integrate into your existing CI/CD workflow.

Testing and validation

About this service →
What PCB test methods do you support?
We support in-circuit test (ICT) via flying probe or bed-of-nails fixture, functional test, JTAG/boundary scan, signal integrity measurement (oscilloscope, TDR, VNA), and EMC pre-compliance screening. We recommend the right combination based on your fault coverage targets and production volume.
Do you perform EMC pre-compliance testing?
Yes. We carry out near-field conducted and radiated emissions screening using a spectrum analyser and near-field probes. This identifies dominant emissions sources before you commit to a formal EMC test lab, reducing the risk of first-time failures and expensive re-tests.
Can you design ICT test fixtures for our boards?
Yes. We design both bed-of-nails fixtures (for volume production) and flying probe test programmes (for low-volume or pre-production). Fixture design starts during PCB layout so test point placement is optimised before the board is fabricated.
What standards do you test against?
Common standards we reference include IPC-A-610 (assembly acceptability), IPC-6012 (PCB qualification), MIL-STD-461 (EMC for defense), IEC 61000 (commercial EMC), and IEC 60068 (environmental testing). We scope the test plan to your specific regulatory requirements.

Manufacturing support

About this service →
Can you manage the contract manufacturer relationship on our behalf?
Yes. We can act as your manufacturing engineering representative — issuing RFQs, managing DFM feedback cycles, reviewing process documentation, and coordinating first article inspections. This is especially valuable for companies without an in-house manufacturing engineering function.
What manufacturing file formats do you provide in an NPI package?
A standard NPI package includes Gerber files (RS-274X), NC drill files, ODB++ or IPC-2581, pick-and-place files, assembly drawings (PDF), board outline (DXF), BOM (Excel with MPNs and approved alternates), and a fabrication specification with stackup and controlled impedance callouts.
Can you help us select and qualify a contract manufacturer?
Yes. We evaluate CMs on process capability (minimum feature size, via technology, surface finishes), certifications (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485), lead time, location, and NPI track record. We can run a competitive RFQ across multiple CMs and provide a comparative recommendation.
Do you support volume production ramp and sustaining engineering?
Yes. We support production ramp with yield monitoring, statistical process control guidance, and ECO management. Sustaining engineering covers component EOL replacements, process changes for new fabrication equipment, and ongoing DFM updates as your CM's capabilities evolve.

Full-stack hardware development

About this service →
Can you take a hardware product from idea to production?
Yes. Full-stack hardware development is our flagship engagement. We cover requirements capture, hardware architecture, schematic, PCB layout, firmware, testing, and manufacturing — delivered by a single coordinated team. You get one point of contact and no coordination gaps between disciplines.
How do you handle regulatory certification (CE, FCC, UL, IEC)?
We design with the target certifications in mind from day one — selecting pre-certified radio modules where appropriate, applying EMC layout best practices, and conducting pre-compliance screening before formal lab testing. We work alongside your regulatory consultant or can recommend certified test houses.
Who owns the IP and design files at the end of the project?
You do. Full IP ownership — schematics, PCB layout, firmware source code, and all documentation — transfers to you on final payment. We retain no rights to your design. NDAs are standard on all engagements.
What is the typical timeline for a full hardware development project?
A typical project from requirements to first prototype runs 8–16 weeks depending on complexity. Simple microcontroller-based products sit at the lower end; complex multi-board systems with custom firmware and regulatory testing may take 6–12 months. We provide a detailed milestone schedule with every proposal.