Contents
Paragraph one
A professional PCB design should be 5rable to cope with peak currents and other currents anticipated in the circuit. These include Overcurrent, Short-circuit, and Peak currents. When the circuit experiences some Overcurrent, the circuit traces should let the Overcurrent Protection circuit shut down without the traces blowing up. A professional PCB Circuit should also be able to handle a short circuit. This makes it possible to repair or recover the PCB from the damage since only such components as fuse will get damaged.
Paragraph Tow
Peak currents can be experienced, especially when you power up the circuit. An example of such a circuit is the motor driver circuit. The instance when you power the circuit, the current rises to some peak value. After a short time, t, the current drops to some steady value. This steady value can be referred to as the operating current. The circuit design should be such that it can withstand this inrush current. Generally, the thickest and the widest traces which are far apart from each other are always preferred. However, there is always a size limitation and the achievable quality of the PCB. The smaller the PCB, the harder it becomes to keep it safe from peak currents.
When designing a professional PCB prototype, it is advisable always to use the PCB trace calculator and the via calculator. This helps make the right decision about the geometry and the width of a trace and a via. As a result, when the PCB is subjected to peak currents, it can survive the temperature rise better than the components held together by the PCB assembly. For homemade DYI PCBs, a quick solution would be to solder some thick copper wire along with the high current PCB trace. This will help make it withstand the high currents within the circuit.