RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
What is PCB Edge Plating?
Introduction
PCB edge plating is the process of plating exposed copper connections
along the edges of a printed circuit board with a metallic coating like gold
or tin to facilitate electrical connections. This article provides a
comprehensive overview of PCB edge plating including its purpose,
edge connector types, plating processes, inspection, reliability factors, and
future trends.
What is a PCB Edge Connector?
A PCB edge connector refers to the gold plated contact fingers
or pads arrayed along one or more edges of a circuit board that mate with
a corresponding connector. The board edge fits into a slot to make
electrical contact.
Edge connectors allow boards to be easily installed, removed, and
replaced from electronic systems.
Why Use PCB Edge Connectors?
Key benefits of edge connectors:
Allow insertion/removal of PCBs from system
Wipe contact action for reliable connections
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Component-less connections simplify assembly
Easy to fabricate and integrate on PCB
No soldering required
Withstand thousands of mating cycles
Support high density contact configurations
Enable high frequency signaling
These factors make edge connectors highly versatile and cost-effective.
Request PCB Manufacturing Quote Now
Types of Edge Connectors
Common edge connector configurations include:
Single Row Edges
One row of contacts on board edge
Less costly, lower density
Used for prototypes or low complexity
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Dual Row Edges
Two parallel rows of staggered contacts
Allows higher number of connections
Improves mechanical alignment
Multi-Row Edges
More than two rows, or rows on multiple edges
Further increases connection density
Complex PCB layout
High Density Edges
Very narrow pitch between contacts
Up to 600+ connections on single edge
May use dual-beam cantilever contacts
Edge Contact Plating
To provide conductivity and protect copper traces, edge contacts require
metallic plating like:
Gold – Most common, resistant to oxidation/corrosion
Tin – Lower cost but susceptible to oxidation over time
Palladium-Nickel – Avoid tin whisker issues, lower cost
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Gold Flash over Nickel – Combines low cost nickel with gold outer
layer
A minimum thickness like 50 μin of gold ensures durability over 10,000+
mating cycles.
PCB Edge Plating Process Steps
A typical PCB edge plating process involves:
1. Drilling holes for edge contacts
2. Copper electroless then electrolytic plating
3. Etching to form isolated traces
4. Surface preparation like microetching
5. Immersion plating of gold or other metal
6. Cleaning then drying boards
7. Quality inspection – thickness, continuity, defects
8. Electrical testing if needed
Fabrication generally follows standard PCB methods plus final plating.
Edge Plating Quality Control
Key process controls needed:
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Plating Thickness – Confirm minimum thickness met via microscopy
or X-ray fluorescence. Insufficient plating risks wear
or corrosion issues.
Continuity – Verify electrical connectivity from inner layers through
plated edge contacts.
Plating Coverage – Inspect for voids or thin areas around traces.
Overplating – Ensure plating does not excessively build up on glass
weave. Can impede mating.
Trace Geometry – Confirm dimensions match specifications.
Reliability Considerations
Several factors impact connector lifespan:
Plating thickness – Thicker gold or tin plating improves cycle life and
durability.
PCB thickness – Boards thinner than 1 mm may bow during mating
stress.
Contact geometry – Well-designed trace shapes tolerate repeated
mating forces.
Receptacle contacts – Select robust and proven connector contact
designs to match.
Contamination – Prevent dirt, oils, or particles during handling and
use.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Inspecting Assembled Connections
Key checks on completed connectors:
Continuity – Spot check electrical conductivity through mated
connection.
Contact Engagement – Confirm full insertion with visual checks.
Marks/Damage – Inspect for signs of wear, scrapes, or damage after
assembly cycles.
Contamination – Verify absence of particles or films from handling.
Edge Connector Standards
Key specifications and standards for edge connectors:
IPC-2223 – Sectional requirements for PCB edge contacts
IPC-6013 – Qualification and performance of edge connections
IPC/EIA J-STD-002 – Solderability tests for component
leads/terminations
IEC 60352-5 – Reliability testing and requirements
Compliance to standards ensures quality and reliability goals are met.
Request PCB Manufacturing Quote Now
PCB Layout Guidelines
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
To optimize edge connector performance:
Minimize total board thickness
Ensure adequate board rigidity
Include integrated stiffener ribs if needed
Avoid placing components along connector edge
Include generous fillets at trace corners
Fanout inner layer traces gradually
Reviewing layouts with the receptacle supplier is recommended.
Edge Connector Applications
Edge connectors see wide usage across:
Computers – Daughtercards, memory modules, backplanes
Telecom – Switching cards, router cards, base stations
Military/Aerospace – Mission systems, navigation cards
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Medical – MRI, ultrasound, imaging cards
Automotive – Engine control units, instrument clusters
Consumer – Set-top boxes, game consoles
Edge connectors enable quick field replacement of electronics cards or
modules across industries.
Future Trends
Edge connector technology continues advancing:
Increasing Density – More contacts in thinner boards enabling
complex interconnection.
Higher Frequencies – Extending signal integrity to 10+ Gbps rates.
Improved Durability – Advanced plating and contact shaping for
10,000+ mating cycles.
Lower Costs – Simplified fabrication allowing broader adoption.
Connector manufacturers and PCB fabricators are driving progress.
Conclusion
In summary, PCB edge plating and connectors offer a versatile and
cost-effective interconnection method widely used for replaceable
subsystems, cards, and modules across many industries. Edge connectors
will continue meeting the challenges of denser contacts, thinner boards,
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
faster signaling, and improved reliability thanks to ongoing advancements
in plating technology, board materials, and precision manufacturing
techniques. While alternative approaches like board-to-board connectors
exist, the simplicity and convenience of edge connectors ensures their
usage well into the future anytime field replaceability of circuits is
required.
FAQs
Q: What is the most common metal used for edge connector plating?
A: Gold is by far the most popular thanks to its durability and resistance to
corrosion and oxidation over thousands of mating cycles.
Q: What are some key reliability concerns with edge connectors?
A: Insufficient plating thickness, contamination, poor contact design, and
inadequate board thickness or rigidity impact connector lifespan.
Q: How many mating cycles can a robust edge connector withstand?
A: Well designed gold plated connectors using suitable PCB thickness can
achieve 10,000 cycles or more.
Q: What are some alternatives to PCB edge connectors?
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
A: Board-to-board connectors, hybrid edge connectors, and high density
board stacking connectors offer other options.
Q: What is the main benefit of using dual row edge connectors versus
single row?
A: Dual row configurations double the connection density by interleaving
two staggered rows of contacts.
How to do PCB edge plating ?
PCB edge plating
At present, there are two kinds of PCB board edge design: metallization
and non-metallization. For non-metallization, manufacturers in the
industry have matured, but the metallization technology is still immature.
Nowadays, more customers’ production needs are turning to PCB metal
edging. Therefore, the quality of PCB metal edging has become the focus
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
of customers’ and manufacturers’ attention because its quality directly
affects the use of products.
Request PCB Edge Plating Manufacturing Quote Now
The necessity of PCB metal edging
Metalized edging means that the edge of the board must be metalized.
English description: Edge plating, border plated, plated contour, side
plating, side metal, etc.
More electronic products start to minimize the product volume as the
goal so that PCB will use electroplated nickel and gold surface
treatment(ENIG) technology. In the production process, the gold-plated
finger process can achieve the gold-cladding of the solder joints. Still, it is
necessary to separately make the lead-through solder joints and the
board edges, even though they are removed after gold plating. It is only
convenient for the production of gold-clad solder joints on the side of the
board. The production process of electroplating nickel gold is simple. It is
unnecessary to make the leads separately, but only the top layer of the
solder joints can be plated with gold, and the side plated with gold can not
be produced. The gold-plated nickel-gold plating process on the side of
the circuit board can achieve the top layer gold plating and the side-side
gold plating at the same time.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Metallization edging process:
Drilling —- Milling metalized slot hole —- Removing dirt —- Plated-through
hole
Altium edge plating
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
Drawing of engineering documents for metallized edging
1. Determine the area where the board needs to be metalized.
When most customers are designing the circuit, the copper is
stretched out on the outer edge of the board. When this happens,
you need to consider whether the edge of the board needs to be
hemmed and if the metalized edging is needed during
production (must require formal instructions from the customer).
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Sources of information: One is Gerber files, and the others are PDF,
TXT, DWG, etc.
Design and precautions of metallized edging board
Copy the outline layer in the design file to the pthrou layer to make
a closed long slot.
Edge plating
Note that since copper plating is required at the encapsulation, the copper
thickness has a specific thickness. Therefore, when making the hemming
shape, compensation should be considered.
After finishing the edging groove, the next step is to determine the
electrical connectivity of the edging.
In order to determine which layer should be connected to the hemming,
the following sequence should be followed:
Find out which layers and areas the customer requires to connect.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Clear the connection requirements of each layer.
Precautions for the production of metalized edging lines
For the edged board, in order to prevent film chipping, it is
necessary to ensure that the pad is 10MIL on one side. Whether in
the board, on the side, or outside the board, it must have a 10MIL
pad. If it needs to be added or changed, it must be confirmed by the
customer. If there are pads near the edging, the pads’ distance and
the edging disk should be at least 8MIL. If it cannot be satisfied,
feedback and confirmation are required.
After the hemming, the connection of the inner and outer layers
must be checked. The connection method between the layers must
be determined to avoid electrical and ground short circuits after the
hemming.
If there is a plated film, the edging must be processed like
a PTH groove, and there must be a disk. Pay special attention: the
edging of the special-shaped groove should also be the same as the
hole, which needs to be filled and enlarged by 4mil.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
Solder mask design for metallized edging
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
For the solder mask, the edging groove must be fully windowed.
Bounding solder mask opening = Bounding pad +0.16mm
Outline problem for metallized edging
PCB side plating
In order to improve production efficiency, CAM must use standard milling
cutters to make edging grooves, such as: 0.8, 1.0, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4mm.
Remarks: If this is not in the customer’s requirement, please
choose 2.0mm or greater.
Panel design requirements and choice of surface treatment
The long direction of the edging slot must be parallel to the long
side of the rear panel (the direction of the edging slot is parallel to
the running direction of the tin spray).
For orders that do not meet the above requirements, the project
pre-review will require the customer to confirm the use of
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
non-sprayed surface processes such as gold or copper-nickel
plating.
Other matters needing attention
If the antenna position is too large, it will affect the customer’s
welding or signal transmission.
The inner cladding pad is connected to the wire in the board,
causing a Short circuit.
The stamp hole is designed at the edging slot, which must be
treated with two drills.
Remarks:
If the stamp hole is placed in a drill, the plate may break due to the
irregular forces when the plate swings back and forth in the electroplating
cylinder.
If the bridge width is insufficient when spraying tin, the plate may break
due to the force of the wind knife when spraying tin.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
The production process of plate-side gold-plated nickel-gold plating:
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
PCB side plating
The process of plating the sidewalls of the circuit board with gold and
electroplating nickel and gold includes:
1. Etching – Forms an etching groove on the copper surface of the
circuit board. The etching groove extends along the pattern to be
coated with gold on the sidewall, so that the copper layer needs to
be coated with gold.
2. The side walls are exposed – A dry film is pasted on the copper layer,
and an opening is formed on the dry film. The opening corresponds
to the etching groove and the area of the copper plate surrounded
by gold that needs to be covered with gold.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
3. Expose the side walls – Electroplating the circuit board so that the
copper plate area and the side walls are plated with a layer of nickel
and gold.
If the copper plate area is an independent pad, lead is separately added.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
The distance between the circumferential edge of the window and the
circumferential edge of the copper plate area is 4 mils.
During electroplating, nickel and gold are formed on the upper surface
and sidewalls of the copper plate area at the same time to achieve the top
layer gold plating and the sidewall gold coating.
edge plating
Description of the drawings
Reference signs in the figure: 1. Etching groove, 2. Copper layer, 3.
Sidewall, 4. Dry film, 5. Copper plate area, 6. Open window, 7. Substrate, 8.
Open window, 9. Dry film.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Specific operation instructions:
The gold plating nickel-gold electroplating process on the sidewall of the
circuit board includes: Forming an etching groove (1) on the copper
surface of the circuit board by etching. The etching groove (1) extends
along the pattern to be coated with gold on the side of the board; this is
why the copper layer (2) is required. The gold-clad sidewall (3) is
exposed, and a dry film (4) is pasted on the copper layer (2). An opening
(6) is formed on the dry film (4), which corresponds to the etching groove
(1) and its surroundings. The copper plate area (5) that needs to be coated
with gold is provided and exposed to the side walls. The circuit board is
electroplated with nickel and gold so that both the copper plate area
(5) and the side walls (3) are plated with a layer of nickel and gold.
When making a circuit board, as shown in Figure 1, paste a dry film (9) on
the outer sidewall of the copper layer (2). Form an opening (8) on the dry
film (9), which corresponds to the to-be-formed etching groove (1) and
shape. Then, etching is performed, thereby forming an etching groove (1).
One side wall (3) of the etching groove (1) needs to be side-clad with gold
in the subsequent process.
Then, a dry film (4) is pasted on the outer wall of the copper layer (2).
Simultaneously, the dry film (4) is formed with a window corresponding to
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
the copper plate area (5) to be gold-plated, gold-clad on the side of the
board, and the etching groove (1) around it.
Finally, it’s time to electroplate the circuit board. Since the upper surface
and side surfaces of the copper plate area (5) are not covered with the dry
film (4), nickel and gold can be formed on the upper surface and sidewalls
of the copper plate area (5) during electroplating. This is to achieve
top-layer gold plating and board edge gold plating at the same time.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
Preferably, if the copper plate area (5) is an independent pad, a lead is
added separately.
Preferably, the distance between the circumferential edge of the window
(6) and the circumferential edge of the copper plate area (5) is 4 mils. In
this way, it is convenient for the syrup to enter the pad’s sidewall position,
and gold-cladding on the side of the board is achieved when electroplating
is complete.
Technical characteristics of the gold plating on the sidewall of the circuit board:
A process for coating the sidewalls of a circuit board with gold and
electroplating nickel and gold is characterized in that it comprises:
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
An etching groove is formed on the copper surface of the circuit
board by etching. The etching groove extends along the pattern to
be coated with gold on the sidewall. This exposes the sidewall of the
copper layer that needs to be coated with gold.
Paste a dry film on the copper layer, and form a window on the dry
film. The window corresponds to the etching groove and the area of
the copper plate that needs to be covered with gold and exposed to
the sidewall.
Electroplating the circuit board with nickel and gold so that the
copper plate area and the sidewall are plated with a layer of nickel
and gold.
The process of plating the sidewall of the circuit board with gold and
electroplating nickel and gold is that the distance between the
circumferential edge of the window opening and the circumferential
edge of the copper plate area is 4 mils.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
With the increase of system speed, the timing and signal integrity
problems of high-speed digital signals are important, but
the EMC problems caused by the electromagnetic interference
and power integrity in the system are also critical. The electromagnetic
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
interference generated by the high-speed digital signal will cause serious
mutual interference within the system and reduce the system’s
anti-interference ability and generate strong electromagnetic radiation to
the outer space.
This causes the system’s electromagnetic radiation emission to seriously
exceed the EMC standard, making the product unable to pass EMC
standard certification. The side-board radiation of a multilayer PCB is a
relatively common source of electromagnetic radiation. When the
unexpected current reaches the edge of the ground plane and the power
plane, edge radiation occurs. The PCB board metalization edging process
encloses the entire board edge with metal, so that the microwave
signal cannot be radiated from the PCB board edge, thereby solving the
problem of edge radiation. Of course, the use of the board edge
metallization edging process will also increase the manufacturing cost of
the PCB.
RayMing Electronics Co., Ltd. is a professional manufacturer of
high-precision multilayer circuit boards, module immersion gold circuit
boards, automotive circuit boards, driving recorders, COB power supplies,
computer motherboards, medical circuit boards, module bonding
boards, blind hole impedance board, thermoelectric separation copper
substrate, etc. RayMing provides top-notch quality assurance and
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
punctual delivery, a high-tech enterprise with sales as a whole. If there is a
demand for side-coated gold boards, please feel free to contact us!
Related Posts:
1. Edge Connector PCB: What are the Best Gold Plating Methods?
2. What Is Edge Connector Bevelling?
3. Xilinx Kria: The Future of Edge Computing
4. Everything You Need to Know About Copper Wrap Plating
[Link]
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services [Link]
