When troubleshooting non-functional or non-performing circuits, engineers can often run simulations or other analytical tools to consider the circuit at the schematic level. If these methods fail to solve the problem, even the best engineers may be stumped, frustrated, or confused. I’ve been through this before. To avoid this kind of cul-de-sac, here’s a simple but important tip: keep it clean!

What do I mean by that? This means that if the PCB is not properly cleaned, certain materials used during PCB assembly or modification can cause serious circuit functional problems. One of the most common problems is flux.