Common PCB design mistakes - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This table lists common mistakes made during PCB design with explanations.

Cell	Value
A1	Mistake
B1	Description
A2	Incorrect trace width
B2	Trace too thin causes overheating or signal loss
A3	Poor component placement
B3	Components placed without considering signal flow or heat
A4	Insufficient clearance
B4	Traces or pads too close causing shorts or manufacturing issues
A5	Missing ground planes
B5	Lack of proper grounding leads to noise and interference
A6	No decoupling capacitors
B6	Power supply noise not filtered causing unstable operation
A7	Incorrect drill sizes
B7	Drill holes too small or large affect component fit and reliability
A8	Ignoring thermal reliefs
B8	Heat dissipation problems causing component damage
A9	Unlabeled silkscreen
B9	Difficult assembly and troubleshooting without clear labels

Formula Trace

COUNTIF(A2:A9, "Incorrect trace width")

Step 1: Check each cell in A2:A9 for value "Incorrect trace width"

Step 2: Count all True values

Cell Reference Map

    A           B
1 | Mistake    | Description
2 | Incorrect trace width | Trace too thin causes overheating or signal loss
3 | Poor component placement | Components placed without considering signal flow or heat
4 | Insufficient clearance | Traces or pads too close causing shorts or manufacturing issues
5 | Missing ground planes | Lack of proper grounding leads to noise and interference
6 | No decoupling capacitors | Power supply noise not filtered causing unstable operation
7 | Incorrect drill sizes | Drill holes too small or large affect component fit and reliability
8 | Ignoring thermal reliefs | Heat dissipation problems causing component damage
9 | Unlabeled silkscreen | Difficult assembly and troubleshooting without clear labels

The formula references the range A2:A9 to find the count of a specific mistake.

Result

    A           B
1 | Mistake    | Description
2 | Incorrect trace width | Trace too thin causes overheating or signal loss
3 | Poor component placement | Components placed without considering signal flow or heat
4 | Insufficient clearance | Traces or pads too close causing shorts or manufacturing issues
5 | Missing ground planes | Lack of proper grounding leads to noise and interference
6 | No decoupling capacitors | Power supply noise not filtered causing unstable operation
7 | Incorrect drill sizes | Drill holes too small or large affect component fit and reliability
8 | Ignoring thermal reliefs | Heat dissipation problems causing component damage
9 | Unlabeled silkscreen | Difficult assembly and troubleshooting without clear labels

Result in C1: 1

The formula counts how many times 'Incorrect trace width' appears in the Mistake column, resulting in 1.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

How many times does 'Incorrect trace width' appear in the Mistake column?

A 1

B 2

C 0

D 3

Key Result

COUNTIF(range, criteria) counts how many cells in the range match the criteria exactly.