[Solved] Are component designators important?

[colhany]

I know, from what I've heard, that component designators on the PCB are a necessity.
But I see some boards (professional boards) that don't have the designators. So is it really important or not that necessary?
Thank you

[robertferanec]

Component designators are there for comfort, but they don't have to be there. Sometimes they can be useful e.g. for connectors, but in many cases you may have many small components e.g. decoupling capacitors placed in one place where it would not be possible to use designators, so you do not put them there.

In professional PCB design, there always should be a document called Assembly Drawing, which will have all the designators inside of the components.

This may help:
TIP #042: Create Assembly Drawings, documents describing where each component is located on PCB

https://youtu.be/tEJtXHKzW44

[colhany]

Yes I know assembly drawings as I've watched your altium course.
Thank you for your reply and for the great course, and your generous contribution to the PCB design field!

[robertferanec]

Component designators are there for comfort, but they don't have to be there. Sometimes they can be useful e.g. for connectors, but in many cases you may have many small components e.g. decoupling capacitors placed in one place where it would not be possible to use designators, so you do not put them there.

In professional PCB design, there always should be a document called Assembly Drawing, which will have all the designators inside of the components.

This may help:
TIP #042: Create Assembly Drawings, documents describing where each component is located on PCB

https://youtu.be/tEJtXHKzW44

[colhany]

Yes I know assembly drawings as I've watched your altium course.
Thank you for your reply and for the great course, and your generous contribution to the PCB design field!

[robertferanec]

thank you very much colhany

[qdrives]

As I do not have space to place all designators, I only show the ones that are (or could be) useful for the user, that is buttons, LEDs, fuses, connectors, jumpers, etc.

[mulfycrowh]

I think that components designators are important for the prototype phase.
You just received your board and something is wrong but you don't really know where the problem is.
Checking the schematic is far much easier when you get the component designators.
When everything is solved and you want to manufacture the board, you can remove them.
When you see boards without component designators, for me, this has been done knowingly for confidentiality purpose.

[qdrives]

Use a good/clear assembly drawing and renumber the components so they are easier to find.
If you print the attached assembly drawing, you can read the designators. Even the 0402 ones.