To omit components from a circuit board during the assembly process. This is usually done to save costs on features not needed for a specific product tier, or to remove parts that were only required for prototyping and debugging. The bare copper pads remain on the finished board.
Heard on the job
We need to depopulate the debug headers and the extra flash memory for the production run.
Insider tip
Engineers usually mark these parts as DNP (Do Not Populate) or DNI (Do Not Install) on the bill of materials.
Also heard as
- Do not install
- DNI
- DNP