What is PCB (Printed Circuit Boards)?

Everything You Need to Know about Custom PCB Technology What is a Custom PCB PCB technology is the heart of the majority of electronics and this makes custom PCBs a fundamental component of electronics design and production. As board is physical platform, basically it gives a structural framework, making it possible to build and attach the different components, essentially create a circuit through conductive paths (called tracks or signal traces). Electronics revolutionized through this PCB, improving energy efficiency, miniaturization, and functionality of electronic devices.

PCBs are present in almost every electronic device you can think of — from smartphones and laptops to medical devices and aerospace systems. But what is a PCB, how does it work, and why is it such a significant component of the technology industry? Now let’s start looking at the overview of PCB.

The Basics of a PCB

A PCB is a flat rigid board made out of non-conductive materials such as fiberglass, composite epoxy, or plastic. These electronic elements are made of many paper-thin conductive copper layers piled up to build the circuits that carry electrical signals. The PCB layout determines the paths the signals follow through the system, and how the components work together to perform the functions that it was designed to perform.

The PCB has resistors, capacitors, microprocessors, diodes, and other electronic components soldered on it. These components work together allowing the PCB to perform specific functions or perform computations.

Key Components of a PCB

Substrate:

The most common type of material used for a PCB substrate layer, which forms the physical structure and shape of a PCB, is FR-4 fiberglass. The next set it called Core or Prepreg which is acting as an insulator to provide rigidity and insulating popping to the PCB.

Copper Layer:

Then, a thin foil of flat copper is deposited and bonded onto the surface with the conductive pathways (or traces) created here. These traces basically act as highways for electrical signals.

Solder Mask:

It is essentially a protective coating over the copper traces, known as solder mask. This eliminates short circuits, protecting the copper from the environment. This layer is generally green in color but may be of any color.

Silkscreen:

Using a silkscreen layer, labels, symbols, and markings time identify components and provide assembly guidance are printed.

Electronic Components:

PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board, a device used to connect electronic components through tracks on its surface, which are often made by shredding layers of the board surface.

How Does a PCB Work?

At its core, a PCB is essentially a mechanical way to support all of the components, and copper traces arranged in close proximity provide a means of establishing electrical connections between the components. PCB utility: a PCB design defines how electrical connections are made and how signals should propagate on the PCB.

These elements are commonly soldered to one (or both) faces of the PCB. Depending on the design, PCB can be single layer (1 layer), double layer (2 layers) or multi-layer (3 layers or above):

Uniplanar PCB: PCB with a single conductive copper layer is used in simple electronic devices to form uniplanar PCB.

The double-sided Printed Circuit Board (PCB) can be achieved through the surface of the intermediate conductive layers and these double-sided PCBs are used on both sides of the PCB.

A multi-layer PCB contains (you guessed it) multiple conducting layers on top of one another, with connections made through through-hole vias (small filled holes) between the layers. They find their use in high-end electric products such as computers and telecommunication tools

But whenever power is applied, the electricity flows along the copper traces, creating a circuit and thus specifying at which stages some components will be powered on, in accordance with the design. This multipoint interaction enables the PCB to fulfill its intended function.

Types of PCBs

There are different types of PCBs that are used for different purposes:

Rigid PCBs:

This is the most used one due to their good substrate lower material. They are embedded in everything from smartphones to industrial devices.

Flexible PCBs:

Flexible PCBs are built from pliant materials that allow them to be folded and to assume shapes that are unconventional. Same for other more common ones, such as wearables that need to pack into cramped space.

Rigid-Flex PCBs:

Hybrid board refers to single-board design that can accept rigid and flexible materials, and in automotive equipment hybrid designs may realize rigid and flexible usage in different segments.

Single-Sided PCBs:

These boards are used in relatively low-tech electronics, such as calculators and toys, which requires only one layer of copper.

Double-Sided PCBs:

These are copper on either side but generally used for lighting systems, moderate complexity devices etc.

Multi-Layer PCBs:

These 4, 6 or more copper layers boards can be used for medical devices, wearable devices and high-performance electronics.

The PCB Manufacturing Process

PCB design began at the deeper level, PCB fabrication is a tough, multi-stepped process with a blend of mechanical and chemical processes. Here’s a closer look at the key steps:

Design and Layout

This software usually involves things like software PCB design (such as Altium designer, eagle, kicad) that help engineers with placing components and routing copper traces.

Printing the Design

(Phototolithography: The designs are printed on a film that is used as a "blueprint" for the PCB manufactures.

Etching

The right protected layer is coated over the copper-clad leave only the used circuit pattern being followed. The board is then placed in chemicals that strips away the excess copper, leaving behind only the right amount of traces.

Lamination

The same thing occurs in multi-layer PCBs, layers of copper and dielectric material are stacked one on top of the other and laminated with heat and pressure into a smaller board.

Drilling and Plating

The first thing we do with PCB design is drill holes. Holes are then plated with copper to make them conductive.

Solder Mask Application

It will prevent copper traces and to short them soldering components to solder.

Component Assembly

It is followed by assembling components (automated or manual) into PCB according to board type (simple or complex).

Testing and Quality Control

Once a PCB is fully assembled, it undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that all connections are properly connected and that the PCB itself is free of defects.

Applications of PCBs

PCBs are essential to nearly every modern industry. Here are some of the major applications:

Consumer Electronics:

PCBs are used to deliver power to smartphones, laptops, TVs, and cameras.

Medical Devices:

They also are essential for devices like pacemakers, MRI machines and hearing aids.

Automotive:

PCBs make up a huge part of the automotive segment, including EPS (electric-power steering), engine management, GPS, infotainment systems, sensors, and other control systems.

Aerospace:

PCBs are used for aerospace industry navigation systems, sensors and communication devices.

Industrial Equipment:

Machinery and Mechanized Systems Running machinery, motors, or other mechanized systems.

Advantages of PCBs

Compact Design:

It also can miniaturize the electronic circuits; so the devices become small and portable.

Efficiency:

In precise terms, these pathways are designed to minimize electrical noise and signal interference.

Cost-Effective:

The lower manufacturing costs — As mass production of the PCB can significantly reduce cost.

Reliability:

PCBs are wired way to get steady and reliable connectivity.

Final Thoughts

The printed circuit board (PCB) is the most important component of all electronic devices that are a feature of our daily life and without it, none of the products could perform the functions we use every day. PCBs propelled the electronic components industry into the modern era, enabling components to be bonded assuredly, efficiently, and economically on boards of practically any configuration from extremely basic single-layer shapes to vastly-complex multi-layer arrangements.

PCBs are the most important parts of electronics, hence each developer, engineer, and, even a hobbyist must be a well wisher of each other. The most common examples are their widespread usage in many locations, providing advantages over alternatives in the tech environment today.