If you’re the type of person that doesn’t know the difference between a printed circuit board (PCB) and a surf board, then you’ve come to the right place. You’re going to be given an overview of the different types of circuit boards, with a more detailed look into the PCB and its importance in today’s age of electronics.
A circuit board is basically just a thin board on which an electronic circuit is mounted. There are three basic types of circuit boards:
Breadboard -; This type of circuit board is the simplest, and is often used as a teaching tool or to make prototypes. If you’re learning about electronics, you’ll use a bread board to create your first circuits. A breadboard is usually just a perforated block of plastic with numerous conductive metal clips that allow you to connect electronic components to make electronic circuits. Soldering is not required, as you simply plug in your components and wiring. An advantage is that it makes the board reusable.
Stripboard -; A stripboard is usually a rectangular piece of plastic with a grid of holes on one side and strips of copper layering that run in one direction across the length of the board. The chief difference between it and a breadboard is that soldering is required to complete the electrical connections. Strip boards are usually used for smaller projects than you’d use a PCB board for.
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) -; PCBs are what you’ll find in all modern electronics. PCB Design in California boards are manufactured from glass-reinforced plastic with copper tracks taking the place of wires. Holes are drilled into the boards with the electronic components, then soldered into place. The copper tracks form the circuit by linking the components together.
PCBs can be single sided, double sided, or layered. Layered PCBs are what all advanced modern electronic products like computers, cell phones, and televisions use. They are designed on computers using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and complex PCB designs (like those for a computer’s motherboard) can be up to 12 layers deep. The layers are comprised of different materials that are heat-laminated together to form a strong final product.
Due to their complexity, PCBs require experienced professionals to design and build. For PCB Design in California, a company like Caltronics Design and Assembly Inc. is an ideal choice for PCB design and assembly.
