What Is Printed Circuit Board (PCB)?
PCB is an abbreviation for “printed circuit board,” which can be found inside PCs and home appliances.
Most PCBs are square or rectangular and are about 1 cm thick. The size varies depending on the product in which it is incorporated, ranging from a size that can be held in both hands to one that can be placed on the top of a finger.
PCBs are the heart of devices and equipment, with conductor wiring and electronic components mounted on an insulator substrate.
The practical use of PCBs began around 1950, and the manufacturing and development of devices and equipment has dramatically increased.
Uses of PCBs
PCBs substrates are used in a wide range of applications, from general electronic devices such as home appliances and PCs to large equipment in the manufacturing industry, automobiles, and railroads.
PCBs are the heart of electronic devices, so performance and reliability depend on them.
In recent years, as AI and IoT devices have become more widespread, their durability and density have increased, and even common consumer electronics products now incorporate high-performance PCBs.
This trend is expected to continue.
Features of PCBs
PCBs are characterized by the formation of circuits on the PCBs, on which integrated circuits, capacitors, transistors, resistors, and other components are installed, and electrical communication between the electronic components is performed.
Exactly as the heart pumps blood to various parts of the body, signals and power are transmitted to operate electronic devices.
Since its commercialization, PCBs have greatly improved the speed, durability, and reliability of electronic devices, and this evolution has continued in recent years.
For example, the material of PCB substrates is linked to their durability.
Phenolic resin is the most common substrate, and although it is less durable and prone to warping, it is used in consumer electronics because it is easy to process and can be mass-produced at low cost.
Because of its flexibility, it can be used as a flexible substrate that can be folded and applied to products.
On the other hand, polyimide and epoxy resin substrates have high strength and heat resistance, so they are incorporated into products that are used in harsher environments than usual, such as large equipment and automobiles.
There are also several types of circuit formation for substrates, the most basic of which are substrates with circuits on only one side, double-sided substrates with circuits on both sides, and multilayered substrates with circuits inside and stacked on top of each other.
The type of board is determined by the electronic components to be mounted and the space available inside the product.
For example, if the product is small but has complex circuits, a multilayer board is selected.