PCB - an Overview

A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is the base of any circuit that is used to provide mechanical support to components of the circuit and make electrical connections between them. It has tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also called as printed wiring board (PWB) or Etched wiring board

PCBs are inexpensive and more reliable than the bread boards. They provide the stability to the circuit. Although, they require much more layout efforts and higher initial costs than either wire wrap or point-to-point construction, but Printed Circuit Boards are much cheaper and faster for high-volume production. The production and soldering of PCBs can be done by totally automated equipment. Much of the electronics industry's PCB design, assembly, and quality control needs are set by standards that are published by the IPC organization

The Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing Process

The design process of a printed circuit board includes several steps. They are manufactured on home by hands as well as by automated machines in industries. On the large scale there are all automatic machines that do everything. But if you are an electronic hobbyist and need to design a PCB for your small project, you can do it yourself at home with just little stuff required.

These are the steps that need to follow while making a PCB:

    ·        Patterning | Etching

    ·        Photoengraving

    ·        Lamination

    ·        Drilling.

    ·        Solder Plating | Solder Resist

    ·        Silk Screen

    ·        Testing