Why pcb

An effective PCB design can help in reducing the possibilities of errors and the chances of short circuit. A creative PCB designer has great chances to explore the field. By clicking on send, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Significance of PCBs Designs PCBs are the core electronic components in almost all the electronic gadgets including the cell phones and the computers and laptops.

Previous Post Next Post. Emerging Trends in Engineering Services Outsourcing. Most of these errors can be fixed with rework , but it can cost you both time and money. PCBs tend to age more like humans than fine wine.

As they get older, they begin to break down. Components begin to fail after reaching the end of their expected life cycle, and the PCB must be fixed or replaced with a new one.

Often, a board can be fixed for a fraction of the price of a new PCB, making contract manufacturers that offer aftermarket services a valuable asset to have on hand. So, now you know what causes a PCB to fail, and hopefully you've learned how to avoid those failures. At the end of the day, replacing components and reworking designs are part of the business of working with PCBs. Having a partner that knows the ins-and-outs of PCB testing, assembly, and remanufacturing can save you time and money.

To learn more about what a quality electronics contract manufacturer is capable of, check out our free guide! Editor's Note: This post was originally published in and has since been updated to include more relevant information. Stay up to date with news as well as educate yourself with electronic contract manufacturing resources. Defects Defects are the most prevalent cause of PCB failure. Other potential defects include: Misaligned layers Short circuits Crossed signals Reliable PCB manufacturers take several precautions to eliminate electrostatic discharge on the production floor.

The three main causes of burnt components include: Extreme heat: If a machine overheats or a board is exposed to direct flame, then the chances of a heat-related defect increase. They can be rigid, flexible or contain both rigid and flexible parts. There are two main methods used for PCB applications — thru-hole and surface mount. Thru-Hole Mounting In the thru-hole mounting process, the assembler places component leads into holes drilled into a bare PCB.

This technology was the original one used for PCBs. This is because the leads run all the way through the board, as opposed to being attached with solder as in surface mounting.

Thru-hole technology is also useful for testing and prototyping applications that require manual adjustments of components.

Surface Mounting In the surface mounting process, components are mounted directly to the PCB surface using solder.

This method was developed in the s and became popular starting in the s. Today, it is the most commonly used component mounting method.

Surface mount boards use small components called vias, rather than thru-hole components, to connect the various layers of the PCB. Using surface mounting allows the assembler to attach components to both sides of the board.

Surface mounted components can also be smaller, enabling more parts to fit on a single board. This reduces costs and has allowed electronic devices to get smaller and smaller over the years.

Surface mounting can also be completed faster and is a less involved process than thru-hole mounting is, further reducing costs. Because so many different sectors use PCBs, you can find them almost everywhere in everything from small consumer devices to huge pieces of machinery. Where are printed circuit boards used? Here are 10 of the most common PCB applications by industry. The healthcare sector is using growing numbers of PCBs as technologies advance, revealing new capabilities.

PCBs play a role in devices used for diagnostics, monitoring, treatment and more. Special attention must be paid to ensuring reliability when producing medical PCBs because proper functioning can be critical to patient health.

In many cases, PCBs must also meet strict standards for sanitation, especially those used for implants. Boards used for implants and many other applications, such as emergency room monitors, must also be relatively small. The medical sector is continually coming up with more uses for electronics. As technology improves and smaller, denser, more reliable boards become possible, PCBs will play an increasingly important role in healthcare.

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are an increasingly popular lighting technology used for residential and commercial lighting and across numerous industries including the automotive, medical and computer technology sectors. LEDs are favored for their energy efficiency, long life and compactness.

High temperatures decrease the average life of LEDs. Because of this, PCBs used for LEDs are typically made with aluminum, which can transfer heat better than other metals. This eliminates the need for an additional heat sink to a design and means it can be more compact. Their small and lightweight design is appropriate for use in many modern devices, while their reliability and ease of maintenance suit them for integration in complex systems.

Additionally, their low cost of production makes them a highly cost-effective option. These qualities are some of the reasons PCBs find application across industries, including within the following markets:. Medical electronics have significantly benefited from the introduction of PCBs.

The thinner and smaller size of flexible and rigid flex PCBs allows for the manufacture of more compact and lightweight medical devices, such as hearing aids, pacemakers, implantable devices, and truly tiny cameras for minimally invasive procedures. Rigid-flex PCBs are a particularly ideal solution when looking to decrease the size of complex medical devices, as they eliminate the need for the flex cables and connectors that take up valuable space in more intricate systems.

Rigid, flexible and rigid flex PCBs are commonly employed in the aerospace industry for instrument panels, dashboards, flight controls, flight management and safety systems.

The growing number of advances in aerospace technology have increased the need for smaller, more complex PCBs for use in aircraft, satellites, drones, and other aerospace electronics. Flexible and rigid flex circuits offer exceptional durability and mission survivability due to the elimination of connectors.

This makes them suitable for use in high-vibration applications, while their small and lightweight design reduces the overall equipment weight and, consequently, fuel consumption requirements. For applications where dependability is paramount, they serve as a highly reliable solution. As military technology advances to meet changing customer demand, more equipment integrates advanced computerized technology, requiring both the electrical and mechanical performance that is inherent in flex and rigid flex packaging.

These types of electronic packaging can withstand thousands of pounds of g-force without failure. The use of PCBs in industrial and commercial electronics has revolutionized everything from manufacturing to Supply Chain management — increasing information, automation and efficiency.

In general, they are a reliable means of directing equipment in increasingly automated facilities, enhancing production while decreasing labor costs. Nearly all PCBs are custom designed for their application. The designer uses this software to place all of the circuits and connection points, called vias, throughout the entire board.

The software knows how each of the components need to interact with each other, and any specific requirements as well — such as how they need to be soldered to the PCB. When the designer is done, the software exports two critical components, with which we will build their boards.

The first is called gerber files, which are electronic artwork files that show every single circuit in the PCB, where exactly it goes, on every single layer of the board. The gerber files will also contain drill files, showing us where exactly to drill the holes to make all the via connections we discussed earlier.

They will also contain soldermask and nomenclature files — which are discussed later, as well as a file that shows us exactly how to cut out the perimeter of their board.