Unraveling the Full Form of PCB

PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board . A Printed Circuit Board is an electrical circuit made from an insulating material shaped as a thin board which houses copper pathways. This base material can be plastic, fibreglass, composite epoxy, and others. These boards have conductive paths etched onto them to connect different components like transistors, resistors, and integrated circuits (ICs). They provide mechanical support and a path for electrical current to its electronic components.

Printed Circuit Boards are integral to every electronic and computing device we use, from motherboards and graphic cards in computers to circuit boards in hard drives, televisions, digital cameras, laptops, and mobile phones.

Tracing Back the Origins of PCB

• The concept of the printed circuit was first introduced by an Austrian engineer named Paul Eisler in 1936 while he was working on a radio set in the United Kingdom.
• In the Second World War, the United States used them to manufacture proximity fuzes. After the war, the US made the technology available for commercial use.
• With each passing year, advancements have been made to the PCBs, and today they are ubiquitous in various electronic equipment.

Notable Features of PCB

• Its potential is reinforced by hall wall technology.
• Its surface-mounted technology allows assembly of components on both sides of the board, reducing the overall component count.
• The base of the PCB is made of high-quality material.
• It consists of multiple layers, each layer having its unique features.

Advantages of Using a PCB

Listed below are the benefits of the Printed Circuit Board.

• Helps prevent short circuits and ensures secure connections
• Reduces noise in electronics
• Cost-effective
• Can be reworked
• Facilitates easy repairs and diagnostics
• Has a long lifespan
• Can handle the complexity of high circuits and is highly reliable

Drawbacks of PCB

Despite the benefits, the Printed Circuit Board has some limitations, listed below.

• Not ideal for fine pitch
• Vulnerable to thermal shock
• Some PCB surfaces can be expensive