Circuit boards

What is a printed circuit board?

A printed circuit board is a board made of non-conductive material. Copper has been applied to the plate, also known as print traces. The printed circuit board has the function of carrying electrical components. The tracks provide an electrical connection of the electrical components.

What kind of printed circuit boards are there?

Single-sided printed circuit board

The single-sided printed circuit board is the simplest type. Copper is only applied on 1 side. This means that the printed circuit board only contains conductive material on 1 side. The other side contains the electronic components that are connected to each other at the bottom. So it concerns a print side and a component side. The components are soldered onto the copper traces. The advantage is that they are very handy and cheap for simple circuits.

Double-sided printed circuit board

With a double-sided printed circuit board, the copper layer is applied on both sides of the printed circuit board. These are now used much more than single-sided printed circuit boards. Because components can be connected on 2 sides, the print is usually smaller. This is useful for applications where lightweight and compact installation are important.

Flexible circuit boards

For more flexible applications you can use a flexible printed circuit board. For this, polyamide or polyester is used as a material. This insulation material remains strong and flexible in its thin form. The advantage of this material is that it retains its properties at higher temperatures.

Material

The most common printed circuit boards are made of paper or fiberglass (fiberglass). Prints made from paper are of lower quality, for example they are less strong and more fragile than prints made from fiberglass and absorb a lot of moisture. Also, print marks can often only be applied on one side. Fiberglass prints have a very strong base material and can withstand higher temperatures very well. They are very stiff, making the material very suitable for heavier components. Fiberglass ensures a very high quality.

How can I confirm a circuit on an experiment point?

It is important to start with the right print based on your circuit. Try to place the components as close together as possible (also note that a heatsink must be placed with it, for example). In general, you keep a top and bottom, at the top you insert the components through the holes of the PCB, and at the bottom you solder them to the islands. This can be done with a soldering iron and solder tin. Don't forget extra wire to make connections with components that are further apart.