Types of Printed Circuit Boards– All you need to know about
The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a trailblazing piece of technology. It holds all the electrical components mechanically & connects them using conductive pads, tracks & other allied features. There are various types of Printed Circuit Boards used for different purposes.
PCBs are primarily categorized based on the method of construction. Some well-known types of PCB designare Single-Sided PCBs, Double-Sided PCBs, Multilayer PCBs& more. Some types of PCBare flexible whereas some are rigid. Different types of board design come with different uses. While some are easy to manufacture, some others have multiple functionalities. But, each printed circuit board are important in its area of functionality. Read on to know more about the types of Printed Circuit Boards& choose the best PCB design for PCB prototyping and manufacturing.
What are the Types of Printed Circuit Boards?
There are 6 types of PCB used by the industry to manufacture various technology-based products. These PCBs are:
- Single-Sided PCBs
- Double-Sided PCBs
- Multilayer PCBs
- Rigid PCBs
- Flex PCBs
- Rigid-Flex PCBs
What are the functions of each type of Printed Circuit Board?
As mentioned earlier, each PCB serves a different purpose as per the nature of its construction. Various components & holes are placed strategically to extract full Here are the functions of various types of PCB:
Single-Sided PCBs –Economical & Easy for Beginners
- The single-sided printed circuit board comprises of a single layer or substrate.
- A thin layer of metal (preferably copper) is coated on one end of the substrate. Copper is used since it is a good conductor of electricity.
- The single sided PCB manufacturing process ensures that all the circuits & electronic components are placed on a single side.
- This manufacturing method is beneficial for beginners who plan to design & build easy electronics.
- The mass-production of these boards costs less. But, the flip side is these boards are used rarely due to its design limitations.
Double-Sided PCBs–Better than Single-Sided PCBs
- As the name suggests, Double-sided Printed Circuit Board comprise of electrical elements & conductive layers on both sides.
- The Double-Sided PCBs consist of holes which enables connection of circuits from one side to another.
- Two techniques are used to connect the circuits on both the layers – Through-hole & Surface mount technology.
- While the through-hole method enables feeding small wires through holes, surface mount technology uses little leads which are soldered onto the board.
Multilayer PCBs – Improved Functionality & Efficiency
- The Multilayer Printed Circuit Board’s characterized by more density & complexity. This is due to the addition of layers beyond the top & bottom layers of PCB.
- The increased density & complexity gives PCB designers the ability to make highly compound & thick designs.
- Extra layers comprise of power planes which supply the circuit with power while decreasing electromagnetic interference levels.
- Lower electromagnetic interference levels ensure the good health&maintenance of circuit performance.
Rigid PCBs– One of the Early Types of Printed Circuit Boards
- The Rigid printed board circuit’s rigid or inflexible in nature.
- Rigid PCBs are among the initial types of Printed Circuit Boards due to its simplistic design & ease of use.
- The benefits of Rigid printed board circuit are its compact size, low electronic noise, ability to absorb vibrations, ease of diagnostics & Repair.
Flex PCBs – Main Component of Modern Technology
- Flex Printed Circuit Board brought the advent of new-age technology.
- The Flex PCBs are manufactured to power wear ables & other allied products.
- Its smaller density as well as flexibility reduces the assembly process & improves reliability.
- Flexible PCB prototyping and manufacturing can be further enhanced by using reinforced materials or base material.
Rigid-Flex PCBs – A Combo of Rigid PCBs&Flex PCBs
- Rigid-Flex Printed circuit board combines the goodness of Rigid PCBs & Flex PCBs.
- The Rigid-Flex PCBs are utilized in a variety of tech-products such as cell phones, digital cameras, medical devices & more.
- This is one of the types of Printed Circuit Boards that increases reliability & eliminates the need for solder joints & delicate wiring.
- Due to three dimensional design, Rigid-Flex PCBs are widely used in advanced electrical equipment such as testing tools, automobiles & more.
Many Circuit Board Manufacturers in Canada make various types of Printed Circuit Boards as per the demands of the industry. Thus, PCBs will drive innovations in the days to come & will ease the use of technology for humans.