Printed circuit board are some of the most important innovations that still have an impact in the modern world. Almost every electronic device that we have today contains one or more printed circuit boards. In these technologically dependent world that we live in today, PBs are necessary and common place. Read on to know a few things about printed circuit boards.

PCB Invention

The development that leads to circuit board invention can be traced to the 1890s. However, the invention of PCBs is credited to an Australian inventor, Paul Eisler. Eisler first developed a PCB in 1936 when working on a radio set. However, circuit boards were not used massively until after the 1950s. Afterward, there has been a rapid growth in the popularity of printed circuit boards owing to their many benefits in the electronics industry. This has also resulted in cropping up of many PCB manufacturing companies around the world.

Green Color

If you have some knowledge of printed circuit boards, you may have noticed that most of them have a green color. However, the green color is not the actual color of these boards but it comes from the solder mask that shows through a glass epoxy. The solder mask is used to protect the electronic traced from dust and moisture. Solder masks come in a range of colors including blue, orange, yellow, and green, which is more common.

Most circuit boards use the green solder masks because green color will believed to be the PCBs regulation standard used by the American military and this has spread to the rest of the globe. Additionally, the glass epoxy has a green color and this color is still used to ensure it stays conventional. The other important reasons is that PCB fabrication companies mainly use the green color because engineers have an easier time looking for any faults within the trace lines.

Use of Trace Wires

Some electric devices still need wires for energy transmission, but PCBs are an exception. These boards use copper traces instead of wires to transport electrons. These copper traces tend to be much smaller compared to customary wires. In addition, they are also flat and take up less space. Furthermore, the use of copper traces is more efficient when compared to using wires, especially when it comes to connecting smaller components on the board.

Different Types of PCBs

Printed circuit boards are not the same since they come in different types. Every type of PCB comes with its own properties that makes them ideal for specific tasks. We have PCBs that are ideal for low performance devices to ensure cheaper and much easier PCB manufacturing processes. There are also PCBs that are perfect for high power devices, but they tend to be more costly to produce. Some of PCB types include single sided, flexible, rigid, flex-rigid, double sided, and multi-layer PCBs.

In the modern age, printed circuit boards are found virtually everywhere and PCB fabrication companies have also cropped up everywhere. You can find these boards in radios, computers, televisions, mobile phones, tablets, microwaves, fridges, and many other electronics. Although we are always surrounded by printed circuit boards, most people may not know much about them. The above-mentioned facts will help you have a better understanding of these crucial boards.