Printed Circuit Boards

In this course you will learn about what a printed circuit board is, how they are an essential part of all types of electronic equipment, and the steps taken to manufacture printed circuit boards, such as designing, etching and soldering additional parts.

Introduction

A printed circuit board (PCB) is a type of printed electronics which connects electronic components by using conductive pathways, tracks or other features, which are etched into sheets of copper laminated between layers of a non-conductive substrate such as fibreglass or epoxy.

If a PCB only has copper tracks and elements such as capacitors or resistors, it is commonly referred to as a printed wiring board (PWB) but can also be referred to as an etched wiring board, or a simple PCB.

Uses of PCB’s

Printed circuit boards are an essential part of almost all types of electronic equipment, both consumer and in industry. Below are just a few examples of items which use PCB’s:

• Aerospace communication equipment

You will learn 

1. Understand and identify the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacture process
2. Understand the surface mount technology (SMT) process