Arranged on an Assembled Circuit Board
A circuit board is a piece of printed circuit board (PCB) with components mounted on it. It is able to function only after these are soldered in place, and the process of mounting them is known as PCB assembly, or PCBA for short.
Before a circuit board can be produced, it must be designed. The design process involves creating a schematic diagram, which is a symbolic representation of the circuit and its connections. Then the physical layout of the circuit is created, which involves placing the components and routing their connections. The goal is to minimize the length of the circuit’s connections and to avoid crossing paths, which can cause interference.
The physical layout is also used to determine the location and size of vias, which connect different layers of the circuit board. It is important to place them correctly, as they can affect the circuit’s performance and manufacturability. The layout is also checked against the schematic to ensure that all of the components and connections are correct, and that they will work properly when assembled circuit board.
Once the layout is complete, it is converted into manufacturing files known as Gerber files. These files contain all of the information needed to create a physical circuit board, including the size and shape of the board, the location and size of holes, and the layout of the traces and components. The Gerber files are sent to a circuit board manufacturer, who uses them to fabricate the board.
How Are Components Arranged on an Assembled Circuit Board?
During the fabrication process, the substrate, or base material, is cut to the proper size and coated on one or both sides with copper, which will be used to form the circuit’s traces. Next, a pattern is etched into the copper, which defines where the components will be placed. After that, a layer of solder mask is applied to the surface of the board, covering all areas except for those where the components will be placed. The solder mask prevents the solder from adhering to these areas, ensuring that the components will be soldered only to their corresponding pads on the circuit board.
Resistors, transistors and capacitors are among the most common components found on circuit boards. They are essential to the circuit board’s functionality, as they pass through electric signals and dissipate electricity or energy.
Other components include fuses, relays and switches, which control electrical current flow. These are used to protect the circuit board from damage and provide a backup in case of a power outage. In addition to these vital parts, the circuit board contains connectors, which are used to attach the circuit board to other equipment or wires. Finally, a legend is printed on the circuit board to identify components and their connections, switch settings, test points, and other indications. Historically, this was done using silkscreen printing epoxy ink, which gave the circuit board its alternative name of a “silkscreen” PCB. Today, liquid photo imaging or ink jet printing is more commonly used.