What Do You Actually Need to Make a Printed Circuit Board?

Printed circuit boards are in all manner of electronics. If it has computing power, then it is likely to include a printed circuit board. What is a PCB actually made of, and what components does it include? Surprisingly, PCBs are not too complicated.

The first ingredient you’ll need is the printed circuit board itself. The board won’t be of much use until you assemble it. To do that, you’ll need electronic components, soldering materials, soldering flux, and the soldering equipment.  Using the soldering equipment, printed circuit board assemblers, like Acme PCB Assembly, solder on the electronic components. The soldering equipment includes things like solder wire, solder paste, solder bar, and solder performs.

The Components Involved in Printed Circuit Boards

If the copper traces behave like the skeleton of the PCB, acting like the basic structure – then the components are the vital organs. Each component used has a different function. Using all these different components gives the circuit the unique qualities that it needs to fit for its intended purpose. Depending on what the device is or what the electronic item is, a PCB is designed for a variety of different components that will be needed for different circuits. These components can consist of a wide range of electronic parts. Some common PCB components include:

Battery: Provides the voltage to the circuit.

Resistors: Control the electric current as it passes through them. They’re color coded to determine their value.

LED’s: Light emitting diode. Lights up when current flows through it, and will only allow current to flow in one direction.

Transistor: Amplifies charge.

Capacitors: These are components which can harbor electrical charge.

Inductor: Stores charge and stops and change in current.

Diode: Allows current to pass in one direction only, blocking the other.

Switches: Can either allow current or block depending if they are closed or open.

Of course, there’s a lot more to printed circuit board assembly, but we’re not about to give away all of our secrets! If you want to work with a trusted and experienced printed circuit board assembler, contact us today!