Printed circuit boards are utilized by a wide array of industries. Throughout the past 30 years, printed circuit boards have been placed into the majority of traffic lights across North America. In fact, statistics show that the global market concerning printed circuit boards is expected to reach an estimated value of over $72 billion by the year 2022. Considering that, many companies work with a prototype PCB assembly service to have their ideas or designs made into printed circuit boards. It’s understandable to wonder what the differences are between some of the most utilized PCBs. With that in mind, here is more information concerning three commonly used types of printed circuit boards.
- Double Sided PCBs
The double sided printed circuit board is commonly used due to its adaptability. For instance, holes are typically made within this type of board using either a through hole or surface mount technique. A through hole configuration is utilized to allow small wires to be threaded through said holes. On the other hand, the surface mount technique is used when pieces are directly soldered to the board itself. - Multilayered Circuit Boards
It’s common for multilayered printed circuit boards to be utilized when interference from electromagnetism must be kept as low as possible. If a printed circuit board prototype features a complex design, it’s likely going to need a multilayered board. It’s understandable to get multilayered and double sided circuit boards confused. The main difference is that double sided prototype circuit boards only have two layers of conductivity while a multilayered PCB needs to have at least three conductive layers. - Rigid Flex Printed Circuit Boards
In the world of printed circuit board prototypes, certain builds might need to be combined. Therefore, rigid flex PCBs are often the way to have more complex prototypes become actual circuit boards. One common trait among rigid flex circuit boards is that these items will contain multiple layers. Flexible circuits are attached either in an internal or external manner, depending upon the design needed.
To summarize, there are several common printed circuit board prototypes to work with. Double sided printed circuit boards utilize either a surface mount or through hole design. Although similar in name, multilayered circuit boards are entirely different from double sided PCBs. It’s common for more complex designs to need a multilayered circuit board. A rigid flex PCB is another type of multilayered circuit board that is used in where both functionality and flexibility are needed. It’s important to remember that one of the most common causes of PCB failure is a problem caused by the manufacturer of these items. Considering that, it’s important to choose a quality manufacturer when ordering printed circuit board prototypes.