GRADE

10
TLE-IA
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
ASSEMBLY AND SERVICING NCII
QUARTER 4 - WEEK 3 MODULE 3

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB)

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
TLE_IAESg10
LO 1. Circuit analysis design
• Explain the use of a printed circuit board
• Analyze circuits designed using printed circuit board

I INTRODUCTION
As electronics moved from vacuum tubes and relays to silicon and integrated circuits,
the size and cost of electronic components began to decrease. Electronics became more
prevalent in consumer goods, and the pressure to reduce the size and manufacturing costs of
electronic products drove manufacturers to look for better solutions. Thus was born the PCB
(Printed Circuit Board).
II MODULE CONTENT PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB)
What is a Printed Circuit Board
Printed circuit board is the most common name but may also be called "printed wiring
boards" or "printed wiring cards". Before the advent of the PCB circuits were constructed
through a laborious process of point-to-point wiring. This led to frequent failures at wire junctions
and short circuits when wire insulation began to age and crack.
A significant advance was the development of wire wrapping, where a small gauge wire is
literally wrapped around a post at each connection point, creating a gas-tight connection which is
highly durable and easily changeable.

PCB is an acronym for printed circuit board. It is a board that has lines and pads that connect
various points together. In the picture above, there are traces that electrically connect the various
connectors and components to each other. A PCB allows signals and power to be routed between
physical devices. Solder is the metal that makes the electrical connections between the surface of
the PCB and the electronic components. Being metal, solder also serves as a strong mechanical
adhesive.

2
Composition
A PCB is sort of like a layer cake or lasagna- there are alternating layers of different
materials which are laminated together with heat and adhesive such that the result is a single
object.
Let's start in the middle and work our way out.

FR4
The base material, or substrate, is usually fiberglass. Historically, the most common
designator for this fiberglass is "FR4". This solid core gives the PCB its rigidity and thickness.
There are also flexible PCBs built on flexible high-temperature plastic (Kapton or the equivalent).
You will find many different thickness PCBs; the most common thickness for SparkFun
products is 1.6mm (0.063"). Some of our products- LilyPad boards and Arudino Pro Micro
boards- use a 0.8mm thick board.
Cheaper PCBs and perf boards (shown above) will be made with other materials such as
epoxies or phenolics which lack the durability of FR4 but are much less expensive. You will know
you are working with this type of PCB when you solder to it - they have a very distictive bad smell.
These types of substrates are also typically found in low-end consumer electronics. Phenolics
have a low thermal decomposition temperature which causes them to delaminate, smoke and
char when the soldering iron is held too long on the board.
Copper
The next layer is a thin copper foil, which is laminated to the board with heat and
adhesive. On common, double sided PCBs, copper is applied to both sides of the substrate. In
lower cost electronic gadgets the PCB may have copper on only one side. When we refer to
a double sided or 2-layer board we are referring to the number of copper layers (2) in our
lasagna. This can be as few as 1 layer or as many as 16 layers or more.
PCB with copper exposed, no solder mask or silkscreen.The copper thickness can vary and is
specified by weight, in ounces per square foot. The vast majority of PCBs have 1 ounce of copper
per square foot but some PCBs that handle very high power may use 2 or 3 ounce copper. Each
ounce per square translates to about 35 micrometers or 1.4 thousandths of an inch of thickness
of copper.

3
Soldermask
The layer on top of the copper foil is called the soldermask layer. This layer gives the PCB
its green (or, at SparkFun, red) color. It is overlaid onto the copper layer to insulate the copper
traces from accidental contact with other metal, solder, or conductive bits. This layer helps the
user to solder to the correct places and prevent solder jumpers.
In the example below, the green solder mask is applied to the majority of the PCB,
covering up the small traces but leaving the silver rings and SMD pads exposed so they can be
soldered to.
Soldermask is most commonly green in color but nearly any color is possible. We use red
for almost all the SparkFun boards, white for the IOIO board, and purple for the LilyPad boards.

Silkscreen
The white silkscreen layer is applied on top of the soldermask layer. The silkscreen adds
letters, numbers, and symbols to the PCB that allow for easier assembly and indicators for
humans to better understand the board. We often use silkscreen labels to indicate what the
function of each pin or LED.
Silkscreen is most commonly white but any ink color can be used. Black, gray, red, and
even yellow silkscreen colors are widely available; it is, however, uncommon to see more than
one color on a single board.

Terminology
Now that you've got an idea of what a PCB structure is, let's define some terms that you may
hear when dealing with PCBs:
Annular ring - the ring of copper around a plated through hole in a PCB.

Examples of annular rings.

• DRC - design rule check. A software check of your design to make sure the design does
not contain errors such as traces that incorrectly touch, traces too skinny, or drill holes
that are too small.

4
 • Drill hit - places on a design where a hole should be drilled, or where they actually were
drilled on the board. Inaccurate drill hits caused by dull bits are a common manufacturing
issue.

Not so accurate, but functional drill hits.

Finger - exposed metal pads along the edge of a board, used to create a connection between
two circuit boards. Common examples are along the edges of computer expansion or memory
boards and older cartridge-based video games.
Mouse bites - an alternative to v-score for separating boards from panels. A number of drill hits
are clustered close together, creating a weak spot where the board can be broken easily after
the fact. See the SparkFun Protosnap boards for a good example.

Mouse bites on the LilyPad ProtoSnap allow the PCB to be snapped apart easily.

Pad - a portion of exposed metal on the surface of a board to which a component is soldered.

PTH (plated through-hole) pads on the left, SMD (surface mount device) pads on the right.
Panel - a larger circuit board composed of many smaller boards which will be broken apart
before use. Automated circuit board handling equipment frequently has trouble with smaller
boards, and by aggregating several boards together at once, the process can be sped up
significantly.
Paste stencil - a thin, metal (or sometimes plastic) stencil which lies over the board, allowing
solder paste to be deposited in specific areas during assembly.
Pick-and-place - the machine or process by which components are placed on a circuit board.

5
Plane - a continuous block of copper on a circuit board, define by borders rather than by a path.
Also commonly called a "pour".

Various portions of the PCB that have no traces but has a ground pour instead.
Plated through hole - a hole on a board which has an annular ring and which is plated all the
way through the board. May be a connection point for a through hole component, a via to pass a
signal through, or a mounting hole.

A PTH resistor inserted into

the FabFM PCB, ready to be soldered.
The legs of the resistor go through the
holes. The plated holes can have traces
connected to them on the front of the PCB
and the rear of the PCB.

Pogo pin - spring-loaded contact used to

make a temporary connection for test or
programming purposes.

The popular pogo pin with pointed tip. We

use tons of these on our test beds.

Reflow - melting the solder to create joints between pads and component leads.
Silkscreen - the letters, number, symbols, and imagery on a circuit board. Usually only one color
is available, and resolution is usually fairly low.

Silkscreen identifying this LED as the power LED.

Slot - any hole in a board which is not round. Slots may or may not be plated. Slots sometimes
add to add cost to the board because they require extra cut-out time.

Complex slots cut into the ProtoSnap - Pro Mini. There are also many mouse bites
shown. Note: the corners of the slots cannot be made completely square because they are cut
with a circular routing bit.
6
Solder paste - small balls of solder suspended in a gel
medium which, with the aid of a paste stencil, are applied to
the surface mount pads on a PCB before the components are
placed. During reflow, the solder in the paste melts, creating
electrical and mechanical joints between the pads and the
component.
Solder paste on a PCB shortly before the components are placed. Be sure to read about *paste
stencil above as well.*
Solder pot - a pot used to quickly hand solder boards with
through hole components. Usually contains a small amount of
molten solder into which the board is quickly dipped, leaving
solder joints on all exposed pads.
Solder mask -a layer of protective material laid over the metal
to prevent short circuits, corrosion, and other problems.
Frequently green, although other colors (SparkFun red,
Arduino blue, or Apple black) are possible. Occasionally
referred to as "resist".
Solder mask covers up the signal traces but leaves the pads to solder to.
Solder jumper - a small, blob of solder connecting two adjacent
pins on a component on a circuit board. Depending on the
design, a solder jumper can be used to connect two pads or pins
together. It can also cause unwanted shorts.
Surface mount - construction method which allows
components to be simply set on a board, not requiring that leads
pass through holes in the board. This is the dominant method of
assembly in use today, and allows boards to be populated
quickly and easily.
Thermal - a small trace used to connect a pad to a plane. If a
pad is not thermally relieved, it becomes difficult to get the pad
to a high enough temperature to create a good solder joint. An
improperly thermally relieved pad will feel "sticky" when you attempt
to solder to it, and will take an abnormally long time to reflow.
On the left, a solder pad with two small traces (thermals) connecting the pin to the ground plane.
On the right, a via with no thermals connecting it completely to the ground plane.
Thieving - hatching, gridlines, or dots of copper left in areas of
a board where no plane or traces exist. Reduces difficulty of
etching because less time in the bath is required to remove
unneeded copper.
Trace - a continuous path of copper on a circuit board.
-> A small trace connecting the Reset pad to elsewhere on
the board. A larger, thicker trace connects to the 5V power pin. <-
V-score- a partial cut through a board, allowing the board to be easily snapped along a line.
Via - a hole in a board used to pass a signal from one layer to another. Tented vias are covered
by solder mask to protect them from being soldered to. Vias where connectors and components
are to be attached are often un-tented (uncovered) so that they can be easily soldered.

7
Front and back of the same PCB showing a tented via. This via brings the signal from the front side
of the PCB, through the middle of the board, to the back side.
• Wave solder - a method of soldering used on boards with through-hole components where
the board is passed over a standing wave of molten solder, which adheres to exposed pads
and component leads.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

SELF CHECK
III ACTIVITY 1
Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on another sheet of
paper.
____ 1. What is a PCB?
A. Printed Circuit Board C. Printed Copper Board
B. Printed Circuit Breaker D. Poly Copper Board
____ 2. It is a board that has lines and pads that connect various points together.
A. PCB C. PVC
B. Wiring board D. Breadboard
____ 3. Method of soldering used on boards with through-hole components where the board is
passed over a standing wave of molten solder,
A. Wave solder C. Cold solder
B. Hot solder D. Desolder
____ 4. A partial cut through a board, allowing the board to be easily snapped along a line.
A. Circuit board C. Solder
B. V- score D. Solderless
____ 5. Continuous block of copper on a circuit board, define by borders rather than by a path.
A. Path C. Continuous
B. Plane D. Direct
____ 6. A continuous path of copper on a circuit board.
A. Plane C. Path
B. Trace D. Direct
____ 7. A hole in a board used to pass a signal from one layer to another.
A. Wave C. Circuit
B. Via D. Desolder
____ 8. A small trace used to connect a pad to a plane.
A. Plane C. Cut
B. Thermal D. Direct
____9. The layer on top of the copper foil is called the __________ layer.
A. Copper foil C. Substrate
B. Solderless D. Solder mask

8
____10. A small, blob of solder connecting two adjacent pins on a component on a circuit board.
A. Solderless C. Cordless
B. Substrate D. Solder jumper

ACTIVITY 2: Directions: Read the statement carefully and identify what is being described
or defined. Write only the letter of your answer.
A. Printed Circuit Board B. PCB C. Wave solder D. V- score E. Plane
F. Trace G. Via H. Thermal I. Solder mask F. Solder jumper
___ 1. A small, blob of solder connecting two adjacent pins on a component on a circuit board.
___ 2. The layer on top of the copper foil is called the __________ layer.
___ 3. A small trace used to connect a pad to a plane.
___ 4. A hole in a board used to pass a signal from one layer to another.
___ 5. A continuous path of copper on a circuit board.
___ 6. Continuous block of copper on a circuit board, define by borders rather than by a path.
___ 7. A partial cut through a board, allowing the board to be easily snapped along a line.
___ 8. Method of soldering used on boards with through-hole components where the board is
passed over a standing wave of molten solder,
___ 9. It is a board that has lines and pads that connect various points together.
___10. What is meant by PCB?
How Much Have You Learned?

III. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Test I. Modified True or False: Directions: Write T if the statement is true and if false change
the underlined word to make the statement true. Use another sheet of paper for your answer.
____ 1. A prototyping breadboard allows you to quickly build and test a circuit before
constructing it more permanently on a printed circuit board.
____ 2. Tented vias are covered by solder mask to protect them from being soldered to.
____ 3. During reflow, the solder in the paste melts, creating electrical and mechanical joints
between the pads and the component.
____ 4. A PCB is a baseboard upon which components are mounted and soldered.
____ 5. Substrate is the side of the PCB where the components are placed.
____ 6. The PCB side where the components lead are soldered is called the copper side.
____ 7. The first to consider before designing a PCB is, you must prepare or construct a
schematic diagram according to your design.
____ 8. The layer on top of the copper foil is called the solder mask layer.
____ 9. A pot used to quickly hand solder boards with through hole components is called
Solder pot .
____10. Reflow - melting the solder to create joints between pads and component leads.

TEST II. MULTIPLE CHOICE: Direction. Chose the letter of the best answer. Write your
answer on a piece of paper.
____ 1. It is a board that has lines and pads that connect various points together.
A. PCB C. PVC
B. Wiring board D. Breadboard
____ 2. A small, blob of solder connecting two adjacent pins on a component on a circuit board.
A. Solderless C. Cordless
B. Substrate D. Solder jumper

9
____ 3. A continuous path of copper on a circuit board.
A. Plane C. Path
B. Trace D. Direct
____ 4. A hole in a board used to pass a signal from one layer to another.
A. Wave C. Circuit
B. Via D. Desolder
____ 5. A small trace used to connect a pad to a plane.
A. Plane C. Cut
B. Thermal D. Direct
TEST III. ESSAY QUESTION: (5 points each)
Direction: Answer briefly the given question and explain.
1. What do you mean by PCB?
____________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the used of the PCB?
____________________________________________________________________________

10. J 10. D
9. I 9. B
8. H 8. D
7. G 7. A
6. F 6. D
5. E 5. C
4. D 4. B
3. C 3. A
2. B 2. A
1. A 1. A
ACTIVITY 2 ACTIVITY 1

KEY ANSWERS

REFERENCES
Books
Ebalan, Ambrosio E. 1998. Technology and Home Economics BASIC ELECTRONICS I , Third
Year, Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. : Quezon City, Philippines

Grob, Bernard. 1996. Basic Electronics , Seventh Edition, Glencoe/McGraw- Hill: 936 Eastwind
Drive Westerville, OH 43081 , USA

On line
What is a Printed Circuit Board?
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBD_enPH780PH780&biw=912&bih=636&sxsrf=ALe
Kk02A2

10