{"id":504,"date":"2020-02-12T19:44:03","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T19:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/?p=504"},"modified":"2021-04-09T18:30:29","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T18:30:29","slug":"what-is-a-printed-circuit-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/what-is-a-printed-circuit-board\/12\/02\/","title":{"rendered":"Printed Circuit Board Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-attachment-id=\"1327\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/what-is-a-printed-circuit-board\/12\/02\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1280,721\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Example photo of a circuit board that can be found on AX Control&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-300x169.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-1024x577.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a PCB and its mounted components. \" class=\"wp-image-1327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/printed-circuit-board-4083582_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><figcaption>Close-up image of a printed circuit board&#8217;s surface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a PCB? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A PCB, or printed circuit board,  is one of the most fundamental components in electronics today.   They are used in everything from everyday items like cell phones, computers,  appliances, vehicles, and musical equipment to jets and nuclear power plants.  PCBs allow electricity to travel between components across pathways etched into the surface of the board rather than use wires, allowing a significant simplification and reduction and size.  Printed circuit boards have become so commonplace even the cheapest electronics now often have some sort of board component.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Does a Printed Circuit Board Work <\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Printed circuit boards are essentially made from a sheet of copper plate sandwiched and laminated to sheets of a non-conductive substrate.   Boards can have as many as sixteen layers and as few as one. Since the copper conducts energy and the substrate does not, this allows components on the surface of the board (like resistors, capacitors, or integrated circuits) to be connected to the conductive copper at specific points via solder points and then connected to each other via copper traces &#8216;drawn&#8217; onto the copper sheet using acid.  These pathways allow electricity to conduct between components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-attachment-id=\"505\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/what-is-a-printed-circuit-board\/12\/02\/is200kturh1aaa_1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS REBEL T3i&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1549553242&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;43&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.01&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IS200KTURH1AAA_1\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;KTUR PCB printed circuit board from GE&#8217;s Speedtronic line.  The board includes ICs, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-1024x683.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-scaled.jpg?fit=840%2C560&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Close-up of a printed circuit board from AX Control's inventory\" class=\"wp-image-505\" width=\"341\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IS200KTURH1AAA_1-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 341px) 85vw, 341px\" \/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/automation\/ge-boards\/mark-vi-is200\/IS200KTURH1AAA\">IS200KTurH1AAA Mark VI Speedtronic series PCB<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Do You Read a PCB? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most commercially made PCBs have been silkscreened with identifying text printed on their surface to help identify components and (possibly) the board use.  For example, the board pictured above is part of the GE Speedtronic Mark VI turbine control system; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/12\/understanding-mark-vi-and-mark-vie-part-numbers\/\">the part number gives information about assembly location and type, module type, compliance, board technology, and compatibility.<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The silkscreened codes added to the board&#8217;s surface allow surface-mounted components to be easily identified.   For example, the board above has twenty-one integrated circuits marked U1 through U21.   It also has capacitors (marked C), resistors (marked R), and diodes (marked D.)  Some other commonly used codes include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>F<\/td><td>Fuse<\/td><td>P<\/td><td>Plug<\/td><td>TP<\/td><td>Test Point<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>J<\/td><td>Jack \/Connector<br><\/td><td>Q<\/td><td>Transistor<\/td><td>VR<\/td><td>Voltage Regulator<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>K<\/td><td>Relay<\/td><td>S<\/td><td>Switch<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>L<\/td><td>Coil Inductor<\/td><td>T<\/td><td>Transformer<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally,  boards are built upon a circuit diagram.  This diagram acts as a  blueprint.   But just like a blueprint, you&#8217;ll get more information from it when you have already have a basis of knowledge to work from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the most basic level, a circuit diagram should give you an idea of how components interact as energy moves from one place to another on the board&#8217;s surface.  You should have a basic understanding of what each type of component does, for example, that diodes only allow current to pass in one direction and that transistors amplify a charge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-attachment-id=\"512\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/what-is-a-printed-circuit-board\/12\/02\/circuit-diagram\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"500,295\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Circuit Diagram\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Example of a circuit &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram-300x177.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram.jpg\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram.jpg\" alt=\"A circuit diagram of a printed circuit board \" class=\"wp-image-512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/circuit-diagram-300x177.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 85vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption>Circuit diagrams can be simple or complex.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">If you&#8217;re ready to upgrade your equipment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/surplus\">contact us about selling your old PCBs or other equipment.<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about PCBs, how they work, and how to read them. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[136,90,134],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Printed Circuit Board Basics - AX Control, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A printed circuit board, or PCB, acts as the primary building block of many modern electronics. But what do you know about PCBs? We&#039;ll tell you the basics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2020\/what-is-a-printed-circuit-board\/12\/02\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Printed Circuit Board Basics - AX Control, Inc.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A printed circuit board, or PCB, acts as the primary building block of many modern electronics. But what do you know about PCBs? 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To meet that demand, designers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Circuit Boards&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"SMT-components","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/SMT-components.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1589,"url":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2021\/circuit-board-reference-designators-faqs\/24\/08\/","url_meta":{"origin":504,"position":2},"title":"Circuit Board Reference Designators: FAQs","date":"August 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Circuit board reference designators help identify mounted parts on this GE Mark VI PCB. The board has a number of resistors (R), capacitors (C), and integrated circuits (U). What do you know about circuit board reference designators? 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These integrated circuits are more\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Circuit Boards&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Main Board","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/main-board-89049_960_720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2379,"url":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2021\/do-resistors-have-polarity-mini-blog-post\/13\/10\/","url_meta":{"origin":504,"position":5},"title":"Do Resistors Have Polarity: Mini Blog Post","date":"October 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In our Mini Blog series, we answer the question: do resistors have polarity? Resistors. CC by 2.0 from Wikipedia. It's easy to understand why you might be concerned. After all, many capacitors, which are sometimes confused for resistors, are polarized and must be placed properly within a circuit. 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