- written by Rupan Ghosh, ECE 3rd Year, KGEC
PCB is short for a printed circuit board, which is an
important part of today's electronic equipment. Basically, a PCB
comprises tons of active and passive components and these parts are connected
with traces on the circuit board. Therefore, this technique allows the
development of huge circuits on small boards.
These circuit boards offer a lot of advantage. Therefore,
they are an ideal choice for the producers of different types of equipment,
instruments and electronic components. Let's take a look at some major
advantages of printed circuit boards.
1. Compact Size
Simple PCB can host a large number of tiny components. These
components are interconnected with the help of copper tracks rather than
regular wires. As a result, it is possible to connect hundreds of components
without worrying about the size of the circuit board.
Generally, these components are small. Therefore, connecting
these components with each other is not possible through regular wires.
Basically, a simple circuit board provides a platform for the arrangement of
electronic components in an efficient manner.
This compactness helps create complex electronic circuits
without wasting a lot of space. This is a great benefit.
2. Ease of Diagnostic and Repair
A PCB allows you to diagnose and repair in a short period of
time. The electronic parts and their respective polarities are designed and
labeled on the board. In case of a failure, it's easy to check and perform
replacements.
Apart from this, a PCB allows you to perform installations
conveniently. Often, it's easier to trace the signal paths during the
diagnostic process.
3. Saving of Time
The traditional boards require a lot of time as far as
connecting the components is concerned. On the other hand, PCBs take a lot less
time if you want to assemble a circuit in a short period of time.
4. Less Movement
On a PCB, all components are fixed on the board using solder
flux. Therefore, no matter how much you move the board, the components will not
move. This makes the circuit much more secure for regular use.
5. No Risk of Loose Connections
Since the connections are connected through copper tracks,
you won't have the problem of short circuit or loose connections.
6. Lower Electronic Noise
A PCB helps eliminate electronic noise if enough care is
taken to lay out the components. However, if you don't perform the arrangements
properly, the noise may degrade the circuit board performance.
On a PCB, the electronic components are arranged in a way
that there is minimal space between the components. It reduces the
electronic noise significantly.
Besides this, a PCB also helps lower the radiation and
electromagnetic pickup. This helps to ensure reduced crosstalk between the parts
on the board. Usually, this is a big problem that people face when designing
electronic circuits.
Also, the circuit boards help releasing electronic noise in
the form of flickering sound, radiation and heat.
7. Lower Cost
Since PCBs are cost effective, they help make a large number
of circuit boards without costing a lot of money.
8. Higher Reliability
PCBs are much more reliable than regular boards because of
all the benefits mentioned above.
In short, these are some of the major advantages
of using a printed circuit board.
