Printed Circuit Board Introduction & PCB Types

3. Lighting. As LED-based lighting solutions catch on in popularity because of their low power consumption and high levels of efficiency, so too does aluminum-backed PCB which is used to make them. These PCBs serve as heat sinks and allow for higher levels of heat transfer than a standard PCB. These same aluminum-backed HDI Circuits form the basis for both high-lumen LED applications and basic lighting solutions.

4. Automotive and aerospace industries. Both the automotive and aerospace industries make use of flexible PCB, which is designed to withstand the high-vibration environments that are common in both fields. Depending on specifications and design, they can also be very lightweight, which is a necessity when manufacturing parts for transportation industries. They are also able to conform to the tight spaces that might be present in these applications, such as inside instrument panels or behind the instrument gauge on a dashboard.

Multilayer PCBs consist of a series of three or more double-layered PCBs. These boards are then secured together with a specialized glue and sandwiched between pieces of insulation to ensure that excess heat doesn't melt any of the components. Multi-layer PCBs come in a variety of sizes, going as small as four layers or as large as ten or twelve. The largest multi-layer PCB ever built was 50 layers thick.

With many layers of printed circuit boards, designers can make very thick, complex designs which are suitable for a broad range of complicated electrical tasks. Applications where multi-layer PCBs would be beneficial include File servers, Data storage, GPS technology, Satellite systems, Weather analysis and Medical equipment.

Unlike rigid PCBs, which use unmoving materials such as fiberglass, Flexible PCB is made of materials that can flex and move, such as plastic. Like rigid PCBs, flexible PCBs come in single, double or multilayer formats. As they need to be printed on a flexible material, flexible pcb cost more for fabrication.

Rigid Flex PCB

Rigid flex circuits combine the best of both worlds when it comes to the two most important overarching types of PCB boards. Flex-rigid boards consist of multiple layers of flexible PCBs attached to a number of rigid PCB layers.

Rigid-Flex PCBs have many advantages over just using rigid or flexible PCBs for certain applications. For one, rigid-flex boards have a lower parts count than traditional rigid or flexible boards because the wiring options for both can be combined into a single board. The combination of rigid and flexible boards into a single rigid-flex board also allows for a more streamlined design, reducing the overall board size and package weight.

Flex-rigid PCBs are most often found in applications where space or weight are prime concerns, including Cell phones, Digital cameras, Pacemakers and Automobiles.

High-frequency PCB

High Frequency PCB refers to a general PCB design element, rather than a type of PCB construction like the previous models. High-frequency PCB is designed to transmit signals over one gigahertz.