TABLE OF CONTENTS Within an electronic system, the printed circuit board (PCB) fulfils an essential role in which to mount the main electronic components, whether by soldering or by the use of fixing aids such as screws, and the means by which the electronic components are electrically connected to form the required electrical circuit, using metal tracks patterned onto the PCB and solder joints.
Figure 3.1 shows a 3-D graphical representation of an example PCB with models for the components placed on the PCB in their intended positions. A number of PCB design tools (for example, the Altium Protel PCB design software) provide for a 3-D viewing capability that enables the designer to view the PCB as it would appear in the final fabricated PCB with components inserted prior to PCB fabrication. The main base (commonly referred to as the substrate) is the insulating material, and tracks are patterned into it. Here, the electronic components are mounted to the top of the board, although components may also be mounted to both the top and bottom.
In this example, the board is rectangular and 1.6 mm thick; actually this PCB was designed to be Eurocard size (160 mm 100 mm [6.3 ? 3.94 ?]). However, the actual shape of the PCB can be decided by the designer (restricted only by the manufacturing capabilities and cost to manufacture) to fit into the appropriate housing requirement...
