About PCB and PCBA

PCB and PCBA

A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is a board that electrically connects electronic components using conductive traces, pads, and other features etched from copper foil laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. PCB’s can be single sided (one copper layer), double sided (two copper layers), or multi-layer (outer and inner layers). Conductors on different layers are connected with vias (plated-thru. holes). Multi-layer PCB’s allow for much higher component density and design complexity.

PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) is the board obtained after all printing solder paste on the PCB and then mounting various components like resistors, ICs (Integrated Circuits), capacitors and any other components  like transformers depending on the application and desired characteristics of the board. A PCBA usually undergoes reflow furnace heating to establish a mechanical connection between the PCB and the components.