Printed circuit boards can be of different types, and it allows for creating devices and systems for various applications. The variety of PCB types provides you with the possibility of choosing technologies that will perfectly match your requirements for the functionality and performance of your electronic product.
Let’s delve into the 6 types of printed circuit boards and their advantages. For more information on PCB design and layout services, check out the link.
- Single-sided PCB
A single-sided PCB has a single conductive layer and components are mounted on one side of the board. That is why the conductive paths cannot intersect and require more space.
The PCBs of this type are commonly used for less complex designs with low density, for example, LED lighting boards, power supplies, calculators, timing circuits.
However, single-sided PCB has a set of advantages as they are easy and cheap to manufacture and repair, and are perfect for creating less complex devices.
- Double-sided PCB
PCBs of this type have conducting material on both sides: top and bottom. Double-sided PCBs allow for using through-hole and surface mount technologies for placing components.
Such devices as mobile phones, text equipment, amplifiers, power monitoring often use PCBs of this type. You can create more advanced electronics solutions. Double-sided PCBs provide more flexibility in design process and options for making compact circuit.
- Multi-layer PCB
As the name implies, this type of PCB has several copper layers and has more tan one double-sided conductive layers. These layers are divided by insulating material sheets.
Multi-layer PCBs are perfect for creating complex designs such as tablets, medical and industrial equipment, computers, laptops, and so on.
- Rigid PCB
Rigid PCB is based on a rigid substrate, a copper layer, a solder mask layer, a silk screen layer. It makes a rigid PCB to be strong, however, it cannot be changed or modified. These PCBs can be sing-sided, double-sided, and multi-layer.
Rigid PCBs are used in a variety of devices, embedded systems of any complexity.
- Flex PCB
Flex PCB is based on a special film, and it allows for transforming it into a form required for your product. They also can have one or more layers and be single- or double-sided. Using Flex PCB can help you save space on a board and create high-speed designs.
Among the advantages are thermal management, high reliability and repeatability.
- Rigid-flex PCB
This is a combination of rigid and flex technologies that results into a board that can be folded and twisted at the same time. The flex part of this board is used for interconnecting the elements of the rigid parts without using connectors. It helps to create smaller boards
Using rigid-flex boards can help you create lightweight and ergonomic designs for various applications.
