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Article: Printed Circuit Board
- Article from:
- How Products Are Made
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Gale Research Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Printed Circuit Board
Background
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is a self-contained module of interconnected electronic components found in devices ranging from common
beepers,
or pagers, and radios to sophisticated radar and computer systems. The circuits are formed by a thin layer of conducting material deposited, or "printed," on the surface of an insulating board known as the substrate. Individual electronic components are placed on the surface of the substrate and soldered to the interconnecting circuits. Contact fingers along one or more edges of the substrate act as connectors to other PCBs or to external electrical devices such as on-off switches. A printed circuit board may ...