Printed circuit board

A printed circuit board is an insulating substrate patterned with conductive tracks and pads that supports electronic components and connects them electrically.

Substrate (electronics): A substrate is the supporting base on which electronic materials or components are formed or mounted. The substrate provides the board’s mechanical foundation and electrical insulation.
Printed circuit board design: Printed circuit board design is the process of arranging components and conductive connections into a manufacturable board layout. The layout specifies where tracks, pads, holes, and components belong.
Single-sided PCB: A single-sided PCB has conductive circuitry on only one side of its insulating substrate. Its simple construction suits circuits that can be routed on one copper layer.
Wire-wrap: Wire-wrap is an electrical connection method that winds insulated wire around square posts to make contact. It connects components without patterned copper tracks on a board.
Paul Eisler: Paul Eisler was an Austrian-born engineer who developed an early practical printed-circuit technique. His work helped establish printed circuitry as an alternative to hand-wired assemblies.
Copper foil: Copper foil is a thin sheet of copper used in electrical and manufacturing applications. Etching or patterning the foil creates the board’s conductive tracks and pads.
Photolithography: Photolithography transfers a patterned image onto a surface using light-sensitive material. In common board fabrication, a resist pattern helps define which copper remains or is removed.
Double-sided PCB: A double-sided PCB has conductive circuitry on both sides of its insulating substrate. Both copper faces provide more routing area than a single-sided board.
Point-to-point construction: Point-to-point construction connects electronic components directly with wires or soldered leads rather than a printed layout. It is a boardless alternative used in some low-volume or repairable equipment.
Electronic manufacturing: Electronic manufacturing is the production and assembly of devices and systems that use electronic components. Circuit boards made repeatable, scalable assembly of complex electronic devices practical.

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