Complex PCB Assembly: 8 Major Types to learn in 2021

What are the 7 most important components in a PCB assembly?

In fact, printed circuit boards are the unknown heroes of all modern electronic appliances. Most electronics users do not know about these boards. But these boards are silently serving the electronic industry. All modern innovation is possible because of complex PCB assembly.

Moreover, PCB assembly designs also help modern electronic gadgets to work smoothly without any disruption. PCB boards have such an essential part that electronic manufacturers never can design their electronic devices without these boards.

So, let’s start to deeply examine the role of PCB boards in PCB assemblies. Further, what are the most important components of a PCB assembly?

What is the complex PCB assembly?

Printed circuit board assembly is the process of connecting the electronic components with the wirings of printed circuit boards.

PCB assembly is the main process to mount all the electronic components onto the PCB board by using the wiring of these boards. Before assembling these electronic components on the boards, these boards are just plain boards.

Further, before mounting electronic components, there are only holes in the solder mask. The conductive pathways or traces that are engraved in the PCBs copper sheets are used in a non-conductive substrate to create the PCB assembly.

Before using the PCB boards in an electronic application, manufacturers conclude these actions to make them completely operational for the electronic device. Moreover, PCB boards are nothing but just bare boards before complex PCB assembling.

How PCB boards provide bases in complex PCB assembly?

Basically, PCB boards are the boards that electronic designers use as the base in modern electronics. Moreover, they help in the following two ways,

• as a piece that supports physically;
• also, as the wiring area for the socketed and surface-mounted components.

Hence, PCB boards are extremely powerful components that provide bases in all complex PCB assembling.

What is the role of PCB boards in complex PCB assembly?

The PCB board mainly plays a role as a baseboard in the PCB assembly. In addition, it physically supports all the mechanical and electrical components that have to be mounted on the PCB circuit boards.

So, the board base provides all the mechanical support which electronic components need. PCB manufacturers connect this board via conductive pads and traces. Moreover, this board concludes substrates with copper tracks.

Further, these copper tracks act like wires in order to connect electronic components during PCB assembly. The PCB board actually helps to solder all important components very strongly.

Moreover, these boards have copper and insulating layers that contain signal traces to help the ground and power supply. Hence, PCB boards play an integral role in a complex PCB assembly.

What is the difference between PWB, PCB, PCA, complex PCB assembly (PCBA)?

Basically, there are several abbreviations that electronic industrials use for PCB circuit boards. In this guide, we have tried to explain the most common acronyms for PCB boards.

PWB:

PWB stands for printed wiring board. it is actually the first acronym which manufacturers use for PCB boards. Additionally, in PWB boards, PCB manufacturers used to put components in point-to-point form instead of using circuit operations.

PCB:

As you know that PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board. but if we explain it in technical form, PCB is a simple and plain board that has not yet mounted with electronic components. it was established in 1999 by the IPC Technical Activities Executive Committee.

PCA:

PCA stands for Printed Circuit Assembly. Moreover, this term was used by IPC in 1999 for clarity between PCB and PCA.

PCBA:

PCBA stands for Printed Circuit Board Assembly that is also known as complex PCB assembly.

It is the final board that electronic manufacturers use in their complex electronic devices for their extreme precision functionality.

Besides, among all the above terms, PCB is the most popular term. Generally, electronic designers use it for PCBA. But there is a huge difference between a PCB and a PCBA. So, it is necessary for an electronic engineer to clarify which kind of PCB board you actually need.

Main types of PCB boards used in complex PCB assembly

To match the design of an electronic device, the electronic designers use different types of PCB boards in complex PCB assembly. Additionally, there are mainly two types, flexible or rigid PCB boards. But PCB manufacturers have further divided them on the basis of their layers.

Hence, these different types are:

Single-layer PCB boards:

This PCB board consists of only a single layer of the base material. These boards are perfect for rapid production as they are simple in design. Moreover, they are also very easy to automate.

Double-layers PCB board:

In double layer board, manufacturers solder electronic components on both sides. In these boards, they use some conductive material like copper to apply on both sides of the PCB board. These boards have been mounted by using surface mount (SMT) or a through-hole complex PCB assembly technology.

Multilayer PCB board:

Electronic designers mostly use these boards in complex electronic devices. Moreover, these boards can use up to 4 or more layers in their substrate.

However, they are ideal to use in the following industries such as,

• handheld devices;
• aerospace;
• signal and cell transmission and so on.

Rigid PCB board:

These boards use solid (can’t bend) materials as a base. They are compact in size. Further, these boards are ideal to use in computer motherboards, audio keyboards, toys, and many more.

Flexible PCB board:

In the flexible boards, PCB manufacturers use a flexible material as a base. These boards are a perfect choice to use in complex PCB assembly. Moreover, these boards are ideal to use in high signal trace density as well as best in high temperatures.

However, these boards are costly in comparison to rigid but are ideal solutions for complex devices.

Rigid-flex PCB board:

As the name suggests, these boards are a combination of rigid and flex boards. Today electronic designers are increasingly using rigid-flex-PCBs in military and medical appliances.

High-frequency PCB board:

High-frequency PCB boards help to use in the frequency range of 500MHz – 2GHz. They are highly advantageous to use in,

• microwave PCBs,
• communication systems
• microstrip PCBs, and much more.

Aluminum backed PCBs:

These PCB boards are best for high power applications. For example, they are helpful to use in LEDs and power supplies. Since these boards highly help in heat dissipation.

The most important components of a complex PCB assembly

There are several PCB hardware components. Furthermore, they are vital to use in complex PCB assembly as they help to power any electronic device. Here are these integral electronic components that PCB manufacturers use in PCB assembly to make it viable in electronic applications.

These are:

Diode:

This important component or part is helpful to allow electricity to run in just a specific direction. Moreover, it blocks the other electrical connections for some time.

LED:

LED stands for Light-emitting diode. it helps to generate a spark when an electric current passes through it.

Capacitors:

Manufacturers have designed this component to hold an electrical charge. This electrical charge provides charge for the operation of the electronic gadgets.

Resistors:

They are actually color-coded controls. Further, they help to pass the electric current from it.

Switches:

They are useful to prevent or allow the current from moving. But it depends on the condition of the switches whether they are closed or open.

Inductors:

It is a passive component that can resist a sudden change of current.

Battery:

The battery actually helps to link the voltage to all the circuits.