Over the years, circuit boards have played a significant role in electronic products. However, the fascination with readily available electronic products in the market has overshadowed the fundamental element of electronics, the circuit board. It facilitates the transmission of electronic signals and ensures the proper functioning of electronic products. Therefore, this article will delve into the meaning of circuit boards, their evolution, types, and overall significance.

　　 What is a Circuit Board?

　　Circuit boards are synonymous with electronic products. If you have ever owned or used an electronic product, you must have used a circuit board. But most people find it difficult to understand the definition of a circuit board. So, what does it really mean? By definition, a circuit board refers to a standalone board used for electrically connecting and mechanically supporting electronic components. The connection is done through conductive tracks, while the support is done through a non-conductive substrate. Therefore, circuit boards are the foundation of all electronic devices and gadgets.

　　Currently, there are many types of circuit boards. These include breadboards, stripboards, and printed circuit boards. However, all circuit boards can be traced back to a common origin - a circuit board. So what is the history of electronic circuit boards?

　　 Types of Circuit Boards

　　As an electronics enthusiast, understanding the various types of circuit boards is crucial. It helps in determining which circuit board is suitable for a particular type of application and how to design and manufacture it. Different types of electronic circuit boards exist, including the following.

　　 Breadboard

　　It is a basic electronic circuit board widely used in prototyping. Therefore, it is popular among learners or people who enjoy DIY activities, mainly in the electronics field. The fundamental reason for its popularity is that it does not require soldering, especially during experimentation. When using breadboard electronics, components can be used and reused.

　　Different breadboards have different specifications, but the design is usually similar. Breadboards consist of perforated plastic blocks and metal spring clips underneath. These spring clips are made of silver, nickel, or bronze, especially at the contact points of electronic components. The metal strips also play an indispensable role in connecting the pins to the breadboard. In most cases, the breadboard layout comprises two distinct areas: the power bus and the terminal strip.

　　Stripboard. It comprises the main area of the electronic circuit board. The stripboard consists of an area where electronic components are placed during prototyping. It is usually represented by a notch mark in the center of the strip area. There are lettered marked rows on either side of the notch. Also, radial patterns interconnect the two sides of the notch.

　　Power Bus. The power bus area serves as the power terminal or power supply for the electronic breadboard. It is responsible for introducing power into the electronic circuit. Generally, the power bus has two rows, one serving as the power voltage and the other as the ground.

　　Jumper wires are used to connect the entire breadboard structure into a functional unit. Jumper wires are deployed according to your specific needs or color code. Solderless circuit boards are a resource for prototyping or simple circuits, although it has limitations.

　　 Limitations

　　Solderless breadboards have limitations, especially during low-frequency operations. This is because some connections have a large capacitance and also a large inductance.

　　Without a 0.1-inch grid spacing, ordinary breadboards cannot naturally accommodate SMT or surface mount technology components. In this case, printed circuit board wiring becomes crucial.

　　By design, breadboards cannot perform complex circuit projects or designs.

　　Although these limitations sometimes pose restrictions, the advantages of breadboards make them ideal for prototyping. What's more? The components of breadboard circuits are relatively inexpensive and can be recycled or reused.

　　 Stripboard

　　Stripboard is another electronic circuit board alternative. Besides producing functional electronic circuit boards, it is also a choice for prototyping. Stripboards are characterized by parallel copper strips on one side of the stripboard, in addition to 0.1-inch sized rectangular grid holes. Unlike breadboards, stripboards require soldering. Therefore, you must practice your technique to ensure the correct soldering of electrical components. Also, the 0.1-inch holes require components with similarly sized pins.

　　Electronic components mainly used in stripboard circuit boards include DIP ICs, connectors, and any other components with 0.1-inch pins. These components are placed on one side of the board while allowing the leads to protrude on the other side. However, the leads must be soldered. The soldering orientation needs to ensure that the leads connect to the copper traces or tracks on the other side of the stripboard. Where wire connections are needed, 0.1-inch wires should be used. This wire can be passed through the holes and soldered on the other end.

　　Stripboards are widely used in developing small circuits, in addition to providing extra holes for complex projects. The need for more complex circuit designs has also led to different variants of this circuit board. It includes Perf+ and Tripad. Tripad refers to a stripboard with segmented or broken conductive tracks. Each segmented track contains three holes. It also supports connecting multiple components.

　　On the other hand, some holes of the Perf+ variant connect to buses instead of strips, hence the name selective stripboard. While stripboard is a very suitable type of circuit board for prototyping, it also has limitations.

　 　Limitations

　　Stripboards with a large number of holes can be confusing to develop or build.

　　It is also not a choice for performing complex electronic circuit designs.

　　 Wire-Wrap Electronic Circuit Board

　　It is an electronic circuit board that initially emerged as an alternative to telephone lines. However, its success led to its transformation and adaptation into electronic circuit board designs. Its existence provides engineers or designers with the possibility of utilizing some of the advantages offered by wire-wrap boards.

　　Wire-wrap circuits have a board with sockets mounted on it. The components and sockets supported by the board are connected through multiple layers of wires wrapped around the terminals, sockets, and components. The wire-wrapping process can be done manually or using machines. Therefore, wire-wrap circuits become solderless electronic circuit boards.

　　Although wire-wrap electronic circuit boards are not yet widely known, they have proven to be a reliable and applicable design for complex applications. This is because the connections of this type of circuit board are not affected by vibrations, unlike breadboards or soldered connections. In addition, the absence of soldered components means that this type of circuit board, besides having less resistance, has also proven to be corrosion-resistant or less prone to corrosion.

　　Wire-wound circuit boards have various applications, but their primary areas involve supercomputers and microwave ovens. While wire-wound circuit boards offer advantages, they also have drawbacks. Compared to other listed alternatives, it is more expensive. Furthermore, prototyping is easier with other circuit board alternatives compared to wire-wound circuit boards.

　 　Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

　　A popular electronic circuit board widely used in today's electronic world is the PCB. PCBs are inherently adaptable, flexible in design, and simple to use. These attributes make PCB boards popular among manufacturers, hobbyists, and engineers.

　　Printed circuit boards comprise copper tracks etched onto a non-conductive board. Electronic components are then soldered onto the copper tracks according to the design schematic. The process of etching copper tracks onto the PCB board is known as PCB printing. Printed circuit boards have multiple applications due to their integration into simpler and more complex designs.

　　PCBs come in a wide variety of types, generally determined primarily by the number of layers and the materials used. Some popular types of printed circuit boards include the following.

　　 Single-sided Printed Circuit Board

　　It is a PCB containing a single layer of substrate or base material and copper cladding. Therefore, this means that all electronic or electrical components must be soldered onto this surface. Single-sided PCBs are designed for simple types of electronics. However, it is also an alternative for prototyping applications. Its relatively affordable price makes it popular among electronics hobbyists and students.

　 　Double-sided Printed Circuit Board

　　A double-layer or double-sided PCB contains two layers of copper on both sides of a non-conductive substrate layer. For this type of PCB, holes must be drilled in the board to connect the circuits on both sides of the board. Therefore, surface mount or through-hole technology must be used to mount electrical or electronic components. Through-hole technology means passing component leads through the drilled holes and soldering the ends to the board. On the other hand, surface mount technology involves mounting the components on the surface of the board before soldering. SMT is one of the typical double-sided PCB types used by hobbyists and students.

　 　Multilayer PCB

　　It is a type of printed circuit board with multiple conductive layers (more than two copper layers). In terms of component placement technology, it generally has similar characteristics to double-sided PCBs. The more layers, the more functional the PCB, as it can accommodate more components.

　 　Rigid Printed Circuit Board

　　This refers to an electronic circuit board manufacturing method that incorporates fiberglass into its non-conductive substrate layer. The addition of fiberglass provides the necessary strength and rigidity to prevent the PCB from warping or bending during use. In most cases, rigid printed circuit boards are suitable for devices that are constantly in motion.

　 　Flexible Printed Circuit Board

　　It is a type of printed circuit board that uses plastic or flexible sheets as the substrate. The ability of flexible PCBs to bend makes them an integral part of applications requiring flexibility. Flexible boards can be double-sided, single-sided, or multilayer.

　　 Rigid-Flex Board

　　Rigid-flex printed circuit boards integrate flexible and rigid PCB formats into a single unit. Therefore, it implies a printed circuit board comprising two rigid circuit board pieces connected by a flexible PCB. The entire unit forms a functional unit in the corresponding application area.

　 　Integrated Circuit

　　It is an electronic circuit board primarily used in advanced and complex electronic devices. Highly evolved electronic circuit boards employ miniaturized designs, with millions of electronic components arranged in gated blocks on a single chip. Unlike PCBs, ICs incorporate memory elements that can be programmed to operate in a specific manner. Applications include microchips widely used in computers.