Managing heat dissipation is critical for reliable printed circuit board (PCB) operation. As components shrink while power densities rise, excess PCB temperatures can quickly degrade performance and reliability. A key material property impacting heat flow is thermal conductivity – the rate at which heat travels through a substance. Understanding thermal … Read more

A thermal printed circuit board (PCB) refers to a type of circuit board designed to conduct heat effectively away from components mounted on the board. As electronic devices shrink while power densities rise, carefully managing PCB temperatures becomes critical. Thermal PCBs incorporate features to improve heat spreading across the board … Read more

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are designed to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. But PCBs also need to effectively dissipate the heat generated by components to ensure reliable operation. This is where thermal vias come in. Thermal … Read more

Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) use the Peltier effect to provide precise heating or cooling capabilities without liquids or gases. The active thermoelectric elements are mounted between two substrates that transfer heat – typically a metal base and a printed circuit board. The substrate combination is key for managing the thermal load. … Read more

Gold plating provides a highly conductive, corrosion resistant surface finish for printed circuit boards. However, thick gold plating is expensive, so PCB designers must use it judiciously. This article examines how thick gold can be plated on a PCB based on process limitations, reliability factors, use cases and cost considerations. … Read more

THT stands for Through-Hole Technology when referring to PCBs. It represents the mounting and interconnecting of electronic components using leads passed through holes drilled in the circuit board. THT contrast with SMT (Surface Mount Technology) where components are directly soldered onto surface pads without leads passing through the board. This … Read more

TKL PCBs refer to the printed circuit boards used in tenkeyless mechanical keyboards. Tenkeyless or TKL keyboards provide a compact layout without the number pad section for more ergonomic positioning during gaming or regular typing. This article will provide a detailed look at TKL PCB characteristics, layouts, components, build process, … Read more

During soldering of surface mount components on printed circuit boards, a defect known as “tombstoning” sometimes occurs. This involves components standing upright on one end rather than lying flat flush to the board after soldering. Tombstoned parts often completely fail from lack of soldering or induce shorts, rendering the PCB … Read more

The resistance of printed circuit board (PCB) traces impacts current capacity, voltage drop, power dissipation, and signal quality. Accurately calculating trace resistance is important during PCB design to ensure proper performance. This guide provides designers useful formulas and an easy-to-use trace resistance calculator to determine resistance based on trace dimensions … Read more

Determining the correct trace width is a critical aspect of printed circuit board (PCB) design. Trace width has a major impact on current carrying capacity, voltage drop, thermal performance and signal integrity. Insufficient trace widths can cause overheating or failure of the circuit. Excessively large traces waste valuable board space … Read more