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The Curious Bag
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PCB stands for "printed circuit board." It is a thick sheet, usually made of glass fibers, that contains circuits that have been printed onto the board. This technology is used for motherboards, peripheral cards and most storage devices.
PCB Materials
A PCB is typically made of several layers of glass fibers that have been glued together with epoxy resin. The glass fibers allow the board to respond to temperature without damaging components.
Temperature and PCBs
Heat causes a PCB to expand, and cold contracts it to its original shape. The flexibility of glass fibers prevents the board from cracking when temperatures or temperature changes become extreme.
PCAs
A PCB that contains electrical components, like a motherboard, is referred to as a "printed circuit assembly." The PCB itself is just the epoxied layers of fiberglass.
Putting Circuits in Boards
There are several methods for creating copper circuits or "traces" on a board. Most of them involve putting a thin sheet of copper against the board and etching the sheet until only traces remain. This is typically done in a factory setting.
PCBs and Static
A copper-etched PCB can be damaged by static electricity, so they are shipped in "anti-static" bags. When handling them, a person must be electrically grounded to prevent static damage.
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