Introduction to PCB Design

A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a rugged, copper and non-conductive substrate based structure to connect electrical components (for example the green board inside a common electrical appliance is a PCB). The PCB is the backbone of electrical devices, allowing you to connect passive (resistor, inductor, capacitors etc…), active (operational amplifiers etc…) and embedded devices together, into specific form factors to fit the design need. Connections between the components are made through copper connections (routes) which become passageways for electrical signals.

PCBs were first developed by an Austrian Engineer named Paul Eisler. Born in Vienna, and educated at the Vienna University, he made his way to the United Kingdom in the 1936. He began developing the circuit manufacturing process during the Second World War where he earned a number of patents dealing with the etching process, to define the various routes and electrical conduits on your board.

Figure 1 - PCB Example