PCB type
The printed circuit board (PCB) is the heart of all electronics, a complex circuit composed of copper traces on a board of FR4, CEM-3, Aluminum or other laminate materials. By soldering electronic components on this circuit board, the preset current is controlled, so that the electronic equipment works in the designed way. PCBs are often classified into various categories based on manufacturing specifications, frequency, application, number of layers, and substrate material.
JHDPCB has more than 10 years of experience manufacturing full range of PCBs. From simple one or two layers PCBs to high complexity multi-layer PCBs or HDI PCBs. Our goal is to be China’s TOP5 PCB manufacturer.We are committed to providing high-quality, industry-leading PCBs on time at competitive costs.You can rely on us to get the most cost-effective PCB by our expertise and large-scale production.
Common PCB 13 Types And Advantages：
According to different project requirements, we will manufacture different types of PCB boards for customers. Before choosing a PCB, you must consider factors such as required space, processing complexity, and mechanical and electrical stability.
The complete product categories are as follows:
Single-sided PCB
Single-layer printed circuit boards are the easiest and cheapest circuit boards to design and manufacture. This type of circuit board has only a base substrate (fiberglass) covered with a thin layer of conductive metal (copper). Typically JHDPCBs are also covered with a protective solder mask that is applied on top of the copper layer along with the silkscreen coating. Since these boards have only one conductive layer, the conductive paths cannot intersect or overlap. Often used in low-density simple PCBs. Such as calculators, power sensors, power supplies, relays, LED lighting panels, FM radios, electronic toys, etc.
Advantages of single-sided PCB:
Low cost, easy to mass manufacture, suitable for low density design, easy to repair, easy to design.
Read more single-sided PCB information and JHD single-sided PCB manufacturing information.
Double-sided PCB
Unlike single-sided PCBs, double-sided PCBs have metal conductive layers on the top and bottom of the board. Double-sided PCBs have two mounting methods to connect circuits on both sides, namely through-hole technology and surface mount technology. Through-hole technology involves mounting leaded components into pre-drilled holes on the board, which are then soldered to pads on opposite sides. Surface mount technology requires precise placement of electronic components on the surface of the board, which allows the circuit to be completed using less space, freeing up space to allow the board to do more, often faster and lighter than what a through-hole board would allow .
Double-sided PCBs are commonly used in moderately complex circuits such as industrial controls, cell phone systems, power monitoring, instrumentation, test equipment, amplifiers, HVAC applications, LED lighting, UPS systems, vending machines, and more.
Advantages of double-sided PCB:
Reduced size, relatively low cost, increased circuit density, made circuits compact, more flexible, and suitable for advanced electronic systems.
Read more about double-sided PCB information and JHD double-sided PCB manufacturing information.
Multilayer PCB
A multilayer PCB is a printed circuit board with three or more electrical layers. Different layers of substrate and insulating material separate the layers in a multilayer PCB. All active and passive electronic components are assembled on the top and bottom layers. All internal stack layers are used for routing. All layers must be bonded and laminated together under high pressure and high temperature to ensure that there are no air gaps and the final PCB assembly is properly stable. All layers are interconnected through copper plated vias.
Common layers are 4, 6, 8… JHD currently supports up to 20 layers. With multilayer printed circuit boards, designers can create very thick, complex designs for a wide range of complex electrical tasks.
Multilayer PCBs are used in computers, laptops, cell phones, file servers, medical equipment, weather analysis, GPS technology, and many other more complex circuits and devices.
Advantages of multilayer PCBs:
Small size, more circuits in less space, high level of design flexibility, suitable for high-speed circuits.
Read more about Multilayer PCB Information and JHD Double Sided PCB Manufacturing Information.
Flexible PCB
Flexible PCBs are built on flexible substrates. The substrate of a flexible PCB is usually made of insulating polymer film, polyamide, PEEK (polyetheretherketone) or transparent conductive polyester film. Conductive copper circuits are printed on this substrate and coated with a thin polymer protective coating to protect the circuits. Like rigid PCBs, flexible PCBs come in single-layer, double-layer or multi-layer forms. Flexible printed circuit boards are more expensive to manufacture because they need to be printed on flexible materials. The main difference is that the board is designed to be bent into the desired form throughout the application, and the flexible materials and shapes facilitate easy handling and application in complex environments without causing any damage. (Of course, it is necessary to use corresponding high-quality materials for different special environments)
Flexible PCBs are used in Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) manufacturing, LCD manufacturing, flexible solar cells, the automotive industry, mobile phones, cameras and complex electronics such as notebook computers.
Advantages of flexible PCB:
Save space, reduce overall weight, eliminate connectors, thermal management, improve reliability and repeatability, provide uniform electrical characteristics for high-speed circuits, suitable for applications requiring high signal trace density.
Read more about flex PCBs and JHD flex PCB manufacturing.
Rigid-flex PCB
Rigid-Flex PCB is a hybrid circuit board, it is a hybrid combination of rigid PCB and flexible PCB, Rigid-Flex PCB combines the advantages of both. The flexible part of the circuit board is usually used for the interconnection between rigid circuit boards. The number of parts of rigid-flex boards is lower than that of traditional rigid or flexible boards, allowing narrower conductor lines to take up less space, thus making the circuit board more flexible. small. Using flex PCBs for interconnection often eliminates the need for bulky connectors, making rigid-flex printed circuit boards lighter.
Rigid-flex boards can be designed in a compact manner, and their lightweight properties make them ideal for mobile phones, digital cameras, aerospace, medical. Excellent choice for a wide range of applications in military and consumer electronics.
The advantages of rigid-flex PCB:
Light weight, space saving, 360 degree bendability, reduced space requirements with 3D capabilities, shock resistance, improved reliability, fewer solder joints for higher connection reliability, simplified PCB assembly process.
Read more about rigid-flex PCBs.
HDI PCB
HDI PCB is a PCB with a higher number of interconnects and a minimal footprint. HDI PCBs have finer spaces and traces, smaller vias and capture pads, and higher connection pad density. This is accomplished by combining laser-drilled microvias, blind vias, vias in pads, fine lines and tolerances, and advanced laminates over multiple conductive layers.
HDI PCBs can accommodate the complex routing of high pin count chips and other high-tech miniaturized components. For the electrical requirements of high-speed signals, the circuit board should have various characteristics such as high-frequency transmission capability, impedance control, and reduction of redundant radiation. Circuit boards should increase in density due to the miniaturization and arraying of electronic components.
Advantages of HDI PCB:
Extraordinary versatility, compact design, better signal integrity, high reliability, cost-effective.
Read more about HDI PCBs and JHD HDIPCB manufacturing.
Aluminum PCB
Aluminum PCBs Unlike the common fiberglass used in most PCB board types, aluminum circuit boards use aluminum as the substrate. The material is designed to have low thermal resistance, which means less heat is transferred from the insulating material to the backing.
The high rigidity and low thermal expansion of aluminum backplane PCBs make them an excellent choice for applications requiring high output power within very tight tolerances, including traffic lights, automotive lighting, power supplies, motor controllers, and high current circuits .
In addition to these main areas of use, aluminum backplane PCBs can also be used in applications where a high degree of mechanical stability is required or where the PCB may be subjected to high levels of mechanical stress. They are less affected by thermal expansion than fiberglass boards, which means other materials on the board, such as copper foil and insulation, are less likely to peel off, further extending the life of the product.
Advantages of Aluminum PCB:
•low cost. Aluminum is easy to mine and inexpensive, helping to reduce expenses in the manufacturing process.
•environmental Protection. Aluminum is non-toxic and easy to recycle.
• Heat dissipation. Instead of dissipating heat to the rest of the board, it dissipates heat into the air. Aluminum PCBs cool faster than copper PCBs of the same size.
• Material durability. Aluminum is more durable than materials like fiberglass or ceramics. Helps reduce damage during manufacturing, shipping and installation.
Read more about Aluminum PCBs and JHD Aluminum PCB Manufacturing.
LED PCB
Solder the LED chip to the PCB board, LED is the abbreviation of Light Emitting Diode. An LED is essentially a two-lead semiconductor device that emits light when current is passed in a certain direction. LED PCB is the core of LED lighting. LED printed circuit board generates a lot of heat than other electronic components in the working process. It is difficult to dissipate heat by traditional methods, which requires PCB to have better heat dissipation capability. A metal base with fast cooling capabilities has proven to be a better choice. JHD is deeply aware of this, so we will strictly control the heat dissipation of the LED PCB substrate according to the customer’s application. Everything is produced to a higher standard.
Read more about JHD LED PCB Manufacturing.
FR-4 PCB
FR-4 is a common material for printed circuit boards (PCBs). FR-4 is the NEMA grade for glass-reinforced epoxy laminates (standard for fiberglass-reinforced epoxy compounds as defined by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association). FR-4 is a composite material consisting of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy adhesive. A thin layer of copper foil is usually laminated to one or both sides of an FR-4 glass epoxy panel, often referred to as a copper clad laminate. For more FR4 materials, please refer to our “FR4 Materials In PCB Manufacturing” article.
Due to its ultra-high strength, excellent waterproof properties and flame retardancy, most PCBs are used as the default material.
Read more about JHD FR-4 PCBs.
High Frequency PCB
High frequency PCBs are used in the frequency range of 500MHz – 2GHz. The main difference in making high frequency printed circuit boards is the design itself. High-frequency PCB materials typically include FR4 grade glass-reinforced epoxy laminates, polyphenylene ether (PPO) resins, and Teflon. PTFE is one of the most expensive options because of its small and stable dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and overall low water absorption.
These PCBs are used in various frequency critical applications such as communication systems, microwave PCBs, microstrip PCBs, etc. Depending on the application, high frequency printed circuit boards may require the use of advanced laminate materials and controlled impedance.
Advantages of high frequency PCB:
Smaller dielectric loss, stable thermal expansion coefficient, low water absorption, heat resistance, impact resistance, resistance to hazardous chemicals.
Read more about High Frequency PCBs and JHD High Frequency PCB Manufacturing.
High TG PCB
The full name of TG is glasstransitiontemperature, which stands for glass transition temperature. One of the most important properties of any epoxy resin is the glass transition temperature (Tg), the temperature range at which the polymer changes from a hard glass-like material to a soft, rubber-like material. PCBs in some applications are required to withstand extreme heat, and a board is defined as high Tg if its glass transition temperature (Tg) is higher than 170 degrees Celsius. The higher the TG value, the better the temperature resistance of the PCB, and the better the dimensional stability of the PCB board.
Read more about JHD High Tg PCB.
Metal Core PCB
Metal core PCBA metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) is a PCB that uses a metal material as the substrate for the heat sink portion of the substrate. Thick metal covers one side of the PCB, somewhere in the middle of the PCB or on the back of the board. The metal core of a heat sink PCB can be a mixture of aluminum, copper, steel or special alloys. Different metal cores bring different advantages to PCBs. For example, aluminum substrates can reduce weight and provide higher cost performance while providing high heat dissipation; thick copper pcbs provide more efficient and stable large current capacity. Other different alloy materials also offer different product advantages. If you don’t know how to choose a substrate. Feel free to contact us anytime. JHD’s professional customer service team will give you the most cost-effective advice based on your pcb design and application.
Read more about JHD MC PCBs.
Heavy Copper PCB
As a growing trend in the PCB industry, thick copper PCBs are widely used in power, electronic equipment and power systems. The finished copper weight for this unique type of thick copper PCB is over 4 ounces, while standard PCBs typically weigh 1 or 2 ounces of copper thick.
Heavy copper technology can implement complex circuits in a limited space, combine circuits with high current levels, and facilitate heat dissipation. Thick copper PCB technology can better combine the thick copper of the outer and inner layers to form a better layout structure.
Read more about JHD Heavy copper PCB.
Of course, PCB types are far more than those listed above by JHD, and there are also different subdivisions according to different applications and materials. The above is just to list some common types for reference. For more PCB related knowledge, you can contact JHD professional customer service at any time. We will offer you cost-effective PCBs with optimal cost optimization, appropriate materials and fast lead times.
JHDPCB’s ability to provide its customers with access to full turn-key,partial turnkey or kitted assembly services。
