Computer Electronic Boards

Computer Electronic Boards Computer Circuitry

A circuit board, commonly known as a motherboard or MoBo, is the main piece of equipment that allows the different parts of a computer to communicate with each other. It also provides a route for electrical current to flow through the system. The MoBo is the main hub for all of the other electronic devices in the computer, such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard and hard drive.

How do circuit boards work, These devices use microprocessor chips to perform the magic of the computer - they store, manipulate and release electrical energy in patterns that allow patterns to form on the screen (which we recognize as words, images, websites etc), audio to vibrate through speakers or be heard, droplets of ink to be squirted onto paper by a printer, or whatever else you can imagine. The chips inside the MoBo are made of miniaturized transistors, capacitors, resistors and diodes that manipulate, store and release electricity in specific ways that create the logic for the device.

The physical construction of a PCB is based on an epoxy or other insulating substrate that is plated with copper conductors. Different dielectrics are used depending on the electrical properties needed for a particular application. The most common are FR-4, a woven fiberglass cloth impregnated with an epoxy resin, and a variety of other pre-preg materials that can be bonded to copper to produce the PCB. The choice of dielectric will have a significant effect on signal integrity, cost and other properties.

When choosing a board design it is important to consider the insulating properties of the material as well as its loss characteristics, dielectric breakdown voltage and tracking resistance. The loss characteristics determine how much of the electromagnetic energy in the signals in the conductors is absorbed in the board material, and a high-loss material is usually undesirable at high frequencies. The dielectric breakdown voltage indicates how far the material can be pushed before it reaches the point of conduction across the surface and starts to arc. Tracking resistance indicates how well the copper will maintain its electrical contact with the substrate.

Printed circuit boards contain a large number of different surface mounted components and through-hole components connected together in a way that makes the PCB function as specified by the electronics designer. To indicate the component locations, a legend, also called a silkscreen or silk-screen print, is often printed on one or both sides of the board. This typically contains the component designations, switch settings and test points that are useful for assembling, testing, servicing and using the board.

If a circuit board is no longer in use, it is preferable to recycle it rather than throwing it away. This helps reduce the demand for new electronic products and can extend the life of existing ones. To facilitate recycling, the board should be separated into its individual components and the screws or clips that hold them together removed. If possible, the board should be donated or repurposed to avoid adding to the already large volume of electronic waste that is polluting our planet.