The Engineering Projects

Rigid Flex PCB

Hey Friends! I hope you all are doing great and having fun with your lives. Today, I am going to give a detailed Introduction to Rigid Flex PCB. It is a type of PCB that comes with a combination of Flexible PCB and Rigid PCB, providing both flexibility and strength to the board.

It makes use of flexible layers of substrate material which are connected together using a pre-preg film which is then attached to a rigid board, keeping the precision and accuracy intact. I'll try to cover each and every aspect related to rigid-flex PCB so you find all information in one place. Let's dive in and explore what is it about and what are its main applications?

What is Rigid Flex PCB?

• Before we explore what is Rigid-Flex PCB, we must have a clear idea of what is PCB?
• PCB is an acronym of Printed Circuit Board which uses conductive traces and paths incorporated on a single board to electrically connect different components on the board.
• Copper foil is used to provide a conductive path which is laminated on a substrate material that is often composted of epoxy resin.
• Rigid Flex PCB is a combination of rigid and flex circuits which provide both flexibility and strength to the board.
• It is mainly composed of a flexible layer of substrate material which is joined together with the help of pre-preg bonding film and then attached to a rigid circuit board.

• This unified circuit is connected with the help of through holes and it ideally manipulates the advantages of both rigid and flex circuits where rigid portion provides a reasonable area for component density and a flexible portion is used for maintaining a connection with the rigid portion.
• The main reasons for creating rigid flex circuit are improved flexibility, reduced flex thickness and lower part cost.
• In the past, most professionals developed a rigid-flex design by joining two rigid boards with the flex cable.
• This idea was acceptable for short-run designs, also this approach involved the cost of connectors and the cost of assembling connectors on the board.
• Also joining the rigid board with flexible connectors result in the formation of electrically cold joints, which leads to malfunction. This resulted in the development of rigid-flex boards.
• Rigid-Flex circuits come with high component density, and are prerequisites for the applications where using flex and rigid circuits separately are unable to fulfill the requirement of the project.
• Rigid and Flex PCB are joined together to shape multiple designs, where rigid part provides extra support and flex circuit provides a mix of softness and delicacy.
• In Rigid-Flex PCB, the Flexible PCB is normally a Single-Sided PCB while the Rigid PCB could be MultiLayer PCB.

Rigid-Flex PCB Manufacturing Process

• Manufacturing rigid flex design is more complex than that of a simple rigid design because 3D space is required in order to develop a rigid-flex design.
• The base material of the rigid portion is composed of FR4 and the flex portion is made up of polyimide and after that copper foil and coverlay bonding film are applied.
• In the first step of manufacturing rigid flex PCB, available adhesives are applied on a copper layer.
• After that thin layer of copper foil is laminated on the adhesives. Copper plating can also be used in place of the lamination process.
• The next step involves the drilling of a small hole on the flex substrate. Laser drilling is most suitable for creating precise and accurate holes.
• Copper is deposited into the holes when they are drilled into the flex pattern. This process is called through-hole plating in which copper is chemically plated.
• In the next step, Photosensitive etch resist coating is applied on the flex surface. The curtain coat method is ideal for this process.
• The copper film is properly etched once the coating is applied. After that, etch resist is removed from the circuit board.
• In the next step, coverlay protection is applied on the top and bottom layers of the flex substrate. Polyimide material is an ideal choice for use as a coverlay protection.
• Blanking is the next step in which flex substrate is cut based on the design requirements. Die set and Hydraulic punch are the most commonly used processes for cutting the flex. These methods involve the cutting of multiple flexes with high precision and accuracy.
• In the final step, a flex board, made from the blanking process, is laminated between the rigid layers which result in the final product that can be electrically tested to make it available for the electronic purpose.

• These rigid flex designs are made in 3D space which provides them an ability to twist, turn and fold into any shape like flexible circuits based on design requirements.
• These 3D requirements are prerequisites for creating an accurate design because the final product enclosure comes with a rigid flex design that is attached to a number of surfaces.
• This attachment may be the result of the product assembly process. It is better to create a mechanical mock-up that covers the final product within the enclosure.

The following figure shows the 2 layers rigid with 1 flex layer circuit board:

• Following figure shows the 3 layers rigid with 1 flex layer board:

• This process of covering the finished product must be precise and accurate, so the finished assembly can be analyzed carefully.
• In rigid flex design, the layers are not uniformly distributed over the whole design, the layers used in a rigid portion of the board are not identical to the layers used in the flex portion of the board.
• Proper measurements taken in the early stage of rigid flex design result in significant advantages. Because final rigid flex product involves the bending of flex portions which results in the damage of flex lamination.
• In order to create a flawless design, the fabrications process and design process must resonate with each other so the final product is produced without much hassle, covering the main issues like quality control and material handling.
• Rigid-flex processing is more challenging and demanding than fabricating rigid boards because it involves delicate soldering and etching processes than rigid boards.
• You should also have a look at PCB Designing in Proteus ARES if interested in PCB Designing.

Advantages of Rigid-Flex PCB

• Rigid flex design is prone to test conditions. A simple test is enough to check the quality of the board before installing it on the project.
• Rigid Flex boards come with less assembly and logistical cost.
• Using rigid flex boards, the complexity of designs can be altered or modified which gives the freedom for providing better housing solutions.
• Space issues are removed by applying 3D space.
• Less weight is another important feature of rigid flex design that ultimately results in less overall project weight because no connectors and cables are required to join the rigid parts of the board.
• Fewer solder joints provide higher connection efficiency.
• Here's a list of Top 10 PCB Designing Software.

Applications

• These PCBs are widely used in many electronic products ranging from intermediate to complex circuitry including aerospace systems, military weapons, digital cameras and cell phones.
• Less weight and space requirement makes these rigid flex circuits an ideal choice for medical applications such as pacemakers.
• Rigid Flex PCBs are extensively used in IoT Projects, Embedded Projects etc.

That's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed the article. I have tried my best to give you the most relevant information related to rigid flex PCB. However, if still you feel skeptical or have any questions, you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to the best of my expertise. Feel free to keep us updated with your valuable feedback and suggestions, they allow us to give you quality work that resonates with your needs and requirements. Thanks for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

Rigid PCB

Hello Friends! We always strive to give you quality work that matches with your expectations and helps you stand out from others. Today, I am going to unlock the details on the Introduction to Rigid PCB. It is a type of regular PCB which can not be twisted or folded like Flexible PCB because it comes with FR4 stiffener which is very useful for the added amount of stiffness and rigidity. I'll try cover each and everything related to rigid PCB so you can get some valuable information and compare it with other PCBs available in the market. You should also read Different Types of PCB, if you wanna read about other PCB types. Let's dive in and explore what is this about and what are its main applications?

Rigid PCB

• Rigid PCB is a type of regular PCB which can not be twisted or folded into any shape because it comes with FR4 stiffener which is very useful for added amount of stiffness and rigidity.
• Rigid PCB is made up of copper trances and paths which are incorporated on a single board in order to connect the different components on the board. The base material of the board is made of rigid substrate which gives rigidity and strength to the board.
• Computer motherboard is an ideal example of rigid PCB that comes with rigid substrate material.

• Once the rigid PCBs are manufactured they can not be modified or folded into any other shape.
• Rigid PCBs are cheap as compared to flexible PCBs. They are traditional forms of PCBs and widely used in many electronics products.
• In terms of ease of use and availability, both flexible and rigid PCBs come with own limitations and benefits and both are used to connect multiple electronic components on the board.
• If you are planning to design PCB then you should have a look at these Top Online PCB Design Services.
• There are also different software available which can be used to design these PCBs, for example:
  • Altium
  • Proteus
  • EasyPC
• I personally use Proteus software and I have also shared PCB Designing in Proteus ARES.

Composition of Rigid PCB

Rigid PCB is made up of different layers that are joined together using adhesive and heat, providing a solid shape to board material. Following layers are used to develop a rigid PCB.

Substrate Layer

• Substrate layer, also referred base material, is made of fiber glass.
• The FR4 is mostly used as a substrate material which a most common fiber glass that provides rigidity and stiffness to the board.
• Phenilcs and epoxies are also used as a base material but they are not as good as FR4, however, they are less expensive and feature unique bad smell.
• Decomposition temperature of phenolics is too low that results in delamination of the layer if solder is placed for long duration of time.

Copper Layer

• On the top of substrate layer, there resides a copper foil which is laminated on the board with the help of added amount heat and adhesive.
• In common use, both sides of the board are laminated with copper, however, some cheap electronics come with only one layer of copper material on the board.
• Different boards come with different thickness which is described in ounces per square foot.

Solder Mask Layer

• Solder Mask Layer houses above the copper layer.
• This layer is added on the board to add insulation on the copper layer in order to avoid any damage in case any conduction material is touched with the copper layer.

Silkscreen Layer

• Silkscreen layer is located above solder mask layer.
• It is used to add characters or symbol on the board that provide better understanding of the board.
• White color is mostly used for silkscreen however, other colors are also available including grey, red black and yellow.

Comparison between Rigid And Flex PCBs

• Most of the electronics made use of traditional rigid PCB. However, technology has been evolved and many products abandoned rigid PCBs because of their inability to get folded or twisted. This has erupted the idea of flexible PCB and soon it became the prerequisite for most of the professionals in the market.
• Manufacturing process of both rigid and flexible PCBs is same with some exceptions in terms of their flexibility, softness and cost.
• Some extra measures are required for processing flex PCB when it comes to material handling. Also proper specifications are required in order to avoid any cracked solder joints when the board is bent.
• Flexible PCBs are most costly than rigid PCBs, however, we are referring here individual cost of the flexible PCB, it may happen the overall cost of the project using rigid PCB is higher than the cost of the flexible PCB, but individual cost of flexible PCB will be higher.
• Many cheap electronics make use of rigid PCBs including audio keyboards, desktop devices, solid state drives, toys and many electronic gadgets. However, flex circuits are observed in ultra high performance device because they don't involve connectors also thinner than rigid boards and can be used in smart phones, cameras, tablets and GPS control system.
• Both rigid and flexible boards can be incorporated together to construct a unified product that comes with both strength and flexibility.
• Some flex PCBs follow the same design as rigid circuit design but they are not completely identical to the rigid circuit boards.
• Flexible PCBs provide flexible and bending solutions and they also require less space and are mostly Single Sided PCB.

Applications

• A computer motherboard is a perfect example of rigid PCB which is a Multilayer Rigid PCB, used to distribute electricity from power supply, and creates a conducting path between CPU, GPU and RAM.
• Rigid PCBs are manufactured in volumes and once they are designed, they can not be altered or modified and remain same throughout the entire life span of the project on which they are placed.
• Some low cost products make use rigid PCBs like toys, ,electronics gadgets, desktop devices and solid state devices.
• You should also have a look at Double Sided PCB, these are also Rigid PCBs.

That's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed the article. We always strive to give you quality work based on your needs and expectations. Feel free to keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, they help us to provide you information that resonates with your field of work and keeps you coming back for what we have to offer. If you have any question related to this article, you can ping me a message in the comment section below, I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Thanks very much for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

What is Flexible PCB? Definition, Material & Manufacturing

Hi Fellas! I hope you all are having fun. Today, we will have a detailed overview of Flexible PCB. We will also understand why we need to use Flex PCB? What are its advantages & disadvantage? What kind of material is used? and How to manufacture flexible PCB? etc. Flexible PCB is the most advanced type of PCB, thus quite expensive and is normally used in industrial electronic products.

I'll try to explain everything related to flexible PCB so that you could get a clear idea of what is this about and what makes it stand out from other PCB boards? Let's dive in and explore the properties of flexible PCB one by one:

What is Flexible PCB?

Initially, PCBs were designed using hard substrate materials and thus were only available in hard form(board/card shaped). With the research in technology, scientists felt the need for PCBs, that could be bend or fold easily, to place in difficult locations and this gave the idea of Flexible PCBs. Flexible PCBs were first introduced in 1950 for two main purposes:

1. For products to place on irregular surfaces i.e. Keypad.
2. To utilize the flexible areas of the product i.e. smart wrist-watch.

The most common example of a Flexible PCB is the ATM Keypad. These ATM Keypads are designed using flexible PCB so that they could be easily placed on any irregular surface i.e. circular. Moreover, smartwatches also use flexible PCBs, where PCBs are incorporated in the watch bands and because of this added space, more embedded functions can be installed in the watches. Now let's have a look at a proper Flexible PCB Definition:

Flexible PCB Definition

• Flexible PCB(also called Flex PCB/Flexible Printed Circuits(FPC)) is an advanced type of PCB and has the ability to bend, twist or fold into any shape.
• It's an incredible addition to the electronics industry as it occupies less space and is very lightweight.
• A rigid PCB is relatively easy to handle while processing a flexible PCB requires extra protocols(special clamping, material handling etc.), that's why Flexible PCB is normally costly as compared to other types of PCBs.
• In some electronic projects, both flexible and rigid PCBs are incorporated together to produce a unified product, such PCBs are termed as Rigid-Flex PCB.
• Flexible PCBs are normally used in wearable electronic products as they can easily stick with the body.

Flexible PCB Key Points

• Flexible PCBs are not that simple/cheap, thus not used by hobbyists or students and are normally designed by companies for their electronic products.
• Flex material must be not too flex or too rigid that it breaks the PCB when it is folded or twisted around the corners.
• Complex flexible products make use of reel-to-reel technology which involves advanced material handling techniques.

Why we need Flexible PCB?

Before Flexible PCB, electronic products were designed using Rigid PCB and in few products(i.e. wrist-watch), space for rigid PCB was almost negligible as compared to its complete size(including bands). To utilize such parts of electronic products(for adding extra technology/circuits), there was a need to bring flexibility in electronic PCB to fit in any shape or place and thus Flexible PCB came into existence.

Flexible PCBs have also made electronic products hand-carry i.e. Flexible Computer Keyboard. Simply roll and place it in your laptop bag. Flexible PCBs are also used in Oil & gas sector as they have the capability to sustain high temperatures.

So, now let's have a look at the Manufacturing Process of Flexible PCB:

Flexible PCB Manufacturing Process

The flexible PCB Manufacturing Process involves almost the same steps as that of MultiLayer PCB, although it involves more professionalism & expertise. Let's have a look at the steps of the Flexible PCB Manufacturing Process:

Step 1: Design CAD Model of Flex PCB

• Computer-Aided Design(CAD) models of Flexible PCBs are designed by professional designers.
• Circuit designing of flexible PCB involves multiple teams as there's a lot of factors to decide.
• Apart from designing the electronic circuitry, designers have to take care of mechanical structure & chemical materials as well because stretching or extra bending may harm the fle PCB.

Step 2: Finding Flex PCB Manufacturer

• It's the most important step of all, as we can't design flex PCB on our own, we have to take help from PCB manufacturing companies.
• So, the designers should take extra care in the selection of PCB manufacturers.
• Chinese PCB companies i.e. JLCPCB, PCBWay, WellPCB etc. offer cheap flexible PCB rates.

Step 3: How to manufacture Flex PCB?

Flexible PCBs are manufactured by a PCB company, which takes order from the user(normally designer) and delivers it according to the specified instructions. Here are the steps involved in the Flexible PCB manufacturing process:

1. Cutting: According to specified dimensions in flex design.
2. Drill Hole: Drilling of holes and vias(in case of multilayer).
3. Electroplating: It involves the placing of coppers tracks or paths.
4. Etching: Chemical treatment of Flex PCB.
5. Decorating: Involves few touch-ups of flex PCB i.e. bordering.
6. Coating: Lamination of Flex PCB.
7. Pressing
8. Solidification
9. Punching
10. Quality assurance

• Flex Circuit Overlay is a lamination process that is widely used to protect and encapsulate the external circuitry of the flexible printed circuit.
• Protective film thickness ranges from .0005" to .005", however, .001" and .002" are the most common thicknesses used.

Step 4: Flexible PCB Testing

• Flexible PCB Testing is performed after receiving the order from the PCB company.
• It's normally tested in the prototype project.

Advantages of Flexible PCB

Now let's have a look at the advantages of Flexible PCB:

1. Small-size

• Small-size is the main advantage of Flexible PCB and even in some cases, flexible PCBs are simply rolled and adjusted in small spaces.
• They have negligible width as a simple paper.

2. Light-Weight

• Flex PCBs are very light in weight as there's no cardboard(substrate core) present in them.
• Normally its weight is because of SMD components present in it.

3. High Durability

• If treated nicely, Flex PCBs normally have long lives as they are manufactured under precise conditions and in the presence of experts.
• It's also coated with formulated materials which increase its durability.

4. High Temperature

• It can withstand high temperatures and thus used in the oil & gas sector where rigid PCBs may melt out.
• Temperature withstand ability depends on the material used to design it.

5. Enhanced Capability

• Flexible Printed Circuits help in improving the overall performance of electronic products by increasing component density.
• Using Flexible components, we can add more circuitry to our autonomous products, thus enhancing their capabilities.

Now let's have a look at the disadvantages of Flexible PCB:

Disadvantages of Flex PCB

Although Flexible PCBs have a lot of advantages over Rigid PCB but their advantages are specific to certain sectors and thus we can't use them in normal projects. Here are few disadvantages of Flex PCB:

1. High Manufacturing Cost

• Flex PCB has high manufacturing costs, which makes it out of reach for hobbyists & engineering students.
• The Flexible PCB Manufacturing process is not that way and involves chemical materials for coating etc. thus it's a bit expensive.
• Online PCB companies from China i.e. JLCPCB, PCBWay etc. provide competitive rates.

2. Increased Manufacturing Time

• As compared to Rigid PCB, flex PCB requires more manufacturing time as it involves a lengthy process i.e. lamination, coating etc.
• It depends on the complexity & quantity of your products but normally takes a week for a simple order.

3. Highly Professional Designers Required

• Designing a Flexible PCB involves extra care, as if there's any designing error, you have to redo the manufacturing process.
• So, Flexible Printed Circuits are designed by a team of highly professional designers.
• Depending on the complexity of electronic design, it may involve multiple teams.

Now let's have a look at the applications of Flex PCB:

Applications of Flexible PCB

Although Flexible PCBs are not that common, thus used in specific applications only. A few Flex PCB applications are as follows:

1. Wearables

• Flex PCB is normally used in electronic wearable devices i.e. wristwatches, lockets, spy microphones, smart cameras etc.

2. Electronic Gadgets

• Flexible PCB is also used in electronic gadgets i.e. mobile phones, computer keyboards, CD/DVD drives etc.

3. Connectors

• Connectors, used in expensive electronic products, are normally designed using Flex PCB.
• Flex connectors avoid wiring & connection problems.

4. Printers

• Moving print-head of printers make use of flexible circuits that provide a pathway to connect signal with moving arm of the disk drive.

6. Consumer Electronics

• Many consumer electronics are incorporated with flexible circuits including calculators, cameras, personal entertainment devices and exercise monitors.

7. Solar Technology

• A flexible solar cell is another addition in the field of flexible electronics which are lightweight, can be folded or twisted into any shape, and are mainly used for power satellites.

That's all for today. I hope you have found this article useful. Keep updating us with your feedback and suggestions, they allow us to give you quality work that resonates with your expectations If you have any questions you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to the best of my expertise. Thanks for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

Introduction to BC107

Hey Everyone! We welcome you on board. We feel happy when you keep visiting us for useful information pertaining to your needs and expectations. Today, I am going to discuss the details on the Introduction to BC107. It is a low power NPN bipolar junction transistor which is mainly used for general purpose switching and amplification purpose. I'll discuss each and everything related to this transistor so you can get clear idea what is this about and what are its main applications? Let's dive in and explore its properties one by one.

Introduction to BC107

• BC107 is an NPN bipolar planner low power transistor which is mainly designed for general purpose switching and amplification purpose.
• It is mainly composed of three terminals named as an emitter, base, and collector.
• Being a current controlled device, small current at the base side is used to control large current at the emitter and collector side.
• When a voltage is applied at the base terminal, it gets biased and draws current and starts controlling large current at the emitter and collector side.

• Movement of electrons plays an important role in the conductivity of any transistor. Bc107 is a bipolar junction transistor where conductivity is carried out by both charge carriers including electrons and holes but majority charge carriers are electrons.
• Free movement of electrons acts like a bridge between emitter and collector where emitter emits the electrons which are then collected by the collector.
• A base is used to control the number of electrons. As it is an NPN transistor so the base will be positive with respect to the emitter.
• Emitter, base, and collector are different in terms of their functions and doping concentrations.
• The emitter is highly doped as compared to base and collector. And voltage at the collector side is much larger than the base voltage.
• When two diodes are joined back to back, they constitute a bipolar junction transistor.

BC107 Pinout

Bc107 is an important device used for switching and amplification purpose. It consists of three terminals. 1. Emitter 2. Base 3. Collector Electron reaction gets started when a voltage is applied at the base terminal.

Circuit Diagram of BC107

Following figure shows the circuit diagram of bc107.

• Emitter current is equal to the sum of collector and base current.
• The ability of base current to control large emitter and the collector current is used for amplification purpose.
• This transistor is mainly used in three configuration common base configuration common collector configuration and common base configuration. Common emitter configuration is the basis of creating amplification because it shows exact voltage and current required for amplification purpose.
• Forward current is very helpful in defining the nature of amplification. It is also known as an amplification factor, or beta and denoted by ß.
• It is a ratio between collector current and base current and it exhibits no unit.
• Similarly, current gain is another important factor, also known as alpha, denoted by a and is a ratio between collector current and emitter current.
• The alpha value lies between 0.95 to 0.99 but most of the time its value is taken as unity.

 

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Absolute maximum rating of bc107 are shown in the figure below.

• Collector-Base and Collector-Emitter voltage are 50 and 45 respectively.
• Collector current is 100mA and maximum power it can dissipate at ambient temperature is 0.3 W.
• It is important to note that these are the stress ratings. If these stress ratings are increased from absolute maximum ratings, they can severely affect the quality of the device and ultimately damage it at large.
• Similarly, if stresses are applied for the extended period of time, they can affect the device reliability.

Difference between NPN and PNP Transistors

• NPN and PNP transistors are sometimes in same applications but there is a slight difference between them in terms of their functions and medium used for conductivity.
• Electrons are majority charge carriers in NPN transistors while holes are majority charge carriers in PNP transistors.
• Most of the professionals prefer NPN transistors over PNP transistor because conductivity carried out through electrons is better than conductivity carried out through holes.

Applications

• Signal Processing
• Power Management
• Portable Devices
• Consumer Electronics
• Industrial Purpose

That's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed the article. This transistor is bipolar current controlled device while MOSFET and JFET are unipolar voltage controlled devices. I always try to give you information in sorted form step by step so it is easy for you to grab the main concept. If you have any question you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Thanks very much for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

Introduction to 2n5088

Hi Friends! We always feel happy when you come over to watch useful information that resonates with your needs and expectations. I am back to give you a daily dose of information so you can excel and grow in your relevant field. Today, I am going to unlock the details on the Introduction to 2n5088. It is an NPN (negative-positive-negative) bipolar junction silicon transistor which is specially designed for small signal, high speed, general purpose switching applications. I'll discuss each and everything related to this transistor so you don't need to go anywhere and find all information in one place. Let's hop on the board and explore what is it about and what are its main applications?

Introduction to 2n5088

• 2n5088  is an NPN bipolar junction transistor which comes in a TO-92 package and mostly used for small signal general purpose switching applications.
• This transistor comes with three terminals named as an emitter, base, and collector.
• 2n5088 is a bipolar current controlled device, unlike MOSFET which is a unipolar voltage controlled device. When a voltage is applied at the base terminals, it gets biased and draws current which is used to control large current at the emitter and collector side.
• Emitter, base, and collector are different in terms of their shape and doping concentrations. An emitter is highly doped as compared to both base and collector.

• Conduction is carried our between emitter and collector when a small voltage is applied at the base terminals. The emitter emits the electrons which are then collected by the collector. The base is used to control the number of electrons.
• In this NPN transistor, a base is positive with respect to emitter and voltage at the collector side is greater than the voltage at the base side.
• The ability of the base to control the number of electrons is used for amplification purpose.
• Movement of electrons plays an important role in the nature of conduction in any transistor. It is a bipolar junction transistor where conduction is carried out by both charge carriers i.e holes and electrons but majority charge carriers are electrons because it is an NPN transistor.

2n5088 Pinout

2n5088 is an NPN transistor which is mainly composed of three terminals.   1. Emitter 2. Base. 3. Collector

• Free movement of electron actually acts like a bridge between emitter and collector.
• Electron reaction gets triggered when a voltage is applied at the base terminal which then controls the large current at the emitter and collector side.

Circuit Diagram of 2n5088

The circuit symbol of 2n5088 is shown in the figure below.

• Diodes are the building blocks of the transistor when they are joined back to back.
• This NPN transistor comes with a positive base side and negative emitter side where the voltage at the base side is less than the voltage at the collector side.
• It can be configured to three main configurations named as common emitter configuration, common collector configuration, and common base configuration. Out of these configurations, common emitter configuration is mainly helpful for amplification purpose because it features the same voltage gain and power required for amplification purpose.
• Forward current gain is an important factor, also known as amplification factor which determines the measure of current being amplified.
• It is called beta, denoted by ß, and is a ratio between collector current and base current.
• Beta value ranges between 20 to 1000 but most the time standard value of beta is taken as 200. As it is a ratio between two currents so it has no unit.
• Current gain is another important factor which is a ratio between collector and emitter current. It is called alpha and denoted by a.
• The alpha value ranges between 0.95 to 0.99 and most of the time alpha value is taken as unity.
• These current gains are different in PNP transistor.

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Following figure shows the absolute maximum ratings of 2n5088.

• Collector-Emitter voltage and Collector-Base voltage is 30 and 35 respectively.
• Maximum power it can draw is 1.5 W.
• These are the stress ratings. If absolute maximum ratings are exceeded from these stress ratings, they can severely affect the device quality.
• Similarly, if stresses are applied for an extended period of time, they can badly influence the device reliability.

Applications

• This NPN transistor is mainly used for switching and amplification purpose.
• It comes in a TO-92 package for medium power applications.

That's all for today. I hope you have found this article useful. We always love when you keep coming back for what we have to offer. Feel free to keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, they allow us to give you quality work that meets your needs and expectation. If you have any question you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Stay Tuned!

Introduction to 2n3773

Hey Fellas! We welcome you on board. I am back to give you a daily dose of useful information that resonates with your needs and expectations and put you ahead from others. Today, I am going to uncover the details on the Introduction to 2n3773. It is an NPN (negative-positive-negative) power base bipolar junction transistor which is mainly used for disk head positioners, high power audio, and other linear applications. I'll try cover each and every feature related to this transistor so you don't need to go anywhere and you find all information in one place. Let's jump in and explore what is it about and what are its main applications?

Introduction to 2n3773

• 2n3773 is an NPN power base bipolar transistor which is mainly designed for disk head positioners, high power audio, and other linear applications.
• Power switching circuits such as relays, DC-DC converters, and solenoid drivers also use this power transistor because it exhibits high switching performance.
• 2n3773 mainly consists of three terminals named as an emitter, base, and collector.
• It is completely characterized for linear operation and features high DC current gain and low saturation voltage.

• It is a current controlled device where small current at the base side is used to control large current at the emitter and collector side.
• When a voltage is applied at the base side, it gets biased and emitter emits the electrons which are then collected by the collectors.
• The base is used to control the number of electrons.
• Free movement of electrons between the terminals acts like a bridge that connects two terminals.
• Base side is lightly doped while emitter side is heavily doped in this transistor.

2n3773 Pinout

2n3773 is an NPN transistor which mainly consists of three terminals as follow 1. Base 2. Emitter 3. Collector

• A small current at the base side is used to control the large current at the base side.
• The ability of the base to control the number of electrons is used for amplification purpose.

Circuit Diagram of 2n3773

Following figure shows the circuit diagram of 2n3773

• This NPN transistor is a bipolar current controlled device which is different than JFET which is a unipolar voltage controlled device.
• Collector voltage is more than the base voltage and the base is positive with respect to the emitter.
• Emitter current is equal to the sum of base and collector current.
• This NPN transistor can be used with three configurations i.e common emitter configuration, common base configuration, and common collector configuration.
• Common emitter configuration is mainly used for amplification purpose because it features the required voltage and power gain for amplification process.
• Collector and emitter terminals exhibit different size and doping concentration. An emitter is highly doped while the collector is lightly doped.
• Forward current gain is an important factor in determining the characteristics of the transistor. It is an amplification factor i.e measure of current being amplified. It is called Beta, denoted by ß and is a ratio between collector current and base current. Beta value ranges between 20 to 1000 but its standard value is 200. As it is a ratio between two currents so it has no unit.
• Current gain is another important factor, known as alpha, denoted by a and is a ratio between collector current and emitter current. Alpha value ranges between 0.95 to 0.99. Most of the time its values is considered as unity.

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Following shows the absolute maximum ratings of 2n3773

• Collector-Emitter sustaining voltage with an open base is 140 V.
• Collector-Base voltage with open emitter is 160 V.
• Maximum power it can dissipate is 150 W.
• These are the stress ratings, which if exceeded above absolute maximum ratings, can damage the device.
• Similarly, if stresses are applied for the extended period of time, they can affect the device reliability.

Difference between NPN and PNP Transistors

• There is a difference between NPN and PNP transistors based on charge carriers.
• Electrons are main charge carriers in NPN transistors while holes are main charge carriers in PNP transistors.
• Most of the experts prefer NPN transistors over PNP transistors because they think conduction carried out through electrons is better than conduction through holes.

Applications

• Disk Head Positioners.
• High power audio and Linear Applications.
• High-performance switching and amplification purpose.

That's all for today. I hope you have found this article useful. We always try to give you quality work that meets with your needs and expectations. Feel free to keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, they allow us to give you quality work and maintain the overall performance of the site. If you have any question you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Thanks very much for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

Introduction to 2n7002

Hello Friends! I aspire you a very happy and promising life. We always feel happy when you visit out site for useful information that guides you in the right direction and puts you ahead from others. Today, I am going to unlock the details on the Introduction to 2n7002. It is an N-Channel MOSFET which is mainly designed to reduce on-state resistance. It is an ideal choice for high efficiency power management applications because it comes with an ability to maintain high switching performance. I'll try to cover each and every aspect related to this MOSFET so you find all information at one place. Let's dive in and explore what is this about and what are its main applications?

Introduction to 2n7002

• 2n7002 is an N-Channel MOSFET which is mainly designed to reduce on-state resistance.
• It mainly consists of three terminals called source, gate and drain. Unlike normal BJT, this is a voltage controlled device, in which voltage applied at the gate terminal is used to control the conductivity between source and drain terminals.
• Source, gate and drain of this MOSFET are analogous to emitter, base and collector of BJT.
• The conducting path between source and drain is referred as channel whose length is controlled by the input voltage applied at the gate terminal.
• 2n7002 is an ideal choice for high efficiency power management applications because it comes with an ability to maintain high switching performance.
• It encompasses low gate threshold voltage and low input capacitance and comes in surface mount package.
• High saturation current capability makes it rugged and reliable.
• This high cell density MOSFET are designed using DMOS technology.

• 2n7002 is an ideal choice for the applications requiring 400 mA DC and is capable of delivering pulsed current up to 4 A.
• It doesn't conduct under normal operating conditions i.e. Vgs=0 and is considered as OFF. It will only conduct when there is small voltage applied at the gate terminal.
• As it is an N-Channel MOSFET so conductivity is carried out by the movement of electrons rather than hole.
• It widely replaces BJT in many applications, because it requires no biasing at the gate terminals, means gate draws no current. However, small surge current is required to charge the capacitance at the gate terminal.
• There is no need of current limiting resistor at the gate terminal because gate draws no current. However, protection gate resistor is used for circuits containing external gate vulnerability.

2n7002 Pinout

2n7002 is a voltage controlled device which mainly consists of three terminals 1. Source 2. Gate 3. Drain

• Insulation layer is existed between gate and body of the transistor.
• Gate draws no current and is practically isolated from drain and source.

2n7002 Working

• Movement of electrons plays an important role in defining the nature of any MOSFET. Conduction between drain and source is carried out by the free movement of electrons.
• Voltage applied at the gate terminal allows the electrons to flow from source to drain terminals.
• This is an N-Channel MOSFET where drain and source are composed of N type material while body and substrate is composed of P type material.
• Applying positive voltage at the gate terminal will attract the electrons available at the P type semiconductor substrate material.
• The gate of this transistor is mainly composed of poly silicon.
• Adding Silicon Dioxide on the substrate layer gives the typical metal oxide semiconductor construction.
• Silicon Dioxide is a dielectric and behaves like a capacitor where one of its electrodes  is replaced by the semiconductor.
• Applying positive voltage at the MOS structure will change the charge distribution in the semiconductor.  When positive voltage is applied the holes present in the oxide layer will observe a force and allow the holes to move downward.  As a result, bound negative charges that are associated with the acceptor atoms will accumulate the depletion region.
• The overall conductivity of the channel between source and drain will increase with the overdose of free electrons in the P type substrate which ultimately helps in inverting the electrical properties of the P type substrate, allowing the substrate to change into N type material.
• The positive voltage applied at the gate terminal controls the number of electrons. Increasing the positive voltage at the gate terminal will attract more electrons which ultimately helps in widening the channel path between source and drain terminals. Hence, conductive of this MOSFET is directly proportional to the intensity of positive voltage applied at the gate terminal.

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Following figure shows the absolute maximum ratings of 2n7002.

• Drain-Source and Drain-Gate voltage is 60 V.
• Maximum power it can dissipate is 200 mW.
• Maximum lead temperature in order to conduct efficient soldering is 300 ºC.
• These are the stress ratings, which if increased from absolute maximum ratings, can damage the device.
• Similarly, if these stresses are applied for extended period of time, they can effect device reliability.

Applications

• It is useful for motor control.
• Power management applications use this MOSFET because it comes with high switching performance.
• It is an ideal choice for minimizing on-state resistance.
• This MOSFET product is particularly suited for low current and low voltage applications such as power MOSFET gate drivers and other switching applications.

That's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed the article. However, if you have any question you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you with best of my expertise. We really appreciate when you keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, as they allow us to give you quality work. Thanks for reading the article. Stay Tuned!

What is Multilayer PCB? Definition, Manufacturing & Applications

Hello Friends! I hope you all are well. Today, I am going to share the 15th lecture in the PCB learning series. I am going to give you a detailed overview of Multilayer PCB, we will cover what is Multilayer PCB? & why do we need to use it? We will also discuss its Construction, advantages, disadvantages, etc. We have seen single-sided PCB and double-sided PCB in our previous posts, so go through them first.

Let's first have a look at the definition of PCB:

• PCB is an abbreviation of the printed circuit board, which comes with different copper conductive paths, traces & pads, incorporated on a single board to electrically connect different electronic components.

So, let's get started with What is MultiLayer PCB?

What is Multilayer PCB?

Initially, electronic components were available in DIP packages only and PCB boards were used to be large-sized, thus having more space for the PCB wirings/connections. But with the research in nanotechnology, electronics get introduced with SMD(Service Mount Device) components. SMD components are very small-sized components and their sole purpose is to reduce the overall size of electronic kits/circuits. So, now when SMD components are used in PCBs, they are placed very close to each other, and in complex designs, there's not enough space to pass the tracing lines of connection wires. So, to overcome this issue, Multilayer PCBs are introduced, where connections/wirings are split across different PCB boards(called layers) and these layers are laminated to keep them insulated from each other and glued together. So, any PCB having 3 or more layers is termed a MultiLayer PCB .

I hope you understood the basic concept of MultiLayer PCB, now let's have a look at the proper definition of Multilayer PCB:

Multilayer PCB Definition

• A PCB is called Multilayer PCB, if it has 3 or more layers(sheets) of copper foil, insulated from each other(by lamination or coating) and joined together to form a single piece.
• A Multilayer PCB has an Inner Layer Core present at the center of all the layers and coated with a Copper layer from both sides, while layers of prepreg(woven glass cloth with epoxy resin) are used for insulation.
• In Multilayer PCB, outer layers(top & bottom) are single-sided PCBs , while the inner layers are double-sided PCBs .
• In multiplayer PCBs, few layers might be assigned with fixed tasks and are termed as planes i.e. power planes, ground planes .

• Layers in Multilayer PCB are normally connected with each other in 3 different styles, named as:
  • Through-hole Via.
  • Blind Via.
  • Buried Via.

What is PCB Via?

• In PCB terminology, Via is a copper-layered hole, used for connecting different layers of Multilayer PCB.
• There are 3 different styles of Vias available, discussed as follows:

1. Through-hole Via: This Via connects all layers of a multilayer PCB from top to bottom.
2. Blind Via: This Via connects any outer layer(top or bottom) with one or more inner layers of Multilayer PCB.
3. Buried Via: This Via connects any number of inner layers and never connects with any outer layer(top or bottom).

MultiLayer PCB Key Points

• Multilayer PCB is normally Rigid PCB because it's too difficult to design it in Flexible PCB format.
• Depending on projects' requirements, up to 100 layers can be incorporated in a single multilayer PCB.
• However, 4 to 8 layered PCBs are normally used for common electronics products, while some smartphones are equipped with 12 layered PCBs as well.
• Layers are tightly glued together in multilayer PCB, but if you look closely you can count layers on a single multilayer board.
• Multilayer PCBs are used on an industrial scale & nowadays every electronic product is equipped with multilayer PCB(could be multiple).
• If you check the electronic circuitry of any modern home appliance i.e. Smart LED, Mobile Phone, Laptops, etc. , you will find multilayered PCBs everywhere.
• If you are planning to design PCB online, you should have a look at these Top Online PCB Design Services .

Why do we need MultiLayer PCB?

Electronics have evolved rapidly in the past few decades. In the 1990s , mobile phones were used only to make calls or receive msgs but today, we have literally incorporated a complete computer in these small mobile devices and it won't be possible without using Multilayer PCBs. Multilayer PCB with SMD components brings smartness to electronic products by making them small-sized and thus handier. The modern world is trending towards miniaturization and multilayer PCB is playing the role of a backbone. Multilayer PCB design plays an important role in determining the functional and thermal performance of the complete electronic system, and as multilayer PCB is designed in PCB industries under modern PCB machines, thus it fulfills all standards and is durable as compared to simple PCB boards. Advanced electronic products use multilayer PCB because it allows a large number of components to incorporate on a single board, hence allowing the higher components density.

Multilayer PCB Manufacturing Process

Now let's have a look at How to Manufacture a Multilayer PCB from scratch. It involves the following steps:

Step 1: Designing CAD Model

• The first step involves the designing of the software model of Multilayer PCB .
• PCB Designing Tools i.e. Altium, Proteus, etc. are used for designing the PCB layout.
• As Multilayer PCB designs are complex so expert & professional designers are required.

Once the CAD designs of Multilayer PCB are ready, the next step is to find the suitable vendor/manufacturer for Multilayer PCB :

Step 2: Finding MultiLayer PCB Manufacturer

• It's the most important step as different PCB manufacturers are available online offering different prices & qualities.
• Few important things to check during the selection process are:
  1. Maximum number of Layers.
  2. Via styles.
  3. Layers thickness.
  4. Drill sizes.

Step 3: How to Manufacture PCB?

• The PCB designer's task has been completed, as Multilevel PCBs are manufactured by PCB companies i.e. JLCPCB, PCBWay, etc.
• In order to manufacture multilayer PCB, prepreg & core materials are joined together and are subjected to high temperature & pressure to remove any trapped air between the layers.
• Resin is used to cover the conductors around the corners, while adhesive material is melted under nominal temperature to stick different layers together.
• You can pick your material from a number of different combinations i.e. exotic ceramic, epoxy glass, or Teflon.
• It takes around 2 hours to cool off the material and will result in a hard and solid multilayer PCB board.

Step 4: Multilayer PCB Testing

• Once PCB Manufacturing company completes the product, it will ship the PCB order to the mailing address.
• Now the designer needs to unpack it and plug it in the testing workbench.
• Flexible connectors are normally used to interface Multilayer PCBs with other devices or PCBs.

Advantages of Multilayer PCB

The demand for Multilayer PCB is growing exponentially in electronics products. Multilayer PCB has numerous benefits when it comes to electronics circuit designs. Let's have a look at few advantages of Multilayer PCB:

1. Small-Size

• The main & foremost advantage of Multilayer PCB is its small size .
• Electronics Gadgets(i.e. smartphones, LCDs, microwave ovens, etc.) are updating their models and becoming slim & compact by increasing the layers of their PCBs.
• Old mobile phones(20th century) normally used 4 to 8 layered PCBs while modern mobiles are using up to 12 layered PCBs.

2. Light-Weight

• As Multilayer PCBs are small-sized and SMD components are placed on them, so they normally have very low weight .
• Because of this lightweight feature, multilayer PCBs are used in hand-held electronics devices i.e. medical devices(Heat Beat Monitors, Blood Pressure Monitors, etc.), mobile phones, electronic watches, etc.

3. High Durability

• As Multilayers PCBs are designed on a professional level, thus Multilayer PCB manufacturing process is highly advanced & precise .
• As we discussed in the Multilayer PCB manufacturing process, these PCBs are designed under professional care with formulated ingredients, that's why multilayer PCBs are highly reliable and durable.

4. More Power in Small Package

• Because of multilayer PCB, electronics circuits get reduced in size, thus giving the opportunity to add more electronic components in the same space.
• The density of components(in the same space) can also be increased by increasing the layers of PCB.
• That's the reason why our mobile devices, graphics cards, etc. are becoming slim & powerful with time.

5. Pre-Assembled

• Multilayer PCBs are designed by professional PCB companies and the Multilayer PCB manufacturing process involves machining only.
• So, the user just needs to design the PCB layout(on software) and place the order on any Multilayer PCB manufacturing company and after that, it's the job of the PCB company to provide the final product.

Disadvantages of Multilayer PCB

There are many benefits of picking multilayer PCB, but it also comes with some disadvantages/drawbacks, necessary to deal with, before making a final decision to select multilayer PCB for your next project. Here are few disadvantages of Multilayer PCB:

1. High Manufacturing Cost

• High manufacturing cost is the main disadvantage of Multilayer PCB.
• Online PCB companies from China provide competitive rates, but as the Multilayer PCB Manufacturing process is quite complex, thus it's a bit expensive.

2. Increased Manufacturing Time

• As compared to single/double layer PCB, multilayer PCB requires more manufacturing time as it involves a lengthy process i.e. printing, lamination, joining, etc.
• It depends on the complexity & quantity of your products but normally takes a week for a simple order.

3. Difficult to Debug/Repair

• As Multilayer PCBs are pre-assembled(from PCB Manufacturers) and involves SMD components, thus it's too difficult to debug or repair(if there's a fault) them as compared to simple PCBs.
• Companies normally design a prototype first to remove all errors/bugs and then go for professional design.

4. Professional Designers Required

• Designing a Multilayer PCB is not an easy task, as if there's a designing error present in the model, you have to redo the manufacturing process.
• So, PCB designing is normally carried out by a team of professional designers .
• Depending on the complexity of electronic design , it may involve multiple teams.

Applications of MultiLayer PCB

In the technology world, Multilayer PCB has become an essential requirement of electronic products. From binocular to radar systems, Multilayer PCB has found its way everywhere. Let's have a look at few applications of Multilayer PCB:

Consumer Goods

Nowadays, the human race is the slave of electronic appliances, which have become smaller, light-weight, and more functional because of Multilayer PCB. Here's a list of few consumer goods , designed using multilayer PCBs:

• Home Automation systems.
• Mobile Phones.
• Computers.
• Microwaves.
• Iron.
• Shaving Machines.

Transmission/Telecommunication Systems

Data Transmission plays a vital role in everyone's life today but most of us are not aware of what's happening behind the scene. Our mobile operator companies have big transmission plants/units where thousands of multilayer PCBs are working day & night, providing us a working mobile network. Few transmission/telecommunication systems containing multilayer PCBs are:

• Broadcasting systems.
• Radar systems.
• Mobile transmission systems.
• Signal transmission systems.
• 
  

Medical Equipment/Devices

There was a time when big ugly machines(at government hospitals) were used for blood pressure monitoring, while today we have small hand-held electronic devices to measure blood pressure. All these smart medical devices contain Multilayer PCB in them. Few examples are:

• Heart Rate Monitors
• Blood Pressure Monitors.
• ECG Devices.
• Blood Sugar Monitoring.

Few Other Examples of MultiLevel PCB

As there's a long list and we can't enlist all of them but here few other examples of Multilevel PCB :

• Atomic accelerators
• Central fire alarm systems
• Weather analysis
• Space probe equipment
• X-Ray Equipment
• GPS Technology
• File servers
• Data storage
• Cat scan technology
• Fiber optic receptors

That's all for today. I hope you have found this article useful. However, if still you feel skeptical or have any questions you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to the best of my expertise. We always love when you keep coming back for what we have to offer that resonates with your needs and expectations. Keep your feedback and suggestions coming, they allow us to give you quality work that helps you fill with the most relevant and useful information. Stay Tuned!

Introduction to SG3525

Hi Friends! I hope you are enjoying your life and getting most out of it. We are here to give you daily dose of useful information so you can excel and grow in your relevant field and stand out from others. Today, I'm going to uncover the details on the Introduction to SG3525. It is a pulse width modulated control circuit that is used to control switching power supplies and particularly helps in providing lower external parts count and improved performance. I'll try to cover every aspect and properties related to this modulated control circuit so you get clear idea what is it about and what are its main applications. You can also have a look at Introduction to SG3524 which is mainly used in regulation power supplies and switching regulators. Let's dive in and explore the features of SG3525.

Introduction to SG3525

• SG3525 is a pulse width modulated control circuit that is used to control switching power supplies and particularly helps in providing lower external parts count and improved performance.
• It is voltage control PWM controller in which feedback voltage is compared with reference value which then controls the duty cycle of PWM.
• It is mainly used in inverter applications and utilizes two main PWM outputs that are inversion of each other.

• The on-chip +5.1 reference is modified to ±1% and the error amplifier that comes with both input common mode voltage range and reference voltage, helps in terminating the need of external resistors.
• A sync input provided to the oscillator helps in synchronizing single unit to the external system clock.
• A single resistor existed between the discharge pins and Ct is used to program the wide range of deadtime.
• This modulator is also incorporated with built-in-soft start-circuitry which needs external timing capacitor.
• A shutdown pin is used to control both output stages and soft-start circuitry that also features instantaneous turn-off with the help of PWM latch and pulsed shutdown.
• When Vcc stays below nominal, the under voltage lockout limits both soft-start capacitor and outputs.
• The output stage of this modulator exhibits NOR logic and is similar to totem-pole design which makes it stand out from other ICs.

SG3525 Pins

• SG3525 is a 16 pin integrated circuit. Following figure shows the pin number along with their pin names.

SG3525 Pin Description

• SG3525 is a 16 pin IC. Each pin is allocated with different function.
• Following figure shows the pin number, pin name and functions associated with each pin.

• Soft start and compensation terminals receive the pull down signal and turn off the outputs when it sinks a maximum of 100µA current.
• There is another way of turning off the output which involves the shutdown circuitry of pin 10 that comes with an added amount of shutdown options.
• This circuit is activated by providing positive signal at the pin 10 which then executes two functions i.e. output signal turns off by immediately setting PWM latch and soft-start capacitor starts to discharge during the availability of 150 µA current.
• If the shutdown command is applied for short period of time, the PWM signal will be eliminated without discharging soft-start capacitor significantly, helps in carrying out pulse by pulse current limiting.
• However, if pin 10 is hold for longer duration will discharge the external capacitor quickly.

SG3525 Features

• 8V to 35V Operation
• 5.1V ± 1.0% Trimmed Reference
• Separate Oscillator Sync Pin
• 100 Hz to 400 kHz Oscillator Range
• Input Undervoltage Lockout
• Adjustable Deadtime Control
• Pulse-by-Pulse Shutdown
• Dual Source/Sink Outputs
• Latching PWM to Prevent Multiple Pulses

SG3525 Pinout

• Pinout diagram features proper and detailed configuration of any electronic device.
• SG3525 pinout diagram is shown in the figure below which elaborates the configuration of each pin of this modulator.

SG3525 Block Diagram

• Block diagram is described in schematic form which features the general arrangement of parts or elements used in the device or process.
• Following figure shows the block diagram of SG3525.

• It is clear from the figure that output stage of this modulator represents NOR logic.

Absolute Maximum Ratings of SG3525

• Following figure shows the absolute maximum ratings of SG3525.

• Supply voltage and collector supply voltage is 40 V.
• Maximum power it can dissipate is 1000 mW.
• It is important to note that if stresses are exceeded above absolute maximum ratings, they can damage the device ultimately.
• Similarly, if stresses are applied for maximum period of time, they can effect the device reliability.

Applications

• SG3525 has a wide range of applications but it is mainly used in transformer DC-DC inverters.
• It is used for regulating power supply.
• This modulator is useful for switching regulators of any polarity.

That's all for today. I hope you have enjoyed the article. We always try our best to give you practical information that resonates with your needs and expectations. However, if still you feel skeptical or have any question related to this modulator, you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to best of my expertise. Feel free to keep us updated with your feedback and suggestions, they help us to give you quality work so that you keep coming back for what we have to offer.

Introduction to Double-sided PCB

Hey Fellas! I hope you are enjoying your life. Today, I am going to share the 3rd chapter in the PCB learning series. In the last tutorial, we discussed Single-sided PCB in detail and today, we will have a look at the double-sided PCB. In double-sided PCB, the conductive copper layer is present on both sides of the board, unlike single-sided PCB where we have a conductive layer on a single side of the PCB. Thus, we can place electronic components on both sides of the double-sided board and normally use SMD components.

Let's jump in and explore more about double-sided PCB:

Double Sided PCB

• Double Sided PCB is a type of PCB that has conductive copper layers on both sides of the board.
• Simply put, double-sided PCB comes with two-sided traces or paths i.e. top layer and bottom layer.
• It is extremely useful in advanced electronic applications because of its small size and low cost as compared to multilayer PCB.

• Components on these boards can be connected using two different technologies i.e. Through Hole Technology and Surface Mount Technology.
  
• Double-sided PCBs are widely used in electronic industries ranging from intermediate to complex circuitry.
• They have become important in recent products because they permit closer routing traces compared to single-sided PCB.
• There are some examples where PCB comes with traces on both sides but components are connected only to one side of the board. Some people get confused if we still call it double-sided PCB if components are available only on one side of the board. But we still call it double-sided PCB even if components appear only on one side of the board because traces are present on both sides of the board.
• Soldering double-sided PCB boards is quite a tedious task, thus a pick-and-place PCB machine is normally used to solder these boards. We can't design these boards at home.
  

Construction of Double Sided PCB

• Construction of double-sided PCB is similar to single-sided PCB with some exceptions i.e. some layers are laminated on both sides of the board.
• The base of a double-sided PCB is composed of insulating material also known as a substrate which is mainly fiberglass/epoxy resin. What type of base material is used, defines if PCB board is Flexible PCB or Rigid PCB. 
• Copper foil is laminated on both sides of the substrate in case of double-sided PCB.
• Similarly, the solder mask lies above the copper foil on both sides of the board.
• There exists a silk screen above the solder mask on both sides of the board, which is mainly used for adding symbols and characters on the board so a common person can understand the board's functions.
• All these layers that are used in the construction of double-sided PCB are the same as that of single-sided PCB, but these layers are appeared on both sides of the board as compared to single-sided PCB where these layers are present only on a single side.

Advantage of Double-Sided PCB

• Double-sided PCB is an ideal choice for most professionals because of its flexibility and ease of use.
• It comes with high circuit density and pertains to lower cost as compared to multilayer complex PCBs.
• Double-sided PCB can be developed using reduced board size which ultimately helps in reducing overall cost.
  
• If you intend to sink or source current or in other words, if your board provides current to other shields or slaves, then picking a double-sided PCB makes sense. You can use the bottom layer as a ground source.
• Double-sided boards have a leg over single-sided boards in terms of their complexity because if your board is densely populated and you intend to connect a lot of components on a single board then it is better to have some components connected on the bottom side of the board.
• If you are not allowed to change board size that can limit putting thicker traces, and you are instructed to route Vcc and GND on a single board, then it is better to pick a double-sided board and route Vcc and GND on the bottom layer.

Applications

Double-sided PCBs feature a moderate level of complexity and are mostly used in a wide range of applications and deemed useful where single-layer or multiplayer PCB fails to fulfill the requirement of the project. Following are some useful applications, this is just a glimpse of applications double-sided PCBs are used for.

• Converters
• Control relays
• Power conversion
• HVAC
• LED lighting
• Instrumentation
• Industrial controls
• Power supplies
• Regulators
• UPS power system
• Traffic control system
• PC hard drives
• Vending machines
• Line reactors
• Test and monitoring equipment
• Printers
• Phone systems
• Automotive dashboards
• Power amplifiers

That's all for today. Now we have covered both single-sided and double-sided PCB. In the next lecture, we will discuss the detailed Introduction to PCB assembly. I hope you have enjoyed this article. I have tried my best to guide you with the most relevant and useful information that resonates with your needs and expectations. However, if still you feel skeptical or have any questions, you can ask me in the comment section below. I'd love to help you according to the best of my expertise. Thanks for reading the article. We feel happy when you guide us through your feedback and suggestions. They allow us to give your quality. Stay Tuned!