Many people think of circuit boards as being used in personal computers and laptops, but they've been around much longer than these devices have. For instance, removable circuit boards were first used in a particular brand of color television when color TVs were the latest thing on the market. Today, thanks to PCB fabrication technology, all but the most basic of electronic devises have a circuit board as a part of their inner components. Circuit board terminology is also something that the average consumer may not be familiar with, but a little basic knowledge can help unravel the circuit board mystery. Following are some basic terms that every consumer should learn. Visit http://4pcb.com

1. Basic Circuit Board Terminology
Many people think of circuit boards as being used in personal computers and laptops, but
they've been around much longer than these devices have. For instance, removable circuit
boards were first used in a particular brand of color television when color TVs were the latest
thing on the market. Today, thanks to PCB fabrication technology, all but the most basic of
electronic devises have a circuit board as a part of their inner components. Circuit board
terminology is also something that the average consumer may not be familiar with, but a little
basic knowledge can help unravel the circuit board mystery. Following are some basic terms
that every consumer should learn.
Copper Tracks
Copper tracks connect two points on the PCB through conduction. Widths vary depending on
the specific currents used.
Pads
These are small copper surfaces that serve as a base for components to be soldered directly
onto the board. The two separate types of pads are thru-hole pads and surface mount pads.
Component Packages
The majority of modern devices now come with a large variety of component packages. The
three main component packages are:
 Thru-hole packages
 Ball grid array
 Surface mount packages
Different component packages have different uses. For instance, a ball grid array package is
most commonly used in personal computers and video accelerator cards. Surface mount
packages are commonly used in smaller devices.

2. Plated Holes
Plated holes are used to make connections between components on opposite sides of the
board. These allow currents to pass safely through the board and reach the component on the
other side.
Silicon Wafer
A silicon wafer is a disk made of silicon which contains several integrated circuits. Silicon wafers
reflect rainbow-colored patterns.
Chip
A chip is an integrated circuit that is created on a semiconductor and then cut away from the
wafer. It is also called a "die."
Components
Components refer to any and all of the basic building blocks of any electrical equipment.
Silkscreen Legend
This refers to the decals on a printed wiring board that are called legends. They are generally
numbers or letters that denote serial numbers, logos, and parts numbers.
Circuit board terminology is vast and complicated, and there are many other words
associated with this technology. As further advancements are made in circuit board
manufacture and production, the vocabulary will undoubtedly increase signficantly.