Why Are Circuits on Boards? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2021, 12:00:05 pm
content: For quality use point-to-point wiring!

author: fordem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2021, 11:35:07 am
content: Is this a serious question? Ease of repair is the answer - and that is six words, six seconds to read, it doesn't need a seventeen minute video to answer.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2021, 02:29:52 pm
content: Who repairs PCB's these days?It's just currently the cheapest method to mass produce these things with a quite high reliability.

author: fubgumfaw
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 08:11:05 pm
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on March 06, 2021, 02:29:52 pmI started doing component level repair in 1988 as a job. It's been a long time now since I got paid for it, but I still repair lots of things myself for friends. This is not a lost art.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 08:30:37 pm
content: The fundamental reason why PCBs took over circuit manufacture is repeatability of construction and performance.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 03:34:12 am
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on March 06, 2021, 02:29:52 pmI do! In most cases it's easier to replace one component than it is to replace an entire CCA. Also the Canadian Army does. The US military, not so much any more. Not many commercial companies do either but MANY individuals do! Just read some of the forums for Tektronix, HP, LeCroy and other brand names.Good luck getting a replacement circuit board from MOST companies! Many don't make or sell spare boards and replace the entire item instead.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 03:35:39 am
content: "Why Are Circuits on Boards?"Because trees are too hard to move around!

author: Dave8266
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 04:08:26 am
content: Circuit boards are the 2.5D solution to a 3D problem.It's an extremely favorable way to simplify an assembly, for humans, computers, and machines alike.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:08:31 am
content: There are alternatives, e.g.https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:30:12 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on March 09, 2021, 09:08:31 amAlternatives for prototyping for sure, but nothing really suitable for production. What else could you mount e.g. a fine pitch BGA with hundreds of pins on other than a PCB of some type?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 10:09:10 am
content: Quote from: mikerj on March 09, 2021, 09:30:12 amI see you haven't looked at the reference.If you had you would have seen some pictures of old commercial products, and notes to the effect that some techniques are used in specialised high-end equipment. There are others not shown, of course. Wirewrap and IDC springs to mind. I forget the name of the technique that laid point-to-point wires and buried them in epoxy - great for low volume high density boards without needing many-layer PCBs.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 12:38:10 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on March 09, 2021, 10:09:10 amOh yes, I remember being fascinated by the ads for those in EDN. It must have been late '80s / early '90s. I think their claimed USP was fast turnaround. I think it was only one company that ever offered the process, and was probably scuppered by improved turnarounds on multilayer boards at much lower cost, they didn't survive anyway. I remember thinking that it might end up a bit bumpy with all the overlapping wirejunctionscrossovers.