Most people recognize printed circuit board assembly when they see them. These are the small green chips covered in lines and copper parts you'll find at the heart of gutted electronic devices.
However, have you ever observed those boards with components solidly stuck on? Never regard them as just decorations of a PCB assembly. An advanced circuit board assembly won't be able to give its functionality until components are mounted on it. A PCB with components mounted on is called an assembled PCB and the manufacturing process is called Printed Circuit Board assembly or PCBA for short. The copper lines on bare board, called traces, electrically link connectors and components to each other. They run signals between these features, allowing the circuit board to function in a specifically designed way. These functions range from the simple to the complex, and yet the size of PCBs can be smaller than a thumbnail.
However, have you ever observed those boards with components solidly stuck on? Never regard them as just decorations of a PCB assembly. An advanced circuit board assembly won't be able to give its functionality until components are mounted on it. A PCB with components mounted on is called an assembled PCB and the manufacturing process is called Printed Circuit Board assembly or PCBA for short. The copper lines on bare board, called traces, electrically link connectors and components to each other. They run signals between these features, allowing the circuit board to function in a specifically designed way. These functions range from the simple to the complex, and yet the size of PCBs can be smaller than a thumbnail.