Single Sided PCB

Single Sided PCB

• Before we dive in and define what is single sided PCB, we must know what is PCB.
• PCB is a acronym of Printed Circuit Board that connect the electronics components with pads, tracks and lines incorporated on a laminated copper sheet.
• It is made up of insulating material, also known as substrate, on which conducting copper layer is laminated.
• Latest PCB design and manufacturing have made the latest technology innovative and hassle free. because it allows us to get rid of hectic method of point to point wiring which was mainly used for connecting the electronic components electrically. If you intend to design PCB by yourself, you can have a look at Top 10 PCB Designing Software.
• Whenever we define layers of PCBs, we refer to number of conductive layers.
• Single sided PCB, also termed as single layer PCB, is a type of PCB which comes with only one layer of conducting material on one side of the board and other side is used for incorporating different electronic components on the board.
• Single sided PCBs are the start point of printed circuit board technology and still plays an important in electronic industry.
• These PCBs are usually cheaper to manufacture and are an ideal choice for low density designs.
• Single sided PCBs came into play in 1950s, manufactured in USA and still dominate the electronic market because of their simple design.

• It was produced to give components mechanical strength and strong base with different pads and lines incorporated on it to electrically connect different components on the board.
• In 1956 single sided PCBs took a big turn in terms of their progress when number of PCB professionals from Japan took part in manufacturing of single sided PCBs.
• Paper phenolic aldehyde was widely used in the early stage of manufacturing process of single sided PCBs but soon it was replaced by glass fiber epoxy resign because paper phenolic aldehyde exhibited bad solder thermal stability, low electric insulation, and twist issues.
• Glass fiber epoxy resign gives stability for variety of temperature variations and it doesn't fluctuate or decompose too quickly.
• Hobbyists who are highly interested in making convoluted circuit design find single sided PCB useful as it gives them flexibility in routing and doing other things with ease like decoupling, proper ground connections and other electrical considerations.
• If you are embedded geek, then making PCB design using Proteus Ares would be much more easy and useful than using other software.

Construction of Single Sided PCB

• The base material, which is also named as substrate, is composed of insulating fiber glass which gives PCB strength and compact look. The nature and type of base material defines if board is going to be Flexible PCB or Rigid PCB.
• Above substrate, there lies a copper layer which provides conducting path for various components on the board. The copper thickness is different for different boards depending on your needs and requirements and is defined in ounces per square foot.
• On the top of copper foil, there exists a solder mask layer. This layer is mainly used for protection and makes the copper foil insulating which helps in avoiding the conduction in case direct contact happens with some conducting material.
• On the top of all layers, there exists a silkscreen layer that is mainly used for adding symbols and characters on the board so a common person can anticipate the clear understanding of the board.

Single Sided PCB or Double Sided PCB?

• Which PCB you pick depends on your needs and requirements. Sometimes single sided PCBs are more suitable for project design as compared to double sided PCBs and vice versa.
• Before you pick any type of PCB for your project, you must take one thing into consideration that single sided PCB layouts are more difficult to route as compared to double sided PCB, but following are the reasons why you should put an effort for making and picking single sided PCB over other PCBs.
• 1. If you are hobbyist or students, and concerned to make PCB at home, you must know, developing single sided PCBs at home are much easier than developing double sided PCBs at home.
• 2. As you are a manufacturer and very much interested to keep your cost down and producing a single sided PCB a most economical process. In terms of cost, producing single sided PCBs are more economical than producing double sided PCBs.
• 3. Almost all HVAC systems make use of single sided PCBs, because they are more reliable and cost effective and don't compromise the overall quality of the product.
• 4. Using through hole technology in single sided PCBs still have its drawbacks and limitations because conductive layers, lines and pads stay on single side of PCB but it still is a cheap process to combine all components at one place. Multilayer PCB is also used in many applications where single sided and double sided PCBs fail to fulfill the requirements.

Advantages of Single Sided PCB

• It is an ideal choice for low density designs.
• Highly economical in nature that makes it useful for simple electronic applications.
• It undergoes simply manufacturing process and encounters very little manufacturing issues that makes it an ideal pick for most of the professionals.
• You can also work with online PCB design services. Here are Top Online PCB Design Services

Applications

• Vending machines
• Camera systems
• Surveillance
• Calculators
• Printers
• Solid state drives
• Coffee makers
• LED lighting
• Packaging equipment
• Sensor products
• Power supplies
• Relays
• Radio and stereo equipment
• Timing circuits