Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
board of insulated material containing electrical connections used to create a circuit for mounting components onto
Trace
conductive path found on a printed circuit board, also known as foil.
Solder pad
a small, flat conductor to which components are soldered
Silk-screen layer
layer of text applied to the outer surface of a PCB
Conformal coating
a thin layer of material applied to the surface of a PCB that provides protection
Heat sink
device that draws heat away from components, protecting them from heat damage
Troubleshooting
systematic elimination of various parts of a system, circuit or process to locate a defective part
Soldering
process of making a sound electrical and mechanical joint between metals using solder
Solder
alloy used for soldering that consists of two or more metals
Solder flux
substance used to minimize oxidation from soldering
Eutectic alloy
alloy that has one specific melting temperature with no intermediate stage
Cold solder joint
solder joint that results when the parts being soldered have not been properly heated to the melting temperature of the solder
Solder mask
permanent protective coating that protects circuitry from unwanted solder
Bus
large trace that extends around the edge of a PCB in order to make a common connection
