Part 2. The Architecture of the PCB
Materials, Anatomy, and Component Topography This part treats the Printed Circuit Board not as a component, but as a complex urban structure. It breaks down the physical geology of the board (FR4, Copper, Vias) and the taxonomy of the population (Active and Passive components). It answers the question: "What exactly are we building?"
2.1 The Bedrock – Substrates and Stackups
The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is not merely a carrier for components; it is a precision-enginee...
2.2 Infrastructure – Copper Traces and Via Architectures
Information travels through physical infrastructure. The copper traces on a board are the highway...
2.3 Zoning and Navigation – Solder Mask and Silkscreen
A PCB requires zoning laws and signage to function. The visual characteristics of a board — the g...
2.4 The Population – Component Taxonomy
The transition from a bare board to a functional device involves the precise placement of the com...