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Parallel Systems has supplied EDA software, sales and training since 1997.
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Glossary
Common electronics and PCB terms
A quick reference to the terms you'll meet across PCB design, signal integrity, RF, power and manufacturing.
Core PCB terms
- PCB
- Printed Circuit Board: an insulating board that mechanically supports components and electrically connects them using etched copper pathways, pads, vias, and planes.
- FPGA
- Field-Programmable Gate Array: a reconfigurable integrated circuit whose internal logic can be programmed after manufacture, commonly used for custom digital logic, high-speed interfaces, and prototyping.
- 5 GHz
- A radio-frequency band, often referring to Wi-Fi operation in the 5 GHz range. In PCB/RF design, it requires attention to trace impedance, return paths, antenna placement, and losses.
- Antenna
- A structure that converts electrical signals into radiated electromagnetic waves, or receives them and converts them back into electrical signals; examples include PCB trace antennas, chip antennas, and external whip antennas.
- Trace
- A narrow copper pathway on a PCB that carries a signal or current between components; effectively the board’s “wire.”.
- Via
- A small drilled, metal-plated hole that connects copper on one PCB layer to copper on another layer.
- Pad
- An exposed copper area where a component lead or surface-mount terminal is soldered to the board.
- Silkscreen
- The printed text and symbols on a PCB, such as component references, polarity marks, logos, and assembly instructions.
- Layer stackup
- The defined arrangement of copper, insulating substrate, solder mask, and other layers in a PCB; it affects impedance, signal integrity, power distribution, and manufacturability.
- Microchip
- Broadly, a small integrated circuit (IC) containing electronic circuitry on a semiconductor die; in casual use, “microchip” may also refer to Microchip Technology, an electronics component manufacturer.
- Copper pour
- A filled area of copper on a PCB layer, usually connected to ground or power, used for shielding, heat spreading, and a low-impedance return path.
- Etch
- The manufacturing step that chemically removes unwanted copper from a copper-clad board, leaving the intended traces, pads, and planes.
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