Let's Talk Testing: Vias for Dummies
November 15, 2016 | Keith M. Sellers, NTS-BALTIMOREEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In simple terms, a circuit board is but a composition of things designed to be connected and not. The number of layers and number of connections make no real difference as the geometry shapes the landscape. The via is but one tool that helps in building the wonder that is a printed circuit board, and in this column, we’ll discuss the via in relation to the variety of types available for use as well as some of the testing that can be performed on them to ensure their reliability.
A small—sometimes very small—yet important part of the circuit board landscape, the via, by definition, is simply the means by which layers of the board can be interconnected. What differentiates the via from a plated through-hole is simply the fact that nothing (i.e., a component lead) will get inserted and possibly soldered into the structure. Further, vias don’t have to extend from one side of the board to the other, although they certainly can as a through via.
Blind vias start at the surface on one side of the board but don’t extend to the other side, while buried vias (Figure 1) are completely encapsulated within the board with no end extending to either surface of the board.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the November 2016 issue of The PCB Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
NASA, Japan Advance Space Cooperation, Sign Agreement for Lunar Rover
04/11/2024 | NASANASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Masahito Moriyama have signed an agreement to advance sustainable human exploration of the Moon.
Lockheed Martin Conducts Historic LRASM Flight Test
04/04/2024 | Lockheed MartinThe U.S. Navy in partnership with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with four missiles simultaneously in flight.
Ynvisible Appoints Felix Karlsson as Director
04/02/2024 | Ynvisible Interactive Inc.Ynvisible Interactive Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Felix Karlsson as a Director of the Company effective immediately.
Plasmatreat at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/02/2024 | PlasmatreatFor the pretreatment of highly sensitive electronic components, Plasmatreat will present a real innovation at the IPC APEX Expo in Anaheim 2024: The new REDOX tool safely and effectively reduces oxide layers on electronic components in an inline process.
NASA Selects First Lunar Instruments for Artemis Astronaut Deployment
03/27/2024 | NASANASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. Once installed near the lunar South Pole, the three instruments will collect valuable scientific data about the lunar environment, the lunar interior, and how to sustain a long-duration human presence on the Moon, which will help prepare NASA to send astronauts to Mars.
Copyright © 2024 I-Connect007 | IPC Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Log in