No Real difference. PCB is the more modern term.
Gary Goldberg
President and CEO, PROMATION, Inc.
Mr Goldberg has practical experience in production line layout, process flow and cycle rate analysis. He knows how to avoid bottle necks and most related PCB or pallet handling questions.
Most of the industry uses PCB. So that would be the term for me.
Edward Zamborsky
Regional Sales Manager, OK International Inc.
Ed Zamborsky is a Regional Sales & Technical Support Manager for Thermaltronics, located in New York. His position requires frequent customer visits throughout North America and the Caribbean and his position encompasses not only sales but the role of trainer and master applications engineer for all of Thermaltronics products. His expertise includes such specialties as hand soldering, convection and conduction reflow techniques, array rework, fluid dispensing equipment, and fume extraction. Ed has authored many articles and has presented many papers on topics such as; Low Volume SMT Assembly, Solder Fume Extraction, SMT Rework, BGA Rework, Lead-Free Hand Soldering, High Thermal Demand Hand Soldering, Lead Free Visual Inspection and Lead Free Array Rework.
Great question. IPC-T-50H, has a definition for each of these terms, Printed Circuit Board, provides both point-to-point connections and printed components in a predetermined arrangement on a common base. Printed Wiring Board, provides point-to-point connections but not printed components in a predetermined arrangement on a common base. There is a difference between the two, but I would say the industry has used the term interchangeably throughout the history of electronic manufacturing. Left to my devices all raw boards coming from the board shops should be called Printed Wiring Boards.
Leo Lambert
Vice President, Technical Director, EPTAC Corporation
At EPTAC Corporation, Mr. Lambert oversees content of course offerings, IPC Certification programs and provides customers with expert consultation in electronics manufacturing, including RoHS/WEEE and lead free issues. Leo is also the IPC General Chairman for the Assembly/Joining Process Committee.
This question has been discussed numerous times at IPC meetings and usually enables a fair amount of emotion.
All of the following are possible uses, depending on your age, geographic location (slang usage), and where/how you got your training. I'm sure there are more.
PB - printed board. the most generic term for a bare board
PWB - printed wiring board, one of the first uses when the issue was only a point to point connection.
PCB - printed circuit board, where the width, side to side and multi-layer relationship(spacing) of conductor runs has or is designed to have a specific effect on circuit operation other than just a point to point connection. Circuit impedance is a primary issue. In approximately 1999 the IPC Technical Activities Executive Committee made a mandate to only use the term PCB for all new document development because more often than not the printed circuitry design will have an impact on function.
PWA - printed wire assembly - older use
PCA - printed circuit assembly - logical to use with the 1999 change to PCB.
PCBA - printed circuit board assembly - multiple requests/comments (strong push) from users and technical committees in Asia and Europe to use this as the preferred term.
Embedded active or passive components opens up a whole new range of possibilities as well.
While it would be good to have a single term (or pair of terms for bare boards and assemblies) reality is that there are many IPC documents of various age using different terms and many more book and magazine article authors, conference lecturers, etc., that pretty much use whatever term they are most comfortable with.
If preparing a document; it would be appropriate to use a term that most of the expected users would understand. In the world of electronics technology, it would seem that most users should be able to understand the content when any of these terms are used.
Jack Crawford
Director - Certification & Assembly Technology, IPC
Mr. Crawford is Director of Certification and Assembly Technology for IPC. He is technical liaison to the IPC committees that maintain critical industry standards and has presented numerous papers internationally.
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