Where Did PCBs Come From?

Where Did PCBs Come From

Where Did PCBs Come From

In 2019, PCBs are used in many different products thanks to how good they are at connecting components and making sure that tech products work effectively. Of course, these small circuit boards have been around for many years but when did they first become popular?

In this article, we are going to look at where PCBs came from and how they were used over the years. Keep reading to find out more about the very small but useful devices.

The Progressive Era

The first time a PCB was ever patented was back in the Progressive Era in 1903. This was when Albert Hanson, a German inventor filed for a patent in Britain for a foil conductor that was flat and had multiple layers. This is the first time that this kind of product was invented, and it is very similar to the kind of PCB that we use today.

WWII

The first time we saw the use of a PCB was during WWII when the British army decided to use PCBs inside of high-velocity artillery shells that they were firing at the enemy. These needed to fire over huge distances and the PCB was able to help with that. It was also during this time that Paul Eisler who is usually credited with inventing the PCB that we use today filed a patent for a copper foil that had a non-conductive base of a glass.

The Digital Age

While there was some presence of PCBs between WWII and The Digital Age, it wasn’t until computers were invented that PCBs really started to take off. Once these computers were invented, EDA software similar to CircuitStudio by Altium and other packages that we have today started becoming more popular. This EDA software completely changed how PCBs were drawn as they had been previously been designed using a pencil and paper.

PCBs Now

PCBs have changed a lot over the age and have come a long way since Albert Hanson and the Progressive Era. Now, we use PCBs for every tech product that you can find, and they are very valuable pieces of tech that we rely on a lot. When it comes to this kind of product, there is a lot of expectations for the future for how they will evolve and keep up with new inventions. They are expected to become more flexible and even smaller than they are now – if that is even possible.

Final Verdict

It is interesting to follow the journey of PCBs over the years and see how they have changed from a simple patent back in the progressive era to what we use them for today. These small devices are used for so many different things that they cannot be ignored. Look out for what happens with PCBs in the future and stay on top of how they develop. These devices aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the designers who come up with the designs.

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