At the heart of the electronics industry are circuit boards. To an electronics enthusiast, these small, usually green objects are logical schematics. Although the most common type of board is a printed circuit board, there are other types of circuit boards on which simple circuitry components can be installed. Printed Circuits Bread Board Strip-Board Components
Circuit boards become complex quickly with an assortment of resistors, transistors and capacitors. They exist in computers, televisions, remote controls, appliances and cell phones. PCBs are the most difficult type of circuit board option as each individual board design is based on an electronic schematic diagram. It is necessary for most hobbyist to purchase premade circuit boards, as designing them at home is a tedious process involving chemicals, cutting, drilling and a clever layout. Components must then be soldered correctly onto the board to complete a functional circuit.
A less common alternative to printed circuits, bread boards make circuit circuitry much easier for amateur hobbyists. Removing or adding solder due to a mistake on a PCB can potentially wreck an entire board; a mistake with a bread board is relatively easy to fix. Bread boards serve as a learning board, especially for parents that don't want their children touching extremely hot soldering irons. The bread board body is made of plastic and contains holes across the entire surface. Within the plastic, metal connections connect any materials added to the board.
The in-between option between a PCB and bread board is a strip board. These boards also consist of a plastic base with holes running through the entire board. Also like bread boards, copper connects all the holes. The main differences are in soldering. Like a PCB, strip boards also need soldering to permanently establish connections. Strip boards are generally reserved for smaller electronic projects as the number of holes becomes complicated on larger circuits.
The confusion in circuit board building is often due to the components. Resistors look like a small cylindrical oval-shaped object, usually with a set of bands across the middle. They provide resistance to electrical flow. Capacitors temporarily store electrical energy. They usually appear as a cylindrical blue device that is slightly larger than resistors. Transistors serve as a valve or gate on the circuit, switching on and off different levels of electrical flow. They are smaller, flatter and come in many shapes and colors.
