A Great History of PCBs
Learn the history of PCBs (printed circuit boards) with an introduction to transistors, integrated circuits, BGAs, and SMT.
Like many other great inventions in history, the printed circuit board (PCB) as we know it today was built on progress throughout history. In our little corner of the world, we can trace the history of PCBs more than 130 years ago, when the world’s great industrial machines were just getting started. We’re not covering the full history in this article, but the momentous moments that transformed PCBs into what they are today.
Why PCBs?
Over time, the PCB has evolved into a tool for optimizing electronics manufacturing. What was once easy to assemble by hand quickly gave way to microscopic components that required mechanical precision and efficiency. Take the two circuit boards shown in the figure below as an example. One is a calculator board from the 1960s. The other is the typical high-density motherboard you’ll see in today’s computers.
1968 – Calculator – PCB Modern Motherboard
There may be more than 30 transistors in a calculator, but on a single chip on a motherboard, you’ll find over a million transistors. The point is that technology and PCB design are advancing at an impressive rate. Everything on a calculator PCB can now fit into a single chip in today’s designs. This brings attention to PCB manufacturing.
Gilded Age (1879 – 1900)
The American Civil War in the 1960s, and now American manufacturing is booming. During this time, the greatest engineers were working out how to get someone from the east coast of the United States to the west coast in 5 to 7 days instead of 5 to 7 months.
During the Gilded Age, we saw some great discoveries about electromagnetism. We invented the electric motor, which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. We also see generators, which do the opposite by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
It was also a time of genius inventors who still have an impact on our electronic world today, including:
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879, the film in 1889, and many other innovations.
Nikola Tesla invented the electric motor in 1888 and the AC power supply in 1895.
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
George Eastman’s Kodak invented the first consumer camera in 1884.
Herman Hollerith invented the tabulating machine in 1890 and subsequently founded IBM.
In this period of intense innovation, one of the most important debates is that between AC and DC.
Tesla’s alternating current ended up being the ideal method of power transmission over long distances. Interestingly, however, we are still dealing with AC-DC conversion today.
Progressive Era (1890 – 1920)
The Progressive Era was an era of social reform, and legislation like the Sherman Antitrust Act broke the Standard Oil monopoly. This is also when we see the first PCB patent. In 1903, German inventor Albert Hanson applied for a British patent for a device described as a flat foil conductor on a multilayer insulation board. Sound familiar?
Albert-Hanson-PCB-Patent Drawing
Drawing depicting Albert Hanson’s first PCB patent.
Hansen also describes the concept of through-hole applications in his patent. Here he shows that you can punch a hole in two layers with vertical lines to make an electrical connection.
Push Electronics
During this time, we began to see Edison and other business leaders make a big push for electric devices in everyday homes. The problem with this push is the complete lack of standardization. If you lived in New York or New Jersey and used Edison’s inventions of electricity to light, heat or cook, what would happen if you used them in another city? They can’t be used because each town has its own socket configuration.
The Roaring Twenties (1920s)
As World War I drew to a close, there was a huge boom in the American economy. This is the first time that more people live in cities than on farms. We’re also starting to see chains and brands being introduced across the US.
Invention of the automobile
Here we see the once muddy road being paved. People need gasoline to power their vehicles, so gas stations are born. You also have a repair shop, accessories, and more. Many people’s entire way of life stemmed from the invention of the automobile, and it still does today.
During this time, we saw the introduction of modern appliances that we still rely on today, such as washing machines, vacuums, and refrigerators. For the first time, people can buy perishable goods in stores and store them for extended shelf life.
But where are our PCBs? We still haven’t seen them used in any appliances or cars launched during this period.
However, in 1925, Charles Ducasse filed a patent describing the process of adding conductive inks to insulating materials. This will later produce a Printed Wiring Board (PWB). The patent is the first application similar to a PCB, but only used as a flat heating coil. We haven’t gotten any actual electrical connections between the board and the components, but we’re getting close.
First use of PCB
During World War II, we saw the first use of the PCB as we know it today for proximity fuses. The device is used for high-velocity artillery shells that require precise firing over long distances in the sky or on land. Proximity fuzes were originally developed by the British to counter the advance of Hitler’s army. It was later shared with the United States, perfecting the design and manufacture.
Paul-Eisler’s first printed circuit board radio in 1942
As World War II drew to a close, we saw our soldiers go home, start families, and have many children. Cue baby boomers. In this post-war era, we have seen numerous improvements to existing appliances such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, TVs and radios. Now that the Great Recession has passed, many consumers can finally afford these devices at home.
1948 TV
Despite the absence of a PCB, we saw the transistor arrive at Bell Labs in 1947. It took another six years in 1953 for the device to finally be used in production, but why so long? In those days, information was disseminated through journals, conferences, etc. Before the information age, the spread of information just took time to spread.
As PCBs began to take off in the manufacturing world, we found ourselves in the world’s first space race. Russia has achieved a number of achievements during this period, including:
The first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was launched in 1957
The first spacecraft, Luna 2, was launched to the moon in 1959
The first astronaut Yuri Gagarin was sent to orbit the Earth in 1961
Hybrid Era (2000s and beyond)
Cut into the current era of electronics and PCB design; we call it the hybrid era. In the past, we had a variety of devices to meet a variety of needs. You need a calculator; you buy a calculator. You want to play video games; you buy a video game console. Now you’ve bought a smartphone with 30 different functions built into it. It seems pretty obvious, but when you look at all the things our smartphones can do, you’re in for a shock:
gaming equipment
address book
e-mail
barcode scanner
flashlight
bell
camera
navigation
music player
schedule
VCR
map
Internet browser
calendar
movie player
calculator
Telephone
notebook
tickets
recorder
answering machine
Short message
banking
books
We’re in the age of device consolidation, but what’s next? PCBs are established and we have processes and procedures for almost everything. High-speed applications are becoming the norm. We also see that only 25% of PCB designers are under the age of 45, while 75% are preparing to retire. The industry appears to be in a period of crisis.
Will the future of PCB design be robotics? Maybe in a wearable with flex circuits? Or we might see protons replace electrons with photonics. As far as we know about physical PCBs, that may even change in the future. No physical medium is required for the connection between components, but instead has the potential of wave technology. This would allow the components to send signals wirelessly without the need for copper.
What Will the Future Hold?
No one knows what the future of PCB design or even the entire electronics industry will look like. It’s been nearly 130 years since our manufacturing muscles started working. Since then, the world has changed forever with the introduction of important products like cars, appliances, computers, smartphones and more. Gone are the days when all of our basic livelihoods and survival depended on coal, wood or oil. Now we have electronics that can meet our daily needs.
But what will the future hold? This is a big unknown. We all know that every invention before us stands on the shoulders of its predecessor. Our ancestors brought PCB design to where it is today, and now we need to innovate and revolutionize the way we design and interact with technology. The future can be anything. The future is up to you.
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