Piirilevyjä

Piirilevyjä, which translates to "printed circuit boards" in English, are a fundamental component in modern electronics. They serve as the backbone for connecting electronic components, enabling them to function as a complete circuit. A typical piirilevy consists of a flat board made of insulating material, often fiberglass, with conductive pathways etched onto its surface. These pathways, usually made of copper, are called traces and act as wires, carrying electrical signals between different parts of the circuit.

Components such as resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, and connectors are mounted onto the piirilevy. They are typically soldered to designated pads on the board, creating a secure and electrically conductive connection. The design of the piirilevy is crucial, dictating the layout and interconnections of all the components. This design is often created using specialized computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Piirilevyjä can range in complexity from single-sided boards with components on one side and traces on the other, to multi-layered boards with numerous layers of conductive material sandwiched together. This multi-layer construction allows for more complex circuitry and denser component placement, essential for miniaturization in electronic devices. They are found in virtually every electronic device, from simple calculators to sophisticated computers and medical equipment.