PCB Trace Width vs. Current Table: How To Balance The Two

Traces in a circuit board

We will compare PCB trace width vs. current table below to understand the best copper trace design practices.  Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is the ideal metal for making PCB traces. Although it has a high melting point, you should keep the temperatures in these power rails low.  Heat can damage sensitive …

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TQFP vs. LQFP: A Quad Flat Package Comparison Guide

A TQFP enclosure of an IC.

Welcome to this TQFP vs. LQFP guide.  The IC must be provided with the best optimal performance conditions to ensure the excellent performance of miniature body-size devices.  Manufacturers achieve this by carefully covering parts in a package.  But why is this process necessary, and what are the properties of the various flat packages used in …

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EMS vs. OEM: Which is the Best Electronics Manufacturing Model?

A worker in an electronics manufacturing firm.

EMS vs. OEM is a complementary rather than competing concept in supply chain management, and today, we aim to demystify everything for you while highlighting other related practices.  The success of any venture in the electronics industry is fundamentally anchored on the firm’s business model.  At present, the concept of manufacturing partners is more prevalent …

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Core vs. Prepreg: How These Insulation Materials Differ

Internal PCB layers

Want to know the differences between core vs. prepregs?  When making multilayer circuit boards, you’ll often come across the terms core and prepreg. While both are insulators, each has at least one secondary function.  So we will compare core vs. prepregs to define their roles, differences, and how to select each one. Let’s get right …

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OSP vs. ENIG vs. ENEPIG: Which Surface Finish Is Better?

A blank circuit board with multiple solder pads

We’ll compare OSP vs. ENIG vs. ENEPIG types of surface finish to see how they perform and their application fields.  Copper is one of the best conductors of electricity. So printed circuit board manufacturers use the metal to create copper pads and traces.  However, copper can oxidize when exposed to air, becoming less conductive. Oxidation …

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QFP vs. QFN: Surface Mount IC Package Comparison

A microchip with a QFP package

We’ll compare QFP vs. QFN in this article. QFP and QFN are the typical packages for mounting large chips, such as microcontrollers.  Microprocessors can utilize BGA or other complex mounting packages, but these have the challenge of escaping traces due to their high density.  However, QFP and QFN have all their contacts exposed on the …

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Toroidal Transformer vs. Standard Transformer: Which One Is Better?

An electric transformer

Here’s a detailed toroidal transformer vs. standard transformer comparison. Transformers are electrical devices that transfer electrical energy from one circuit to another while varying the electrical current or voltage.  These passive components are vital in electrical systems, and we’ll look at the two most popular types.  What Is a Standard Transformer? Standard transformers feature a …

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Wave Soldering vs. Reflow Soldering: What Are The Differences

Manual insertion of electrical components before wave soldering

This article is about wave soldering vs. reflow soldering. Hand soldering is ideal for repairs and assembling boards during prototyping. But at the commercial level, you should rely on wave or reflow soldering methods.  Both processes use machines to enable automatic soldering during PCB assembly, but they couldn’t be more different.  So we’ll compare wave …

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370HR vs. FR4: Which Laminate Material Is Better?

Fiberglass fabric

We will compare 370HR vs. FR4 in this article. Like in any circuit, a PCB must have conductors and insulators. And material selection is one of the vital steps in the circuit board design process.  The conductive layer is usually copper or silver, but you can use several materials for the core, laminate, or prepreg. …

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