Category Archives: PCB/FPC/PTF


Aug15
Causes of Poor Solderability on HASL Finished PCBs (Data Collection and Analysis)

Workingbear personally doesn’t recommend using HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) surface-finished PCBs in today’s SMT reflow processes, especially for double-sided reflow or fine-pitch components located on 2nd side. The defect rate of soldering with HASL is quite high and hard … Continue reading

Aug08
What Do PCB and PCBA Stand For? What’s the Difference?

What is the difference between PCB and PCBA? This should be an easy concept to understand, but since someone asked Workingbear, let’s explain it a bit. If you find any errors while passing by, please let us know to correct … Continue reading

Mar19
The Purpose of Nickel (Ni) Plating on Components or Circuit Boards in the Electronics Industry

Firstly, let’s clarify that Workingbear is not a metallurgy expert. The content of this article is based purely on personal experience and information gathered from the internet. If there are any errors, feel free to point them out for correction. … Continue reading

Mar12
Why Do PCBs Have Those Small Circles? What purpose of Test Points on PCBs?

Have you ever noticed those tiny circles on PCBs and wondered why they’re there? They don’t seem to have any parts soldered onto them, and some don’t even have solder paste. Well, those small circles are called test points, and … Continue reading

Oct11
Do PCB Designs Require Reserving Board Edges and Grooves for Routers De-Paneling Machines?

A while back, a netizen asked how the Router de-panel machine cuts PCB panels and whether there’s a need to reserve board edges (break-away) for the Router machine in PCB design. Upon careful consideration, I thought my previous answer might … Continue reading