PCB Workshop

The Printed Circuit Board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.

Due to the PCB's importance in engineering field, UOS IEEE Student Branch organized a “PCB workshop” on the 11th of April. The workshop was given by “Baraa Al Jelani”, where he provided the students with a good background information about the PCB.

Baraa started the workshop by giving the theoretical part, where he explained what PCB Design is, how to use DipTrace Software, and he talked about the different types of welding.

In the following session it was time for the students to get their hands dirty in the practical part. It went through six steps starting by using the DipTrace software to draw a door ajar alarm schematic and checking the components connections, then it was transferred to PCB layout to be ready for printing on transparent papers using the laser printer, after that the circuit paper was put on the Light Sensitive PCB to be exposed by the Ultraviolet Exposure Machine, Last but not least the PCB was cleaned using some Alkaline Solution, e.g. NaOH, and rinsed by water to put it in the FeCl3 Solution, finally the components like (The Battery, Resistors, Capacitors, Speakers and the magnetic switches) were all welded on the PCB.

The students followed the steps carefully and they were happy with the result. It was quite an amazing experience for the students to be involved in such a workshop.