What are Single Sided PCBs?

Single sided PCB, as known as 1 layer PCB, which is a printed circuit board with only one copper layer of conductive material above the substrate. And also the electronic components mounted on one side of the board and the conductive track connected on the other side. So,it is called the 1 layer printed circuit board, too.

Due to that there is only 1 copper conductive layer, which is easier in PCB manufacturing process and lower cost than double sided PCB boards or multilayer circuit boards, therefore, these types of boards are commonly used in a wide variety of electronic devices with variety of applications, including: camera systems, printers, radio equipment, calculators, and much more.

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Single Sided PCB

Track back it’s initial story, the first single printed circuit board was made in the USA In the 1950s.

Know about Single Sided PCB Stack Up

A single sided PCB design composed by conductive and insulating layers.


In a single layer copper PCB stack up, a single copper conductive layer of copper tracks next to a substrate.

When using such a printed circuit board, an electric component connects to one side of the board. On the other hand, the other side of the circuit board shows the entire etched circuit tracks.

The stack-up design in a single copper layer PCB helps you to construct a stronger electric circuit through layers of PCB board.

Another thing is that it helps the electronic designer to minimize the circuit’s radiations.

What is the Single Side PCB Layers

Commonly, the single sided PCB manufacturing process is very simple to only use the layers of conductive and non-conductive materials.

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Substrate material:

Firstly, it is the base material of the single side circuit board. The PCB raw material manufacturer uses insulating fiberglass to make the substrate. As a result, it strengthens the printed circuit board.

Lastly, and most importantly the substrate’s feature gives the board a sturdy and compact form. The property from different types of base materials make different types of single sided printed circuit board accordingly.

Copper Layer:

There is another copper layer stick above the base layer (substrate). Therefore, this layer uses a conductive material.

Normally, the conductive layer provides a circuit path to have the current run from different electronic components soldered on this layer.

Similar as multilayer PCB board, different boards of single sided PCB also can have different copper thicknesses. Such as 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, etc.

The Reason to Choose Single Sided PCB Boards

Some crucial advantages determine that most electronic designer love to use them as a PCB design:

High Cost-effective manufacturing

Ideal for a high volume but simple design orders

Cost and time saved for low-density designs

Relatively easy to manufacture and design

Rare chance of manufacturing issues

Easy for repairing or debugging

The Universal Applications

Single layer PCB has Universal Applications. Mostly, you can use them in simple or even in complex devices such as:

Industrial power supplies

Automotive relay

Switch power supply

Sensors

LED backlighting

Equipment for packaging

Surveillance and camera systems

Scanners and printers

Auto coffee machines

In radios and stereos

Vending machines

Design Suggestion that Affect the Cost

The physical design and manufacturing process of a single layered PCB determine its cost mostly. Usually, the single sided PCB cost depends on the following factors:

Base material for manufacturing

The physical size of the PCB

The copper thickness of the conductive layer

The thickness of the PCB sheet

Other customize design

Design Suggestion that Affect the Cost

The physical design and manufacturing process of a single layered PCB determine its cost mostly. Usually, the single sided PCB cost depends on the following factors:

Base material for manufacturing

The physical size of the PCB

The copper thickness of the conductive layer

The thickness of the PCB sheet

Other customize design

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