is this a 1 sided or 2 sided PCB?

[gifford]

I thought I was designing a one sided PCB until I just had a thought.

My design uses SMT & TH components, all components reside on one side of the board, which means the tracks and pads for the TH being on one side, and the pads for the SMT being on the other...

So surely this is a two sided circuit design? and need to use VIA's (this sounds scarry to a novice)

Thinking out loud here but...

If I were to use plated through holes, would that mean I am able to keep all tracks and SMT pads on one side, using PTH pads to solder on the other side, elimenating the need for a two sided cicuit board? (and VIA's).

Sorry if thats confusing.

Thanks.

 

[andrew2022]

if u need tracks on both sodes is doublw sided. altho u cud have the SMT stuff on the 1 side and the thru hole stuff on the other side needing only one sided copper

 

[gifford]

if u need tracks on both sodes is doublw sided. altho u cud have the SMT stuff on the 1 side and the thru hole stuff on the other side needing only one sided copper

If my understanding of plated holes is correct, I believe I may only need tracks on one side. The plated holes would carry the current to the other side where the TH components could be soldered to.

Am I correct?

 

[Styx]

true but there is benifit to having extensive tracks on both sides.

 

[bmcculla]

I don't think that you need plate through holes. You should be able to solder the through hole components to the pads without plate through holes. If you are having the board manufactured with plate through holes (I've never heard of a hobbiest who could do plate through holes) you might as well make it double sided. Double sided boards will be easier to layout and shouldn't be any more expensive than a single sideed with plate through holes.

 

[Klaus]

You can't have plated through holes on a single sided board, the plating process would not be possible. You also must have little 'pads' around the holes on both sides, to lock the plated copper in the holes mechanically in place. These 'pads' can be quite small though.
Klaus

 

[gifford]

You can't have plated through holes on a single sided board, the plating process would not be possible. You also must have little 'pads' around the holes on both sides, to lock the plated copper in the holes mechanically in place. These 'pads' can be quite small though.
Klaus

Ah OK, I thought the PTH created a 'pad' on both sides, so I could get away with not having a double sided PCB.

 

[gifford]

I don't think that you need plate through holes. You should be able to solder the through hole components to the pads without plate through holes. If you are having the board manufactured with plate through holes (I've never heard of a hobbiest who could do plate through holes) you might as well make it double sided. Double sided boards will be easier to layout and shouldn't be any more expensive than a single sideed with plate through holes.

But with a double sided board, surely I would need via's to link the two sides. A via being the same thing as a PTH?

 

[Klaus]

But with a double sided board, surely I would need via's to link the two sides. A via being the same thing as a PTH?

Yes, if the track continues on the other side.
The nice thing about PTH's is that they are all done in one go at the board manufacturing stage, so it does not matter much how many there are.

You have to fit & solder wire via's by hand, a real pain if there are too many, unless you have an assembly robot and wave soldering machine :wink:
Klaus