Beginner's Guide on How to Repair PCB

Introduction

PCBs are a mainstay of modern technology. Cellphones, airplanes, and many other things contain semiconductors, and they make many of our lives possible.

But they can fail, and when they do, it can be costly to replace them. Mishandling, overheating, or other accidents can damage PCBs. When this occurs, you may need to repair your PCB.

This blog shares helpful tips for PCB repair.

PCBTok PCB Repair

Why Do You Need to Know How to Fix PCBs?

The simple answer is that since PCBs are the brains of every electrical gadget, you must understand how to repair them. You must learn how to mend PCBs if you want to be able to fix your own gadgets or even just comprehend what is happening inside of them.

When a PCB breaks down, it can cause a variety of problems with your electronics. If your computer has a malfunctioning motherboard or processor due to damage from broken PCBs, you will not be able to use it anymore until they are fixed.

These circuits are important to know how to fix because they make our lives possible in so many ways; without them, we would be very limited in our ability to communicate with each other and access information quickly and easily on the Internet!

Top 9 Reasons Printed Circuit Boards Fail

The world of electronics is a complex one, with many moving parts and a lot of factors that can go wrong. One of the most common problems in the field is when printed circuit boards fail. In this article, we’ll look at nine of the most common reasons printed circuit boards fail.

Physical Damage

Printed circuit boards have many different reasons for failure. Physical damage is one of them. Dropping the board can cause this type of damage or even improper handling during shipping. The most common physical damage occurs when there is a break in the traces on the board. This can be due to static electricity, electrostatic discharge, or other sources of electrical energy.

Component Failure

This is one reason for printed circuit board failure. This occurs when one or more of the components on your PCB fails to function as intended. The board is assembled by soldering the components, and solder joints can fail from a variety of causes. Most commonly, a component will fail because it was not soldered correctly in the first place.

Gold Finger Damage

The gold fingers are tiny, delicate components that connect the traces on the board to the solder pads. They’re designed to be small enough to fit in tight spaces and make connections with minimal effort. But when you’re working on a PCB, sometimes you need to get into those tight spaces with a pair of tweezers or forceps to make sure everything’s connected properly. The more often you do this, the more likely it is that you’ll accidentally bend or break one of those gold fingers, which means your board isn’t going to work at all.

BGA Pad Damage

These are the small points on a circuit board where soldered components are attached. If they’re exposed to heat for too long or if they’re not properly insulated from heat sources (like soldering irons or hot chips), BGA pads can become damaged. This also causes cracks or other deformities that make it harder for current to flow through them.

Through-Holes and Vias Damage

As you know, through-holes and vias are the little holes you see on a PCB. When these holes get damaged or break, it can cause serious problems with your board. The reason for failure here is that when you’re soldering components to your board, if one of these holes gets damaged or breaks, then it can cause a short circuit. This will cause your entire board to fail because it will no longer function properly.

Corrosion

As the name suggests, corrosion is the process of one material corroding or deteriorating another material. Most materials corrode when they come into contact with corrosive elements, such as water or oxygen.

In some cases, corrosion can occur on a printed circuit board due to humidity or condensation building up within it. If the circuit board is exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time or if there are high levels of humidity in the surrounding area, this can happen.

Broken Traces

Printed circuit boards are made up of a thin layer of copper, which conducts electricity. The PCB traces connect different parts of the board and carry signals. When a trace breaks, it will not conduct electricity. An impact or an excess amount of heat may cause a broken trace. This can cause the board to fail. The broken trace may not be visible to the naked eye.

Damaged Edges

The edges of your circuit board are not only the most vulnerable part of your PCB, but they’re also one of the most important. That’s because the edges are where all of your connections meet and connect—so if you damage them in any way, you’ll be causing a lot of problems. A damaged edge of a board can cause short circuits and electrical failures that can lead to fires and other safety issues.

Solder Mask Delamination

One of the most common issues with printed circuit boards is solder mask delamination. This occurs when the solder mask separates from the copper layer underneath it due to improper adhesion or other physical damage. When this happens, it leaves an unprotected area on the board where electronic components can short out against each other or against ground planes or other conductive paths on the board surface. If this condition is allowed to persist unchecked, permanent damage can result to both individual components and entire systems due to overheating or electrical shorts across multiple components at once.

How to Test and Diagnose If Your PCB Needs Repair

If you’re experiencing issues with your PCB and want to know whether or not it’s time to replace the part, there are a few things that can help you determine if your PCB needs repair:

Check Visually

If you’re experiencing a problem with your PCB, the first step is always to check visually. This means taking a look at the board itself. Take note of any discoloration or corrosion, as well as any damage to the board itself. If you notice that something looks off, try reinserting your chips and testing again. If it’s still not working, it’s probably time for a repair!

Check Physical Components

The physical components of your PCB are the most important part of the board. Without them, your circuit won’t work. In order to test and diagnose if your PCB needs repair, you’ll need to check its physical components for damage or malfunction.

PCB Inspection Process

Check Individual Parts

This is one of the most important steps in diagnosing a PCB. In order to know if your PCB needs repair, you need to check the individual parts and make sure they are working properly. You can do this by taking out each component and testing it individually. If one or more components are not working, then it is possible that your PCB needs repair.

Check Integrated Circuits

Integrated circuits, or ICs, are the brains of any electronic device. ICs contain several components and are used in many devices. They are responsible for all the functions on your PCB, and they’re what makes it work. If one or more of your ICs needs to be replaced, it’s likely that your PCB needs repair.

Check Power Supply

The power supply is responsible for providing a steady current of electricity to the entire board. If the current flowing through your device is interrupted or weak, it can cause problems in the operation of your device. If the problem is in that area, then there’s a good chance you can get your board up and running again by replacing the power supply.

Compare with a Working PCB

If you have a working PCB, it can be helpful to compare it to your non-working one. If you notice any differences in the appearance of the two boards, this will help you determine where the problem lies.

Factors to Consider Before a PCB Repair

Before you begin a PCB repair, there are several things you should consider.

First, you’ll want to determine what kind of problem is occurring. Is the product not working at all? Is it just malfunctioning intermittently? For example, if your phone isn’t turning on, but does so sometimes when you turn it off and then back on again, then you may want to consider a power supply problem rather than a motherboard issue.

Second, look for any signs of damage or wear that could have led up to this malfunction. For example, if your battery is swollen or leaking fluid and has been that way for some time, then your motherboard has probably been damaged by those issues as well.

Thirdly—and this is important—consider whether or not you can do the repair yourself or if it will be easier just to replace the entire component instead. If this is your first time doing this type of project with electronics, then it might be better just to take them somewhere else where they have experience doing these kinds of things and can give you an idea of how much it will cost before they even start working on it.

Tools and Supplies You Need to Fix a PCB

If you want to learn how to repair a PCB, you need the right tools and supplies. Here’s what you’ll need:

Selective Soldering Machine

A selective soldering machine uses a single head that moves to the point where solder needs to be applied, and leaves the rest of the board untouched. This is a fast and efficient way to solder your boards, but it can also be dangerous. Because you’re only heating up one small part of the board at a time, there’s more risk that you’ll burn yourself or damage something else on the board when handling it.

Desoldering Pump and Desolder Wire

A desoldering pump is placed over the solder joint to be removed, and heated with an iron or other type of heat source. This causes the solder to melt, and then the pump is used to remove the molten solder.

A desolder wire is an alternative method of removing solder from printed circuit boards. As opposed to using a hand-operated tool like a desoldering pump, this method involves using a thin wire that conducts electricity when it touches both ends of the joint.

PCB Holder

You’ll also need a holder for holding your PCBs so that you can see them clearly while doing repairs or modifications; this will help prevent unnecessary damage during use.

The PCB Holder is designed to hold a PCB and provide a contact surface for probing. The holder has an insulating material on the contact surface to the circuit board, which supports both probing of passive, blank PCB, or a powered PCB assembly.

Magnifying Lamp

A magnifying lamp will help illuminate areas that are difficult to see clearly with the naked eye—such as those tiny connections between chips inside larger devices like computers or TVs—so make sure it’s bright enough for your needs!

A magnifying lamp is an essential tool for anyone working with precision assembly, inspection, or design. Because users can effortlessly view smaller details, lighted magnifying lamps are tremendously helpful in reducing eye strain and preventing vision fatigue.

Multimeter

Multimeters are designed to measure a variety of electrical characteristics, such as voltage, current, and resistance. They have many different modes of operation, but the most common one is to measure voltage and resistance. To do this, you must first set your multimeter to “voltage” mode by pressing the “V” button on your meter’s front panel. Then you need to set your meter to “resistance” mode by pressing the “Ω” button on your meter’s front panel.

Simple Tips on How to Repair PCBs at Home

There are many different reasons why you might need to repair a printed circuit board at home. The first thing you need to do while repairing a printed circuit board is to diagnose the issue. You have to identify what part of the printed circuit board is causing the problem.

Once you identify the malfunctioning part, you have to see if you can replace it with a similar component or if you need to find the exact same part. However, defective parts that play a specific function have to be replaced with the same type of component.

Once you’ve identified your problem, you should choose a setting for your project. The best place for repairing PCBs is in an open space where there is plenty of space around it and where your hands have room to move around freely without bumping into anything else nearby such as other people working on different projects at the same time which could cause them both problems later down the line when trying to complete each other’s work successfully without any issues arising from lack of communication between them all.

Why Should You Work with PCBTok for your PCB Repairs?

PCBTok is one of the most professional and reliable PCB repair companies in China. For over a decade now, PCBTok has developed a reputation as a company that can be trusted to develop a reputation as a company that can be trusted.

We offer a wide range of services, including:

- - Quick turnaround times and competitive prices
  - A 100% customer satisfaction on all our repairs
  - An expert team of engineers who have worked with us for years
  - A dedicated customer service team will answer any questions you might have.

Conclusion

Do-it-yourself PCB repair requires some skill, but almost anybody can do it with a little patience and the right set of tools. However, if you are still unsure, or don’t have the time to start this project, PCBTok may be able to help. So don’t settle; take the proper precautions and prevent your PCB from turning into something worse than it already is.

How to Repair PCB