from corrosion and reduces the chances of solder design pcb shorting between traces or unwanted electrical contact with possible loose wires. For its function of helping to prevent solder shorts, the coating is called a solder mask. Soldermask is generally green in color but can have different colors: green, red, blue, white, black. Only the outer layers
impedance is an alternating current (AC) characteristic that increases with frequency and becomes critical for printed circuits operating at frequencies above 200 or 300 Mhz. Impedance calculator software is a good starting point to pcb design determine the track width (w) and insulation thickness (h) of a
(vias) for passing connections between layers of copper as solid conductive areas for electromagnetic shielding or other purposes. Each design pcb of the conductive layers is designed with copper tracks (similar to wires on a flat surface) that provide electrical connections on that conductive layer. Another manufacturing process adds plated or metallized holes that allow interconnections between