In
electronicsElectronics is a branch of science and technology that deals with the controlled flow of electrons. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation,...
, a
signal trace on a
printed circuit boardA printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, or traces, etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring board...
(PCB) is the equivalent of a
wireA wire is a single, usually cylindrical, string of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various wire gauges...
for
conductingElectrical conduction is the movement of electrically charged particles through a transmission medium . The movement of charge constitutes an electric current. The charge transport may result as a response to an electric field, or as a result of a concentration gradient in carrier density, that is,...
signalIn the fields of communications, signal processing, and in electrical engineering more generally, a signal is any time-varying or spatial-varying quantity....
s. Each trace consists of a flat, narrow part of the
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
foil that remains after etching. Signal traces are usually narrower than power or ground traces because their current carrying requirements are usually much less.
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In
electronicsElectronics is a branch of science and technology that deals with the controlled flow of electrons. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation,...
, a
signal trace on a
printed circuit boardA printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, or traces, etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring board...
(PCB) is the equivalent of a
wireA wire is a single, usually cylindrical, string of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various wire gauges...
for
conductingElectrical conduction is the movement of electrically charged particles through a transmission medium . The movement of charge constitutes an electric current. The charge transport may result as a response to an electric field, or as a result of a concentration gradient in carrier density, that is,...
signalIn the fields of communications, signal processing, and in electrical engineering more generally, a signal is any time-varying or spatial-varying quantity....
s. Each trace consists of a flat, narrow part of the
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
foil that remains after etching. Signal traces are usually narrower than power or ground traces because their current carrying requirements are usually much less.