Items You Use Every Day That Include Circuit Boards

When you look around you at things you use all the time, you don’t automatically think about whether or not they include a printed circuit board. As electronic technology has improved, more items than ever before use PCBs. Knowing what items use this technology might clue you into why prices go up when things affect the manufacturing processes. These items all use circuit boards

Cell Phones

This is a device that many people cannot do without. You may have your alarm, your calendar, your email and many other apps on your phone that keep your life running smoothly. Circuit boards have allowed smartphones to get smarter so you can be on top of things.

Computers

With so many people working from home nowadays, computers can be found in practically every household. Whether you have a dedicated desktop or some other kind of device, you may not realize that the manufacturer likely used a pick and place system to print the circuit board to perfectly perform for you.

Many children are also doing some, if not all, of their schooling online and use laptop computers, Chrome books and iPads to do their homework. People also use computers and smartphones to connect over zoom. None of that would be possible without printed circuit boards to run these devices.

Televisions

If you like to watch movies, you likely have speakers connected in surround sound and a sizeable screen on your television. That would not be possible without PCBs. Video games and stereos and other entertainment components use these boards to handle the operations needed for your enjoyment.

Appliances

How many home appliances do you use every day? Many of them have digital technology that is run by PCBs. Your microwave may be an obvious guess, but your coffee maker, refrigerator, clothes washer and clothes dryer are also likely to work based on this technology. Have you seen newer models that allow you to run them from your cell phone? It’s amazing how interconnected everything can be and how much time can be saved on menial work.

Clocks

You may not appreciate a standard alarm clock if you use your mobile device to do everything, but many people still use alarm clocks. However, many of them are not standard. They use PCBs to keep efficient time and may also include multiple options for alarms and ringtones.

The bottom line is that printed circuit boards reside in many everyday items. Though they are not seen, they make life better for people.