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Gold plated PCB boards are used in a variety of scenarios due to their abrasion and corrosion resistance, and are different from other surface treatment processes. When designing and using gold plated boards, there are some key things to keep in mind to ensure their performance and longevity.
Gold plated PCB boards serves two main purposes: to improve wear resistance and to enhance corrosion resistance. For this reason, it is commonly used in gold finger sections that require frequent insertion, areas in contact with conductive rubber, and circuit boards that operate in highly corrosive environments. By gold plating circuit boards, oxidation can be effectively prevented, thereby protecting the underlying nickel and copper. In addition, gold plating improves the conductivity of the circuit, reduces the resistance of the connections, and reduces signal loss, thereby improving the stability and reliability of signal transmission. Gold plating is also widely used in precision instruments, printed circuit boards, integrated circuits and electrical contacts.
Gold plating has two main functions: to improve wear resistance and enhance corrosion resistance. As such, it is commonly used in gold finger sections that require frequent insertion and connection, areas in contact with conductive rubber, and circuit boards that operate in highly corrosive environments. By gold plating circuit boards, oxidation can be effectively prevented, thereby protecting the underlying nickel and copper. In addition, gold plating improves the conductivity of the circuit, reduces the resistance of the connections, and reduces signal loss, thereby improving the stability and reliability of signal transmission. Gold plating is also widely used in precision instruments, printed circuit boards, integrated circuits and electrical contacts.
Gold plating has two main functions: to improve wear resistance and enhance corrosion resistance. As such, it is commonly used in gold finger sections that require frequent insertion and connection, areas in contact with conductive rubber, and circuit boards that operate in highly corrosive environments. By gold plating circuit boards, oxidation can be effectively prevented, thereby protecting the underlying nickel and copper. In addition, gold plating improves the conductivity of the circuit, reduces the resistance of the connections, and reduces signal loss, thereby improving the stability and reliability of signal transmission. Gold plating is also widely used in precision instruments, printed circuit boards, integrated circuits and electrical contacts.
In the design of gold-plated boards, the following points should be noted: the design of the key position should be reasonable, the size and position should be matched with the panels, while taking into account ergonomics and ease of operation. There should be no other open window and exposed copper alignment in the key position to prevent short circuit. In order to ensure air circulation, the key position should have air circulation channels to avoid the potting piece can not be popped up. The key position is required to be flat, not suitable for spraying tin, can choose gold plating, carbon oil or immersion gold. The gap of key position should not be too close, it is recommended to design more than 10mil. Key bits should be designed as solid open window, avoid using ink to prevent the key operation difficulty or malfunction. When designing gold fingers, copper should be avoided at the edge of the PCB to prevent copper exposure during chamfering. In practice, excessive perspiration or exposure to chemicals should be avoided to prolong the service life of gold-plated boards.
Gold plated PCB boards are able to achieve excellent signal integrity and reliability in a variety of applications by optimising the design of line widths and spacings,as well as by choosing the right thickness of gold plating. At the same time, an understanding of the environmental factors that affect the service life of gold-plated boards can help to extend their service life.
The design of line widths and spacings for multilayer PCB gold plating is critical to maintaining signal integrity, especially in high-speed electronic systems.By adjusting the line width, impedance values can be precisely controlled and impedance matching can be achieved to avoid signal reflection and energy loss. Wider lines reduce the characteristic impedance,while narrower lines increase it, so adjusting the line width to the specific signal frequency and material properties is the first step in optimising signal integrity. The design of the line spacing should not be ignored. As the line spacing decreases, the capacitive and inductive coupling between the lines is enhanced, which may lead to crosstalk problems. To reduce this interference, the line spacing should be increased appropriately, especially in areas of high wiring density. In addition, the use of differential signal pair wiring strategy can effectively counteract common mode noise and crosstalk to further enhance signal integrity. Care should also be taken to avoid 90-degree corners in the layout, as sharp corners cause additional reflection and radiation losses at high frequencies, which can be mitigated by using smooth arcs or 45-degree corners. Gold-plated alignments provide better signal integrity and higher accuracy, providing precise signals for signal processing and image reconstruction.
The durability and service life of gold plating are affected by a variety of factors, including the substrate material, coating thickness,application conditions and maintenance. The erosion of humidity, salt spray and other environmental factors will affect the service life of electronic components,and the gold plating layer can reduce the wear and corrosion of electronic components in the process of use, so as to extend their service life. Gold plating has excellent corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance, which can protect electronic components from the erosion of environmental factors, even in harsh working environments, gold-plated electronic components can still maintain a good working condition and extend their service life.In addition,gold plating also provides an anti-oxidation coating for applications exposed to humidity or other environmental factors.To solve the problem of circuit boards being affected by changes in ambient temperature and humidity, gold-plating can be used, which has a longer storage time and is subject to fewer changes in temperature and humidity in the external environment.In general,gold-plated boards can be stored for about 1 year. The maximum continuous use temperature of tin plating is 105℃,while the maximum continuous use temperature of gold plating is 125℃.
The choice of thickness for PCB gold plating depends on factors such as application needs,contact reliability requirements,and cost.Common PCB gold plating thicknesses range from 0.05 μm (50 nm) to 1.27 μm (1270 nm), depending on the application and requirements.Hard gold typically has higher wear resistance and electrical conductivity for applications with frequent plug connections and high reliability requirements, with common hard gold thicknesses ranging from 0.2 μm (200 nm) to 1.27 μm (1270 nm). In practice, for general applications such as home appliances and general electronics, 0.25-0.5 μm gold plating is sufficient; for high-reliability applications such as industrial control systems and medical devices, 0.5-1.5 μm gold plating ensures performance and reliability; and for specialised applications such as aerospace and marine equipment,thicker gold plating in the range of 1.5-5 μm is recommended to cope with the extreme environments. For the pursuit of ultra-high performance and reliability and the cost does not care about the aerospace,military and other industries require to do 50U mai. Depending on the use of different products, the use of different environments, the gold finger inserted into different card slots, the pursuit of different product quality, different understanding of the cost and other factors can choose to request different gold finger gold plating thickness.
Gold plated PCB boardshas high conductivity and low resistance, very suitable for generating heat or electricity applications. In high-speed signal processing and high-frequency circuit applications, gold plating can ensure efficient and stable current transmission, effectively reducing signal loss and distortion. With immersed gold boards, since only the pads have nickel-gold on them, the transmission of the signal in the skin effect is in the copper layer, which does not affect the signal, meaning that immersed gold boards are better able to maintain signal integrity in high-frequency signal transmission applications. In high frequency board production, gold plating can effectively protect the copper lines and improve the performance and life of the PCB. Gold-plated high frequency boards can withstand high temperatures, will not fall off or deformation, suitable for high-temperature welding or high-temperature working environments, and can improve the quality of signal transmission, reduce signal loss and interference, suitable for high-frequency, high-speed, high-precision circuits.