Revisited Transparent Circuit Boards Revive '90s Aesthetic
In the ever-evolving world of custom PCBs, innovation and competition are driving the industry forward. Today, producing PCBs quickly and easily has become the norm, thanks to the enthusiast market's competition. This competition has led to the creation of unique products like transparent and glow-in-the-dark PCBs.
One such example is the Flexduino board, an Arduino clone designed for flexible substrates. Unlike the standard Arduino board, the Flexduino board is visually distinct, with its transparent appearance making it stand out. The board's design allows it to be used on flexible materials, and it looks particularly good on transparent material, with glowing LEDs and white silkscreen for contrast.
JLCPCB's regular order form can be used to order circuits using the transparent FPC material. This material is typically used for ribbon cables and flex PCBs, but has been modified to be see-through. The transparent FPC material is different from the vaguely brown material usually used in such applications.
However, the development of edible PCBs may pose challenges regarding ROHS and WEEE regulations. While it's a fascinating concept, it remains in the realm of potential future innovations.
The trend of board houses targeting the enthusiast market has led to a surge in competition and innovation. In the 1990s, this competition resulted in the release of electronics with transparent housings, such as the PlayStation Crystal and tinted color and charcoal versions of the N64 by Nintendo. Some transparent housings were even designed to avoid smuggling in prisons.
While there are ongoing developments in advanced PCB materials, transparent or glow-in-the-dark PCBs for microcontroller boards are not prominently featured in the latest innovations. Current trends focus more on rigid-flex PCBs, improved heat dissipation materials, ultra-low dielectric (Dk) and dissipation factor (Df) laminates for high-speed AI and server applications, and multilayer miniaturization.
In summary, while new material science advances in PCBs prioritize electrical performance, thermal management, layering, and miniaturization, transparent or glow-in-the-dark PCB materials for microcontrollers are not yet a mainstream or emerging trend based on recent information. Any such materials would likely still be in research or niche prototyping stages without large-scale industry adoption noted so far.
Sources:
- PCBWeb
- Altium
- NCAB Group
- PCB Library
- AllPCB
George Graves provided a tip regarding the topic of transparent and glow-in-the-dark PCBs.
- The Flexduino board, a transparent Arduino clone designed for flexible substrates, showcases the creativity and innovation in the electronics gadgets sector.
- In the rapidly evolving technology landscape of electronics, there is increasing competition to develop unique PCB materials, with transparent and glow-in-the-dark PCBs being a notable example, albeit currently not a mainstream trend.
- As we explore the latest advancements in PCB materials, it is essential to consider the potential of transparent and glow-in-the-dark PCBs for microcontrollers, although their commercial success and large-scale industry adoption might be still in the niche prototyping stages.
