Blue Circuit Board: Why are Some Circuit Boards Blue?

Blue Circuit Board

It takes a great deal of time and energy to find a market that sells blue circuit boards, as these are not readily available in the market. The blue color on the blue circuit board shown in Figure 2 is not because of any paint, marked, dye, or silkscreen. In fact, the substrate itself is blue-colored.

Usually, single-sided blue PCBs are available to the designers. One side is for the components to be drilled, and the other is a plain solid blue board.

Blue Circuit Boards vs. Conventional Boards

As mentioned earlier, the functionality of the blue PCBs is similar to that of conventional boards. However, bleu are more appealing. Figure 3 shows a complex blue circuit board with components etched to its surface.

Figure 4 shows a simple blue PCB with basic components soldered to its surface.

Other Types of PCB Colors

Green is one of the most common PCB colors, followed by blue. The color of the PCB isn’t just an aesthetic choice. Each colored PCB has a specific purpose or use. In addition to blue, you can find white, red, black, orange, and yellow.

What is The Material Composition of the Blue Circuit Board?

Blue circuit boards typically consist of four layers. There are two layers of blue substrate (FR-4) layers which surround a solder mask and copper layer. In addition to these layers and materials, the PCB Manufacturers also apply a silk screen to the top of the circuit. This allows them to fortify and label the PCB.       

Applications of Blue Circuit Boards

Like any other PCB, we use blue circuit boards in several industries and applications, such as: 

•  Computers and laptops
• Mobile devices
• Virtual Reality (VR) goggles and other gears
• Robotics
• Remote controlled drones
• Flight equipment
• Electric vehicles
• Musical equipment, such as sound amplifiers and synthesizers 

Factors that Impact the Impedance

Fabricators and PCB manufacturers must pay attention to factors such as the dielectric constant (Dk), trace width, as well as dielectric and copper thickness.

These are all factors that can impact the impedance control of the PCB. 

Blue PCB Packaging

It’s imperative that fabricators and manufacturers package and label blue PCBs with care, as they can be quite susceptible to damage.

Fabricators should use packaging that is compact, shock and moisture-resistant. In many cases, mold cases or boxes are the best options for blue PCB packaging.   

Different Types of Blue Printed Circuit Board Electronics

We’ve seen companies implement blue circuit boards in single-board computers and microcontrollers. They’re also popular in consumer electronics.

Most modern smart TVs use multiple boards for different functionality. 

For instance, the main board may be responsible for processing and facilitating the TV’s main capabilities, whereas the power board fuels the TV.

The main board may be green, while the power board is blue (or vice versa). 

Microcontroller manufacturers may use different colored PCBs to help distinguish product lines or accessories.

For example, microcontrollers may be strictly green, while expansion boards and shields may use blue PCBs. 

You can also find blue PCBs in medical devices, LEDs, telecommunication, aerospace and industrial equipment.    

FAQs

What does the color of a circuit board mean?

The color of a circuit board doesn’t have an inherent meaning. However, certain manufacturers can use board colors to help classify how they will distribute them and to which electronic parts.

The color may also have aesthetic value. While the clear craze has long subsided, some computer motherboard manufacturers may choose different colored PCBs to stand out.   

What is the difference between blue PCB and Green PCB?  

There is no real functional difference between blue PCBs and green PCBs. They just use different pigments in their solder masks.  

Conclusion

Despite being highly in demand, the blue PCBs are not as readily available to their users as other contemporary boards. Due to this lack of availability, they are expensive as compared with other boards. However, increasing these boards’ manufacture would make the blue PCBs more economical and readily available to its users. Most of the devices and commonly used sensors are preferred to be made on blue circuit boards. Blue PCBs provide easiness to its users to drill the components over the PCB boards.