Printed circuit boards or PCBs are key electronic components routinely found inside radios, mobile telephones, computers and a wide range of other devices. PCBs have been in use for seven decades and have evolved considerably since first being used in the US military.

Circuit boards can be either rigid or flexible. The flexible circuit boards are used in oddly shaped devices and their pliability allows one to fit them into devices of various shapes and sizes. There are also single-layered printed circuit boards, double-sided and multi-layered printed circuit boards available. PCBs can be custom made to suit a particular application desired.

Printed circuit board manufacturing is big business these days. There are numerous companies working online which allow customers to easily upload their printed circuit board designs and then order the number of boards needed. The cost per printed circuit board is lowered when bulk orders are placed, making ordering large numbers of boards quite affordable.

Some hobbyists enjoy designing and and making their own circuit boards to use in a variety of homemade electronic devices. Instructions for making printed circuit boards can easily be found online. There is a bit of a learning curve associated with making your own PCBs but there are many online instructional videos available that can be used.