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Through-hole technology

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86: 598: 162:). Over time, this definition was generalized in contrast to axial leads, and took on its current form. When placed on a board, radial components "stand up" perpendicular, occupying a smaller footprint on sometimes-scarce "board real estate", making them useful in many high-density designs. The parallel leads projecting from a single mounting surface gives radial components an overall "plugin nature", facilitating their use in high-speed automated component insertion ("board-stuffing") machines. 74: 243: 216: 128: 22: 110:(PTH) in order for the components to make contact with the required conductive layers. Plated-through holes are no longer required with SMT boards for making the component connections, but are still used for making interconnections between the layers and in this role are more usually called 174:
on nearby components. Conversely, a radial component can be pressed into service as an axial component by separating its leads as far as possible, and extending them into an overall length-spanning shape. These improvisations are often seen in
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on layers immediately below the top layer on multilayer boards since the holes must pass through all layers to the opposite side. To that end, through-hole mounting techniques are now usually reserved for bulkier or heavier components such as
106:(SMT) became popular in the mid 1980s, every component on a typical PCB was a through-hole component. PCBs initially had tracks printed on one side only, later both sides, then multi-layer boards were in use. Through holes became 255:
While through-hole mounting provides strong mechanical bonds when compared to SMT techniques, the additional drilling required makes the boards more expensive to produce. They also limit the available routing area for
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When needed, an axial component can be effectively converted into a radial component, by bending one of its leads into a "U" shape so that it ends up close to and parallel with the other lead. Extra insulation with
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Radial leads project more or less in parallel from the same surface or aspect of a component package, rather than from opposite ends of the package. Originally, radial leads were defined as more-or-less following a
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Close-up view of an electronic circuit board showing component lead holes (gold-plated) with through-hole plating up the sides of the hole to connect tracks on both sides of the board. The holes are circa 1 mm
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used for making holes in printed circuit boards. While tungsten-carbide bits are very hard, they eventually wear out or break. Making holes is a considerable part of the cost of a through-hole printed circuit
567: 150:. Axial components do not protrude much above the surface of a board, producing a low-profile or flat configuration when placed "lying down" or parallel to the board. 146:. Axial-leaded components resemble wire jumpers in shape, and can be used to span short distances on a board, or even otherwise unsupported through an open space in 296:
in wire leads, which would impair circuit function. Ultra-compact designs may also dictate SMT construction, even in the prototype phase of design.
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Design engineers often prefer the larger through-hole rather than surface mount parts when prototyping, because they can be easily used with
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For electronic components with two or more leads, for example, diodes, transistors, ICs, or resistor packs, a range of standard-sized
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Components with wire leads are generally used on through-hole boards. Axial leads protrude from each end of a typically
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to pads on the opposite side, either by manual assembly (hand placement) or by the use of automated
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Through-hole technology almost completely replaced earlier electronics assembly techniques such as
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that require the additional mounting strength, or for components such as
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Through-hole devices mounted on the circuit board of a mid-1980s
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are used, either directly onto the PCB or via a socket.
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or elongated box-shaped component, on the geometrical
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designs. This is because of difficulties in use with
385: 383: 533: 391: 359:Electronic Packaging: Solder Mounting Technologies 380: 363:Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology 609: 516: 483: 481: 517:Lesser, Roger; Alderton, Megan (2002-01-01). 389: 565: 478: 352: 552:"Component Layout in Placement Processes" 131:Axial- (top) and radial- (bottom) leaded 122: 521:. Mobile Development and Design Magazine 281:that require great strength in support. 241: 223:can have upwards of dozens of leads, or 214: 210: 126: 84: 72: 20: 487: 390:Horowitz, Paul; Hill, Winfield (1989). 193:automated component placement machinery 610: 299:Through-hole components are ideal for 207:resistance in the completed assembly. 158:of a cylindrical component (such as a 41:") is a manufacturing scheme in which 424: 422: 16:Circuit board manufacturing technique 566:Charpentier, Stephane (2010-03-10). 549: 492:. New York: M. Dekker. p. 205. 490:Connections in electronic assemblies 455: 453: 451: 449: 623:Printed circuit board manufacturing 519:"The Future of Commercial Aviation" 13: 554:. Printed Circuit Design & Fab 538:. Canadian Electronics. 2003-03-01 510: 465:wiseGEEK: clear answers for common 419: 237: 14: 634: 602:Hole sizes for through-hole parts 590: 446: 596: 361:in K. H. Buschow et al (eds.), 269:in larger packages such as the 25:Through-hole (leaded) resistors 307:using microprocessors such as 100:second generation of computers 1: 345: 488:Bilotta, Anthony J. (1985). 7: 574:(in French). Archived from 401:(2nd ed.). Cambridge: 325:Point-to-point construction 318: 96:point-to-point construction 10: 639: 550:Khan, Zulki (2010-02-01). 403:Cambridge University Press 68: 467:. Conjecture Corporation 461:"What Is an Axial Lead?" 335:Surface-mount technology 330:Board-to-board connector 279:electromechanical relays 117: 104:surface-mount technology 63:insertion mount machines 263:electrolytic capacitors 170:may be used to prevent 133:electrolytic capacitors 35:through-hole technology 430:"All About Capacitors" 394:The art of electronics 252: 232:semiconductor packages 227: 183:construction, but are 160:ceramic disk capacitor 135: 123:Axial and radial leads 91: 82: 55:printed circuit boards 26: 434:Beavis Audio Research 245: 218: 211:Multiple lead devices 148:point-to-point wiring 130: 88: 76: 24: 108:plated-through holes 221:integrated circuits 199:because of reduced 102:in the 1950s until 286:breadboard sockets 253: 228: 168:heat-shrink tubing 136: 92: 83: 27: 572:PC World (France) 340:Via (electronics) 630: 600: 586: 584: 583: 562: 560: 559: 546: 544: 543: 537: 529: 527: 526: 504: 503: 499:978-0-82477319-9 485: 476: 475: 473: 472: 457: 444: 443: 441: 440: 426: 417: 416: 412:978-0-52137095-0 400: 397: 387: 378: 356: 219:Components like 205:mechanical shock 144:axis of symmetry 638: 637: 633: 632: 631: 629: 628: 627: 608: 607: 593: 581: 579: 557: 555: 541: 539: 532: 524: 522: 513: 511:Further reading 508: 507: 500: 486: 479: 470: 468: 459: 458: 447: 438: 436: 428: 427: 420: 413: 398: 388: 381: 377:, pp. 2708–2709 357: 353: 348: 321: 275:plug connectors 240: 238:Characteristics 213: 189:mass production 125: 120: 71: 37:(also spelled " 17: 12: 11: 5: 636: 626: 625: 620: 606: 605: 592: 591:External links 589: 588: 587: 563: 547: 530: 512: 509: 506: 505: 498: 477: 445: 418: 411: 379: 350: 349: 347: 344: 343: 342: 337: 332: 327: 320: 317: 303:circuits with 267:semiconductors 239: 236: 212: 209: 124: 121: 119: 116: 70: 67: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 635: 624: 621: 619: 618:Chip carriers 616: 615: 613: 603: 599: 595: 594: 578:on 2012-04-26 577: 573: 569: 564: 553: 548: 536: 531: 520: 515: 514: 501: 495: 491: 484: 482: 466: 462: 456: 454: 452: 450: 435: 431: 425: 423: 414: 408: 404: 396: 395: 386: 384: 376: 375:0-08-043152-6 372: 368: 364: 360: 355: 351: 341: 338: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 323: 322: 316: 314: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 291: 287: 282: 280: 276: 272: 268: 264: 259: 258:signal traces 249: 244: 235: 233: 226: 222: 217: 208: 206: 202: 198: 195:, and poorer 194: 190: 186: 182: 178: 173: 169: 163: 161: 157: 151: 149: 145: 141: 134: 129: 115: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 87: 80: 79:home computer 75: 66: 64: 60: 56: 52: 51:through holes 49:are inserted 48: 44: 40: 36: 32: 23: 19: 604:at Wikibooks 580:. 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From the 53:drilled in 31:electronics 612:Categories 582:2011-12-30 558:2011-12-30 542:2011-12-30 525:2011-12-30 471:2013-05-16 439:2013-05-16 346:References 290:inductance 248:drill bits 185:deprecated 177:breadboard 57:(PCB) and 47:components 246:A box of 201:vibration 181:prototype 90:diameter. 39:thru-hole 367:Elsevier 319:See also 59:soldered 369:, 2001 309:Arduino 69:History 45:on the 496:  409:  373:  313:PICAXE 271:TO-220 251:board. 156:radius 399:(PDF) 118:Leads 43:leads 494:ISBN 407:ISBN 371:ISBN 292:and 225:pins 203:and 187:for 112:vias 311:or 277:or 265:or 179:or 29:In 614:: 570:. 480:^ 463:. 448:^ 432:. 421:^ 405:. 382:^ 365:, 114:. 65:. 33:, 585:. 561:. 545:. 528:. 502:. 474:. 442:. 415:.

Index


electronics
leads
components
through holes
printed circuit boards
soldered
insertion mount machines

home computer

point-to-point construction
second generation of computers
surface-mount technology
vias

electrolytic capacitors
cylindrical
axis of symmetry
point-to-point wiring
radius
ceramic disk capacitor
heat-shrink tubing
shorting out
breadboard
prototype
deprecated
mass production
automated component placement machinery
reliability

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