Through Hole (Thru-hole) PCB Assembly

Through-hole PCB assemblies, more commonly referred to as “thru-hole” are constructed with components that have long leads that are inserted into plated thru-holes on printed circuit boards. Components are then soldered into place and connected to its specified circuit.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Thru-hole PCB Assembly?

Thru-hole PCB assembly out performed all previous PCB assembly types until Surface Mount Technology (see below) made its appearance. It provides better reliability and continuity than older technologies such as point-to-point assembly. It even holds one advantage over the popular surface mounted assemblies; its strong mechanical bond. Printed circuit boards that are mounted in high vibration applications will often use the assembly type. They are also used in many test and prototype applications, as it is easier to remove or interchange parts without damaging the board.

The disadvantages of thru-hole assembly includes the cost of drilling and plating the thru-holes themselves as well as the limited routing area available after the component is soldered in place. It also limits you to use of only one side of the printed circuit board.

Surface Mount PCB Assembly

PCB assemblies with surface mounted components are referred to as SMT (Surface Mounted technology) assemblies. In SMT assemblies, components are mounted directly to the surface of the printed circuit board.

This method of PCB assembly allows the use of smaller components with small leads and short pins, flat contact or even terminations mounted on the component itself. Surface Mounted Devices (SMD) can be as much as one-tenth the size and weight of thru-hole parts. This assembly type also permits use of both printed circuit board sides. This PCB assembly type is favored in automation, computer assembly and other applications that can reduce product cost and increase production rates.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Surface Mount PCB Assembly?

Surface Mount PCB Assemblies have a large number of advantages over thru-hole technology, including the smaller and less expensive components, fewer plated thru-holes drilled into the PCB and the use of both sides of the printed circuit board. Using both PCB sides permits a much higher number of components and many more connections per component.

Disadvantages of Surface Mount PCB Assemblies are that manual adjustments or replacements are more difficult in testing and prototype applications. In addition, as components and trace circuits become smaller, reliability of the circuitry and solder joints can become a concern.

Who Can Provide Me with Both Surface Mounted and Thru-Hole Type PCB Components?

The selection of PCB components offered by VCC Optoelectronics includes a variety of LEDs, Interconnections, Panel Mount and Clips for all your PCB assembly requirements. Our professional sales and engineering staff is available to assist your selection process and provide reliable components right when you need them. Contact VCC today for more details.

In the last few years we have seen the evolution of the Light Emitting Diode (LED) and its usage in various areas. Even though it has yet not been able to dislodge traditional lighting technologies, LED has been posing a threat for quite a few years now. There are numerous benefits of LEDs; you would find that the LED lights are brighter and they have a greater longevity. Even if the benefits that we mentioned were only a couple, in fact there are hundreds of such benefits, but in reality even today getting LED lights everywhere isn’t very easy. The pricing of these light emitting diodes is high enough for companies of all-sizes to manufacture and that is one of the primary reasons for it not being able to meet up to its expectations.

Previously, big companies used to manufacture LEDs and other associated equipments. However, with the sales of such equipments increasingly rapidly, we have observed a change in the trend.  There are companies that specialize in each attribute of LED manufacturing; these companies together make a complete lifecycle in LED manufacturing which is known as Supply Chain of LED manufacturing. Before we go into the reasons for having various companies forming a supply chain, we classify some of the important segments of the Supply Chain:

1)    Research & Development,

2)    Exipathy,

3)    Manufacturing,

4)    Packaging,

5)    Testing &

6)    Backend Processing.

It is true that the sales of LED has increased more than 50% in the US over the last few years, yet it isn’t enough to meet the huge amount of capital involved in buying equipments, so as to setup a unit capable enough to manufacture a LED unit on its own. For some of the companies apart from the capital, what matters is attaining various kinds of unique skills that are involved in the lifecycle of a diode development. These are two most important reasons why there exists a Supply chain for manufacturing LEDs.

The advantage of having such Supply Chain are again many, just like there are hundreds of advantages associated with LEDs. The day LEDs prices go down, it would replace various other forms within months. The strength of the supply chain is such that it has the capability to support and meet such a requirement. In a supply chain, the company that does the R & D only researches and formulates ways by which their researches can be developed. However for the company that manufactures, is no way related to research and it works only on the research provided by the R & D Company. In this way a small company that specializes in any particular aspect makes the most of its potential in this growing market. This whole concept applies to all the units present in the Supply Chain.

The benefit for companies that are a part of supply chain is quite evident, but how do general consumers benefit from all this? If you recall, we mentioned the increase in LED sales and the benefits associated with the usage of LEDs. Taking a very small example, we would see that if the prices of traditional lights and LED lights are the same then it is quite normal for one to choose LED lights. With the supply chain, competitive pricing is possible and that is what’s happening recently. If the trend stays the way it is, soon we would see affordable LED lights replacing traditional lights at every instance of our lives.

During any production process, efficiency is heavily influenced by the availability of parts. If your production is held up by one missing component, efficiency, schedule and your reputation as a company are all affected.

When Dispensing Dynamics International (DDI) faced a supply chain issue on a light pipe from another manufacturer, they turned to VCC.  Our extensive variety and selection of flexible and rigid light pipes, interconnectors, and PCB accessories offer convenient, affordable solutions in stock, and ready for your use. DDI knew with the assistance of our dedicated experts, finding the right part would be a cinch. Within 48 hours of contacting VCC, DDI received samples that proved to be a clear solution to their first production build on a new version of their industry leading motion detected paper towel dispensers.  The ability of VCC to respond quickly with a selection that met the requirements helped DDI maintain their development schedule.

DDI has 75 years of experience developing new and innovative applications such as the first patented paper roll towel dispenser, the first lever action dispenser, the first automatic transfer tissue dispenser, and the best selling line of no touch dispensers. The time and thought put into prototype development and testing has led to a successful line of state-of-the art dispensing solutions.  The designs of DDI have propelled and kept them at the top of their field.

VCC Optoelectronics is an innovator as well and we are proud of our relationships with companies like DDI.  Working hand in hand with these flourishing companies allows VCC to anticipate and meet the needs of future projects. We are dedicated to reacting quickly to customers in need of specific products and solutions for the ever-growing field of light indicator solutions. Call or contact us at www.vcclite.com and we can expedite the delivery of your lighting solution.

For more information about DDI products visit: www.dispensingdynamics.com

OLEDs (Organic LEDs) are one of the latest developments entering the optoelectronics arena. The ability to use organic compounds in LED usage is the wave of the future and as always, VCC is following the development of this field. Below we are going to cover some of the main questions concerning OLEDs including their composition, operation, usage, benefits and disadvantages.

What are OLEDs?

OLEDs are Organic Light Emitting Diodes. Kodak was the first to develop this Technology that uses organic compounds such as glass and plastic to compose the emissive electroluminescent layer. This layer is no thicker than a film and is applied in a process that is simple, low cost and requires fewer materials than other LED compounds used to emit light and provide full spectrum color displays.

What types of OLEDs are there?

There are three basic types of OLEDs being developed and implemented. Those types are:

• Small Molecule OLED – Known as SM-OLEDs, these devices are typically made from glass substrates and are deposited through a vacuum process. The SM OLED is more efficient than the other types and can be evaporated allowing for complex multi-layer structures. The drawbacks with the small molecule OLED is that it is not flexible and the vacuum process is more expensive than other OLED types. Newer developments with stacked and flexible plastic substrates are removing the disadvantages and this product is expected to have large impacts in the future of OLED installations.
• Polymer OLED – Also called Light Emitting Polymers (LEP), this OLED type is generally composed of a plastic compound that forms the electroluminescent conductive layer. The process for depositing the materials in this layer is a precision ink jet application. This process is low cost, simple and can be created with multiple levels to improve efficiency. Once applied, it is extremely flexible. The drawback with the Polymer OLED is that current efficiency is not at the level of the SM OLED, however, it has surpassed LCD efficiency levels.
• Phosphorescent OLEDs – This OLED type has up to four times higher efficiency than that of a conventional fluorescent OLED. Its application process is the same as the Polymer OLEDs as it is applied by precision ink jet printing, however, it is highly efficient in converting electrical energy. Recent developments are assuring the future success of this OLED type.

The Future of OLEDs

Many different versions of these main OLED types are entering the market. They offer a full color spectrum that is thin and flexible. Future displays using OLEDs will be flexible, low cost, brighter and more efficient. OLEDs also have a wide viewing angle with high contrast video capabilities. This technology is expected to result in displays less than 1mm thick.

We’ve all been there. You’re stranded alongside the road or in an abandoned parking lot. You’re tired and worn out from the day. It’s a dark, damp, cold night, the wind is whipping through you and to top it off, your car won’t start. Just as you’re about to cover your face with your hands, you see a bright blue light flashing. Instantly relief floods that cold space and you realize that help is just a call away.

You reach up to press the button and see a green panel light come on indicating a connection. You don’t even realize you are holding your breath until you hear the voice on the other side say “How can we help?” and hear the release of air from your body. A few short minutes later the knowledge that help is on the way provides comfort and your sense of isolation recedes.

VCC adheres to this way of operation daily. Not only do we wish to assist our clients but also strive to provide the comfort and knowledge that in the expansive field of indication and illumination, you are not alone. That is why Kings III of America has chosen VCC and our line products to meet their illumination needs. Kings III indicators must endure harsh environments and exposure to the sun, rain, wind and even dust.  All these elements wreak havoc on standard LEDs and lenses. VCC helped Kings III resolve this issue with our line of UV additive Polycarbonate Lenses, which are specifically designed to withstand these environments.

In addition, our CMS series products meet NEMA 4 and 6P standards for use in conditions that include exposure to elements such as rain, sleet, windblown dust and rain and other harsh conditions.  VCC lenses are ideal when used with the Conxrite interconnects for mounting the LED directly to the panel.  Finish your illumination with the wide selection of VCC light pipes and you have provided a reliable, durable method of transmitting the light from a PCB mounted LED to your panel.

Anytime a special application arises and you need a reliable protective lens and LED solution VCC is here to help. There are many options out there in the world of LED’s and our experts are dedicated quickly and efficiently finding products to meet the requirements for your project. To learn more or get answers to your LED questions, visit us at www.vcclite.com. We will be happy to assist you with all selections as well as sending a free sample for you to inspect or use in your latest prototype.

Hougen Manufacturing is a leader in providing the highest quality portable magnetic drills, annular cutters, sheet metal cutters and Ogura/Punch-Pro electro-hydraulic hole punches. Their recent development of the HMD925S portable power drill with Smart technology implemented state-of-the-art features to optimize feed rate for increased tool life and precise, clean hole drilling.  The addition of a swivel base provides much more versatility in placement and alignment.

With the ability to offer a power feed setting to the client, safety becomes an even more critical issue. Installing a clear, bright and reliable indicator for placement and lift detection was an important design requirement. The ability to make this connection in a reliable yet flexible manner was also important. Hougen engineered, selected and implemented VCC panel lens products into their latest development to achieve that goal.

“The Bi-Color CNX “D” connector was selected for easy assembly to the front panel and multi function of a Bi-Color RED / Green LED for their Safety Indicator Light.” said John Haas, from RC Merchant, VCC representative,   “ Thus, providing an Indicator to ensure the power drill is operated in a safe manner.”

VCC’s LED cable assemblies provide extensive time and cost savings over the traditional methods of wiring. With our pre-made assemblies there is no need to solder wires to the LED orheat shrink the insulator. This saves the client time, cost, storage room and testing time. Changes in design or replacement of components down the road are also completed in a more timely and efficient manner.

VCC offers a wide assortment of pre-made cables to meet all your project requirements. We will also engineer and manufacture custom cables. Our entire line of panel lens products is available for your project’s indicating and signal needs. Check out our catalog or contact us today for more information.

For more information about the line of products from Hougen Mfg, visit their website at http://www.hougen.com. Fore more information about the HMD925 Drill, click here.

LED’s are a staple of signage and signal applications and with the wider use of high power LEDs the range of applications is constantly expanding to practically limitless proportions. High power LEDs can be driven at currents from hundreds of mA to more than an ampere, compared with the tens of mA for other LEDs. Until recent years their use has been limited by the need for large heat sinks and thermal management issues.  The latest developments have introduced the ability to control and maintain brightness levels without “hot spots” and “not spots” for further efficiency improvements. More strategic configurations of heat sinks, new heat sink materials and metal core printed circuit boards have improved control thermal of management problems. These advances have allowed new areas of development.

High power LEDs from VCC are now in use for in an almost limitless number of applications among which are:

• Accent lighting applications such as: contour lighting, stairway lighting, pendants, coves, displays and front panels.
• Outdoor lighting applications such as: floodlights and landscape lighting.
• Specialty lighting applications such as: Flashlights, reading lamps, security lighting and more.

Architects, Engineers and Security Specialists are including LED usage in the basis of their core designs effectively replacing incandescent, halogen, and even fluorescent style lights. The largest selling points in these applications are the ability to meet new environmental standards from LEED and other groups for close to 40% improved power efficiency and the ability to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building. High Power LEDs also enjoy a longer operating life that practically eliminates the need for maintenance.

High power, high intensity LED selections from VCC offer many additional benefits including:

• Silicone lens technology
• Saturated color spectrum
• Special “design-to-fit” secondary optics
• Low thermal resistance
• Full dimming capabilities
• Superior ESD protection
• 100% RoHS Compliance

Our LED selection experienced less than 10% light output decay under test conditions and with our many vivid, saturated colors, surface mounted options and high energy efficiency, our product range has the right high power LEDs for your requirements. Contact us today and our dedicated professionals will be happy to help select the right product for your high power LED application.

In the fast changing world of aftermarket motorcycle performance products, having quality inventory is key.  Today’s riders not only want their custom aftermarket products rapidly, but they demand quality components that will improve the look and performance of their machine. Recently, Bazzaz ran into lead-time and performance issues on one of their shifter lights with their current LED supplier.  Bazzaz knew they needed to quickly resolve both issues and Joel Romero turned to VCC for help.

“VCC has a massive inventory of products on hand, this is reassuring when our customers have short lead times and buy on demand”. I just can’t wait for my current supplier anymore. I found information about VCC Optoelectronics on the web and contacted their Sales Team right away. VCC recommended and had stock on a part that was slightly better than the parts we previously looked at for less money. Within days, we received the VAOL-10GSBY4 (10MM, single color Blue LED) samples VCC recommended which outperformed the current one in brightness “ Said Joel.

VCC is has a team of professionals that are dedicated to service and have the knowledge to quickly assist our customers in finding better, more efficient and complete solutions. Our large variety of LED’s with many different lighting, power and mounting capabilities will provide the options and available inventory you have been looking to find from your LED supplier. Contact VCC today with your project requirements and let us help find a solution for your project needs.

For more information on Bazzaz performance products please visit www.bazzazperformance.com.

The question has been asked: Why would a company or organization want to spend money to retrofit lighting with state-of-the art LEDs? The answers are varied and begin with the age old requirements to save time, money and have a higher quality product or advertisement. The reasons listed below come from Project Engineers and Systems Specialists expressing why they have chosen this route:

1. Saving Money: There may be a cost associated with a retrofitting LED applications but the payback makes it more than worth the expense. A large-scale example of this is Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas. They spent $362,000 on retrofitting everything from elevator signal lights, to under counter illumination, animated displays, signage and outdoor lighting. The project has allowed them to reduce their power consumption by 2 million kWh. They expect to realize a $200,000 yearly payback from their 24/7 operations.
2. Environmental Synergy: The desire to reduce environmental contaminants and improve the overall carbon footprint of our society is a reason given across the board. LED applications can reduce carbon footprints by up to 60% over other lighting types.
3. Improved Lighting Quality: The new generation of LED’s available are brighter and more vibrant. Signage and displays appear sleek, modern and clean. The more vibrant colors were a safety consideration when the NYC Subway signals were replaced. Travelers and Engineers said the saturated colors were more visible and thus safer.
4. Longevity: A truly worldwide push is taking place with massive projects to replace street lighting and traffic signals with LED’s. One of the many reasons is the longevity factor of LED’s.  Known for their exceptional reliability and without internal filaments to be damaged, there are less repair instances and longer life cycles over-all.
5. Control and Display Features: LED’s have better dimming and control features available than the lighting of yesteryear. This is an area where both marketing and safety benefits come into play.  Airbus wing tips and train signals have been retrofitted for the control features of LED’s to provide better ground and air signaling to improve safety while the number of retrofit marketing applications is practically infinite. From sport stadiums, to retail stores, every venue trying capture the public imagination, has seen signage and signaling being retrofitted or changed to LED based displays. Lighting can be synchronized for a show, have burst of color to turns heads or be animated to send a message. The options are infinite.

VCC is excited at the new possibilities that exist and our dedicated professionals are available daily to provide you with assistance for your specific retrofit requirements. We provide standard LED’s as well as specialized options. If you need a high intensity light, have a remote application or need to have a seal that is moisture proof; VCC has the products to fit your needs. Contact us with your requirements and we will provide a custom solution to ensure the success of your retrofit application.

The complexity of today’s LED designs as it relates to the PCB, which can contain hundreds of components, has increased the difficulty of not only maintaining compatibility of component placement and mechanical layout but also increased thermal concerns. Increasingly, thermal reliability and planning is a critical part of the design process especially when talking about IC and High power LED’s.

As the LED heat escalates, several key characteristics may become apparent, which demonstrate the importance of LED thermal management. The forward voltage will begin to decrease. The decreasing voltage can impose an increased load on related LED driver components causing their temperature to increase as well.

In resistor driven circuits, the forward current will increase. As the LED lights temperature continues to rise, the optical wavelength can shift. The increasing wavelength can cause orange LED lights to appear red or even white LED lights to appear bluish. This color shift typically intensifies with the AlInGaP technologies (red, orange, amber, and yellow). In addition, a thermally stressed LED lights will loose efficiency and light output will diminish. If the LED thermal management continues to race out of control, the LED junction may break down causing a state of complete thermal failure.

Thermal failure is the total loss of electronic function due to melting, partial vaporization of the component, thermal fracture of a support or separation between the leads. Thermal issues can also result in joint stresses and hot spots on your board.

Thermal management techniques must focus on effectively dissipating heat generated by high-power designs, providing high thermal conductivity, and on maintaining low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), while managing CTE mismatches between LED’s, components, their interconnects and the PCB.

Manufacturers of LED’s and IC components use a variety of packaging chips and often times the components may have a lower CTE than the standard PCB. This results in a thermal mismatch between the device and the PCB. The environment in which your PCB is to be operating can affect performance as well. For every 20°C rise in component temperature, the failure rate doubles.

All VCC proprietary products use UL rated (94-V0) material to protect against melting on the board during the reflow and/or wave soldering processes eliminating some of these concerns for the engineer.

While LED chipmakers are doing their part to improve thermal management for their devices, the design engineer must take heat dissipation into consideration as well, from using applicable board materials (like the UL rated (94-V0)) to paying special attention to mounting holes.  The use standoffs and different connection techniques will be integral in obtaining proper airflow to assist heat dissipation. Check out our selection here.

New patents are being issued as the industry continues to develop a variety of new LED thermal management materials and techniques. There are several prominent developments that are in the tool kit of seasoned PCB designers and engineers.

There are proven techniques such as copper thieving, increasing trace thickness, and using the mounting holes to dissipate heat.  Newer techniques and developments include using thermal modeling software, new heat sink material, high conductivity carbon composite board layers, special casing materials, and edge plating. Below I’d like to cover the latest developments in the area of heat sinks, which have historically served as the workhorse for thermal management in PCB design.

Heat Sink Developments

Heat sinks help keep LED components at temperatures below their specified maximum operating temperature. There are many different designs and various ways of optimizing heat sinks.

Over time, the technology has progressed with the use of new materials like carbon fiber and boron nitride. These materials are implemented into multi-layer PCBs to efficiently move heat from one fiber ply to the next. Due to their high cost, however, these materials will likely find limited use in future PCB fabrication and may not replace aluminum heat sinks in many LED applications.

Fin-based aluminum or copper heat sinks retain greater acceptance in many LED applications due to their low cost and ideal thermal dissipation characteristics. Aluminum has a highly acceptable thermal conductivity, while copper is about twice as high. Aluminum heat sinks are inexpensive; copper ones cost more and weigh more. Consequently, aluminum is chosen for most cost-effective applications, and copper is used in selected ones where performance reigns over cost.

Finally, while most heat sinks are finned to provide a simple way of increasing surface area for heat radiation and conduction. Newly developed special aluminum fin material is reported to be 15 percent more conductive than fin material used in previous heat sinks.  These current developments are sure to become as essential as the heat sink device itself.