Why Are Circuits on Boards?

[Trader]

[Renate]

For quality use point-to-point wiring!

[fordem]

Is this a serious question?  Ease of repair is the answer - and that is six words, six seconds to read, it doesn't need a seventeen minute video to answer.

[Doctorandus_P]

Who repairs PCB's these days?

It's just currently the cheapest method to mass produce these things with a quite high reliability.

[fubgumfaw]

Who repairs PCB's these days?

It's just currently the cheapest method to mass produce these things with a quite high reliability.

I started doing component level repair in 1988 as a job. It's been a long time now since I got paid for it, but I still repair lots of things myself for friends. This is not a lost art.

[TimFox]

The fundamental reason why PCBs took over circuit manufacture is repeatability of construction and performance.

[Stray Electron]

Who repairs PCB's these days?

It's just currently the cheapest method to mass produce these things with a quite high reliability.

  I do! In most cases it's easier to replace one component than it is to replace an entire CCA. Also the Canadian Army does. The US military, not so much any more.  Not many commercial companies do either but MANY individuals do!  Just read some of the forums for Tektronix, HP, LeCroy and other brand names.

   Good luck getting a replacement circuit board from MOST companies! Many don't make or sell spare boards and replace the entire item instead.

[Stray Electron]

 "Why Are Circuits on Boards?"

   Because trees are too hard to move around! 

[Dave8266]

Circuit boards are the 2.5D solution to a 3D problem.
It's an extremely favorable way to simplify an assembly, for humans, computers, and machines alike.

[tggzzz]

There are alternatives, e.g. https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/

[mikerj]

There are alternatives, e.g. https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/

Alternatives for prototyping for sure, but nothing really suitable for production.  What else could you mount e.g. a fine pitch BGA with hundreds of pins on other than a PCB of some type?

[tggzzz]

There are alternatives, e.g. https://entertaininghacks.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/prototyping-circuits-easy-cheap-fast-reliable-techniques/

Alternatives for prototyping for sure, but nothing really suitable for production.  What else could you mount e.g. a fine pitch BGA with hundreds of pins on other than a PCB of some type?

I see you haven't looked at the reference.

If you had you would have seen some pictures of old commercial products, and notes to the effect that some techniques are used in specialised high-end equipment. There are others not shown, of course. Wirewrap and IDC springs to mind. I forget the name of the technique that laid point-to-point wires and buried them in epoxy - great for low volume high density boards without needing many-layer PCBs.

[Gyro]

I forget the name of the technique that laid point-to-point wires and buried them in epoxy - great for low volume high density boards without needing many-layer PCBs.

Oh yes, I remember being fascinated by the ads for those in EDN. It must have been late '80s / early '90s. I think their claimed USP was fast turnaround. I think it was only one company that ever offered the process, and was probably scuppered by improved turnarounds on multilayer boards at much lower cost, they didn't survive anyway. I remember thinking that it might end up a bit bumpy with all the overlapping wire junctions crossovers.