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Electrical & Electronics Engineering vocabulary · PCB Design and Manufacturing

Trace

Meaning in electrical & electronics engineering, with examples

/treɪs/nounCore term

In electrical & electronics engineering, trace means: A copper line on a PCB that carries current or a signal between pads, working like a flat wire. British engineers often call it a track.

In Turkish: yol, PCB yolu, bakır yol

How it is used

Used in PCB layout and repair. You route, widen, shorten or cut a trace, and talk about trace width, trace length, power traces and broken traces. The width of a trace depends on the current it carries and the copper thickness.

Example sentences

  1. This trace is too thin for 3 A; make it at least 1.5 mm wide.

  2. We cut the trace and added a jumper wire to fix the prototype.

Common collocations

  • trace width
  • route a trace
  • cut a trace
  • power trace
  • signal trace
  • PCBShort for printed circuit board: a flat board of insulating material with copper tracks that hold electronic components and connect them to each other.
  • viaA small plated hole in a PCB that connects a trace or copper area on one layer to another layer.
  • ground planeA large, continuous area of copper on a PCB layer that is connected to ground. It gives signals a short, low-impedance return path and helps reduce noise.
  • impedanceThe total opposition a circuit offers to alternating current, combining resistance and reactance. It is measured in ohms and usually changes with frequency.
  • footprintThe pattern of copper pads, holes and markings on a PCB that matches a component's package, so that the part can be placed and soldered correctly.

More terms: PCB Design and Manufacturing

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