Surface-Mount Technology: The Tech Behind a Surface Mounted Device

Technology as we know it has changed irrevocably over the time it was first introduced. From as early as prehistoric times to the present day, from the stone wheel to the automobile, from the typewriter to the laptop. Advancement and evolution are a common theme in our civilization, and technology is a part of both our civilization and its advancement.

I could spend a lot of time discussing the broad range of advancements we’ve had over the generations and centuries; but such would take no small number of words or time, time and words that this article is regrettably in short supply. So instead of covering the wide expanse of ocean that is technology, we will be taking a dip into one of its streams if you will. We will be discussing surface-mounted technology.

What is Surface Mounted Technology?

Surface-mount technology, or SMTs as they are commonly referred to as, are methods in which electrics or electrical components are mounted directly on the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). Those pieces you see on a computer’s motherboard, or those silver inlays and spots you might spot inside a broken TV’s remote, that’s all surface-mount technology. But that just describes the process; you see, the actual components mounted upon the circuit board, are what we call the surface-mount devices.

Surface-mount technology was first conceived in the 1960s, and while it didn’t see much use at first, it began to steadily become more apparent and utilized. By the 80s, over 10% of electronic devices used surface-mount technology. By the 90s, the vast majority of high-tech devices used surface-mount technology, as the tech was more efficient and easier to produce than printed circuit boards (PCB), which were at first the popular commodity of electronic products. It wasn’t long before PCBs became inferior to SMTs, and the latter became more popular than the former.

Find out more about surface-mount technology at the website below: https://en.wikipedia.org/

What are Surface Mounted Devices?

Surface-mount devices (see more here), or SMDs, are the electrical components that you see placed upon the circuit board. This is thanks to the applications of surface-mount technology, as we discussed above. All those little gold and silver pieces you see on a black or green circuit board. Those are all surface-mount devices.

Another common example of an SMD is a smart phone. Inside you’d find a small circuit board, one laid with much of the same formation and pieces that I stated earlier. And they don’t just include cell phones, SMDs can be found on any piece of technology that has a circuit board as a part of its design.

What Makes SMTs and SMDs So Important?

Surface-mount technology, and by extension, surface mounted device, are used by the majority of current electronic products. Most of these products are manufactured with a circuit board and the like attached, which makes them ideal candidates for SMT processes and SMDs to be attached to them. The technology behind SMTs made them far superior to other methods of technology like PCBs, as the former was more efficient in production than the latter.

The Benefits of SMTs and SMDs

The surface-mount technology and its devices have no shortage of benefits when it comes to the fields of electronics and technology. Some of these benefits include the following:

Compact- eliminates the necessity of drilling holes through the circuit board like PCBs, allowing components to instead be mounted upon the circuit board itself. This design allows smaller and thinner electronic devices like smartphones and tablets to exist today.
Assembly Density- makes use of both sides of the circuit board, which maximizes space for placing components. This helps in accommodating factors such as complex circuitry, which in turn allows advanced application function on motherboards, advanced medical machinery, etc.
Performance- SMTs have shorter lead lengths and reduced capacitance, which results in faster signal propagation and lower EMI. This is all tech jargon which in English, translates into high speed, high performance, and superior data transmission capabilities.
Cost- the process of producing SMTs and SMDs is less expensive in terms of labor and production efficacy. The materials to produce these products are smaller thanks to the compact size, which makes them less costly to produce in general.

Disadvantages of SMTs and SMDs

Despite all the clear advantages they offer, few things come without a cost. And surface-mount technology and its devices are no exception. Some of the disadvantages to producing such technology include:

Complex- because the materials are smaller, that makes SMDs harder to place correctly, and the error of margin is minimal if not nonexistent.
Damage- because of the former, there is a higher risk ofdamage incurred to the circuit boardand such damage, because of the design of SMDs, are harder to repair if they even can be without replacing the entire board itself.

Components of SMDs

SMDs are composed of no small number of devices embedded into the circuit board. They are many and varied in design and function. Because of this, I’ll only go over a few of the SMDs you are more than likely to find within a circuit board.

Surface Mount Resistor Networks- a chip with multipole resistors that are connected in a series with each other. They give more resistance than a single-resistor network because of their composition.
Surface Mount Capacitors- capacitors made from ceramic or tantalum.
Surface Mount Discrete Resistors- small and flat-shaped parts mounted upon the circuit board. They provide resistance to electrical output.

Conclusion

Technology is the epitome of advancement, and such advancement will only grow further and further beyond our own lives. While it’s enticing to dream of the future of what technology can provide, the current generation of its iteration is more than just substantial. With the creation and adaptation of surface-mount technology and in turn the surface mounted device, our capacity for electronics will only continue to evolve, and be more efficient and simpler to use in the process.