Understanding Electrical Measurements of Printed Circuit Boards

Electrical testing of PCBs is important to ensure the maintenance of adequate insulation between tracks and from side to side of the boards; the properties of the base materials should not be degraded below an acceptable level before boards are loaded with components. The paper describes testing methods relating to resistance, voltage clearance, capacitance, inductance, insulation resistance, volume resistivity, dielectric measurements, Q factor, and DC resistance of tracks and holes.