Charred PCBs

Now and again something goes amiss in a circuit: one or more components overheat, and the circuit board becomes partly charred or burnt. Such overheating normally results from too much current flowing through components that cannot handle the load. Recent research in the Elektor Electronics lab has shown that the same effect can also be achieved without connecting power to the circuit. What’s more, the process has been perfected, so it’s not limited to a localized charred or burnt area.