The Role of Gold Fingers in Prototype PCBs: Materials, Uses, and Applications

By the usage of a legend on a prototype PCB, design engineers can easily identify the series of the component to be emplaced on the PCB, organizing switches, and test points, which are very vital as far as assembling, testing, and management of the PCBs are concerned. Despite the fact that there are three unique means employed in printing a prototype PCB legend in relation to PCB assembly and production, there are other aspects that actually make up the legend. Gold plating is among those things. This paper provides a brief background on the gold plating of Gold Finger PCB connectors commonly known as the gold fingers.