Close up shot on microchips production line in industry factory. A printed circuit board (PCB) mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components using conductive tracks, pads and other features etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. PCBs can be single sided (one copper layer), double sided (two copper layers) or multi-layer. Conductors on different layers are connected with plated-through holes called vias. Advanced PCBs may contain components – capacitors, resistors or active devices – embedded in the substrate.