Plated through holes are holes drilled through a printed circuit board and coated with a conductive metal, usually copper, to create an electrical connection between layers of the board. They are commonly used for mounting through-hole components or providing interconnections in multi-layer PCBs.
The plating process involves depositing a thin layer of metal along the inner walls of the hole, allowing signals or power to pass from one layer to another. This ensures electrical continuity and mechanical strength for components inserted into the holes and soldered in place.
Plated through holes are essential in traditional and complex PCB designs, particularly where durability and layer-to-layer connectivity are required. Their quality is critical and is assessed according to standards such as IPC-A-600.
