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SMT = The Computer Weight Loss Success Story

Back in the day computers used to be SO BIG because all the components of the motherboard were attached to the board by a process called through-hole mounting. This process allowed for heavy components to be secured to the motherboard.  If you think about this, it makes sense! The technology back in the day was very heavy and bulky if you were looking at a computer as a whole or if you were to open up the computer and inspect a single component. So, with a large component that needs to be attached directly to a motherboard, the motherboard will have to be, strong enough to hold the weight and size of this component and many more for that matter, for the computer to be operational. Engineers figured attaching these components via “through-hole mounting” would be the best way to secure the component but the down-side to this process is the overall weight and only being able to use one side of the motherboard to attach all of the components.

This is an example of through-hole technology

Luckily today and for some time, the use of through-hole mounting is not used unless it’s to secure a large component that is either physically used by the user such as USB inputs, some DC power jacks, HDMI inputs, etc. Now, all your components are integrated onto the board using surface mounted technology or SMT for short. Surface mounted technology is held on to the board by soldered joints. These, soldered joints connect the component to tiny solder pads that are on the surface of the motherboard. For example a video chip can look like just a piece of plastic on the board where the soldered joints to the board are underneath this plastic in a Ball Grid Array (BGA) to secure the chip in place and for connectivity to the proper sectors of the component for communication. So, if these chips are mounted at the surface of the motherboard than, the reverse side of the board is untouched unlike attaching them using through-hole mounting to secure them in place.

This is the under side of a SMT chip showing the BGA  pattern and next to it is what you will see of the SMT chip if you were looking at it mounted on the motherboard.

Now, this is where we can observe the difference in the mounting technology and see why the household computer continues to become, smaller and lighter. SMT chips generally weigh very little and do not need to be secured to the motherboard by any other means than the connections it uses for communications on a single side of the board. Apposed to being connected for communications and secured to the board physically with through-hole mounting rendering the opposite, side of the board useless where the component is mounted, leaving more precious motherboard real estate available for yet, more components.

 As time goes on, the SMT chips are becoming smaller and lighter making your gadgets smaller, faster and smarter all with credit to surface mounted technology. It’s quite amazing less than 20 years ago the idea of having a computer that would fit in your pocket was not even a thought. Where is today, cell phones are capable of running laps around the personal computer. This is possible only by the amazing technology that is surface mounted to the ever sliming motherboard in your under appricated gadget that you use daily.

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