As an electronic device is constructed or modified, the printed circuit board, to which all the components are affixed, may start to become a little crowded. Increasingly sophisticated functions of some devices often necessitate the addition of numerous components. Although new technology is responsible for creating smaller, more efficient components, the rate of advancement is not always fast enough to catch up with the problem of overcrowded printed circuit boards. This is where surface mount headers come in handy.

Surface mount headers are adapter-like devices that are designed to promote an efficient system in several ways. The most significant of these contributions is the organization and consolidation of the amount of activity that can crowd a system. When too many components are attached in too close a proximity to each other on a PCB, the entire device runs the risk of malfunction, dissipation, and other problems stemming from negative and accidental interaction between components. Surface mount headers are tiny devices that can be attached to the PCB, which then acts as an intermediary for all other components that are then attached to the board.

Increasing PCB Space

Surface mount headers usually feature a pin grid array interface, as opposed to the ball grid array interface of most integrated circuits and adapters. BGA interfaces are very useful for creating and maintaining the most miniscule and intricate connections. The PGA interface of surface mount headers is beneficial when attempting to secure the connection to a more sophisticated component. PGA interfaces lock the component in place when a row of tiny, numbered pins on the component is inserted into a corresponding opening on the PCB.

Once a surface mount header is attached to the PCB, it can be used as a surrogate surface. Components and adapters that are normally affixed to the PCB can be attached to the header, which provides as many interfaces or surfaces as the PCB itself. The difference is that the PCB can be damaged if too many conflicting actions and components are attached to it simultaneously. Surface mount headers reduce this threat by freeing up a good deal of the printed circuit board's surface.