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PCB design glossary

Trace

AKA: traces

A copper line on a PCB that carries a signal between two or more pads.

A trace is the physical copper line that implements a net on a PCB layer. Its width determines how much current it can safely carry; its geometry determines how it behaves at high speed.

Confusingly, "trace" and "net" are sometimes used interchangeably even though they're not the same: a single net is usually made up of several physical traces (and sometimes vias) connecting all the pins on that net.

Designing a board that uses trace?

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