Chip-on-board is a packaging technique where a bare integrated circuit die is glued directly onto the circuit board and wire-bonded to copper pads. The entire assembly is then covered with a protective blob of black epoxy. This eliminates the need for individual IC packages, saving space and reducing manufacturing costs.
Heard on the job
The new LED matrix uses COB technology to pack the emitters tighter than standard SMD parts allow.
Insider tip
You will often see COB on cheap consumer electronics as a black blob of epoxy covering the main microcontroller.
Also heard as
- Chip-on-board