Printed electronic circuit explained

A printed electronic circuit (PEC) was an ancestor of the hybrid integrated circuit (IC). PECs were common in tube (valve) equipment from the 1940s through the 1970s.

Brands

Couplate was the Centralab trademark, whilst Sprague called them BulPlates. Aerovox used the generic PEC.^{[1] [2]}

Difference from hybrid integrated circuits

PECs contained only resistors and capacitors arranged in circuits to simplify construction of tube equipment. Also, their voltage ratings were suitable for tubes. Later, hybrid ICs contained transistors, and often monolithic integrated circuits. Their voltage ratings were suitable for the transistors they contained.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Vintage Components: The PEC, a.k.a. Couplate or BulPlate . The DHTS Store . 2018-06-06.
2. Allied Radio Catalog 150 (1956) Allied Radio Company, Chicago, pp.123
3. Web site: Printed circuits . www.dhtechservices.com .