Object detection in printed circuit board quality control: comparing algorithms faster region-based convolutional neural networks and YOLOv8

Along with the development of electronic technology, the integration of numerous components on printed circuit board (PCB) boards has resulted in increasingly complex and intricate layouts. Small defects in traces can lead to failures in electronic functions, making the inspection of PCB surface layouts a critical process in quality control. Given the limitations of manual inspection, which struggles to detect such defects due to their size and complexity, there is a growing need for a PCB inspection system that utilizes automated optical inspection (AOI) based on deep learning detection. This research develops and compares two deep learning algorithms, faster region-based convolutional neural networks (R-CNN) and YOLOv8, to identify the most effective algorithm for detecting defects on PCB layouts. The findings of this study indicate that the YOLOv8 algorithm outperforms faster R-CNN, with the YOLOv8x variant emerging as the best model for defect detection. The YOLOv8x model achieved performance scores of 0.962 (mAP@50), 0.503 (mAP@50:95), 0.953 (Precision), 0.945 (Recall), and 0.949 (F1-score). These results provide a strong foundation for further research into the application of AOI for PCB defect detection and other quality control processes in manufacturing, using optimized deep learning models.