What Is A+ Grade Circuit Board Scrap?
A+ Grade is an internal Ohata classification for qualifying industrial, enterprise, computer, storage, and professional electronic circuit boards. It is positioned between S Grade and A Grade within the Ohata Board Scrap Classification.
A+ Grade covers a broader range of electronic applications than SS or S Grade. For that reason, its boards do not all have the same size, shape, color, connector type, or component layout. A compact Apple logic board, a SATA HDD controller board, and a large CNC control board can look entirely different while qualifying for the same grade.
A+ Grade is determined by the complete board’s construction, component density, installed ICs, connectors, original application, completeness, condition, and expected recoverable-material profile.
A board does not qualify simply because it came from expensive machinery, carries a recognized industrial name, or was designed for professional use. Manufacturers often produce high-density processor boards together with simpler power, terminal, display, interface, and backplane boards that may belong to different Ohata categories.
All boards that meet the current Ohata A+ Grade standard are purchased under the applicable A+ Grade category regardless of brand prestige, original equipment cost, or working condition.
Learn more: A+ Grade vs A Grade Circuit Boards Ohata Scrap Identification & Recycling Guide
Which Boards May Qualify as A+ Grade?
Common A+ Grade candidates include:
Industrial control boards: Qualifying PLC CPU boards, CNC controllers, robotics controllers, process-control boards, industrial communication boards, and other advanced control electronics.
Apple logic boards: Qualifying Apple laptop and other applicable Apple logic boards with dense, substantially complete component layouts.
SATA HDD controller boards: Qualifying hard-drive boards with SATA interfaces and their original controller components.
Enterprise and server boards: Selected multi-processor or high-density server boards that meet the applicable A+ construction requirements.
Specialized professional boards: Certain medical, laboratory, automation, communication, and high-density processing boards.
Selected small gold-finger boards: Qualifying Wi-Fi, M.2, and similar compact boards purchased within the applicable A+ category.
These are candidate groups, not automatic classifications. A PLC system may contain a qualifying CPU board together with lower-density input/output, terminal, display, or power boards. A server may also contain several different board grades.
The name of the equipment identifies where the board came from, but the physical board determines its Ohata grade.
Carrier-grade telecom switching, optical transport, cellular base-station, and network-backbone boards should first be compared with SS Grade. Legacy boards with three or more qualifying ceramic CPUs and qualifying non-SATA HDD controller boards should be compared with S Grade.
How to Identify a Possible A+ Grade Board
Begin by identifying the board’s original function and then examine the complete assembly.
Inspection point
What to examine
Original application
Industrial control, Apple computer, SATA HDD, server, medical, robotics, or professional equipment
Main processors
Installed CPUs, BGAs, FPGAs, DSPs, ASICs, or other control devices
IC population
Quantity, type, distribution, and evidence of removed packages
Connectors
Industrial I/O, board-to-board, storage, memory, communication, or edge connectors
Board coverage
Component density on one or both sides
Storage interface
SATA or non-SATA connection on HDD controller boards
Completeness
Original processors, controllers, memory, connectors, and PCB sections
Condition
Breakage, corrosion, burning, contamination, battery leakage, or removed components
1. Specialized processing and control components
A+ Grade boards may contain microprocessors, BGA packages, digital signal processors, FPGAs, ASICs, memory devices, industrial controllers, communication ICs, and power-management components.
These names describe different types of integrated circuits. Their presence can support identification, but one large BGA or FPGA does not automatically establish A+ Grade. Inspectors consider how the major chips relate to the complete board.
2. Industrial interfaces and connectors
Industrial control boards may use terminal connectors, serial communication ports, board-to-board connectors, backplane connections, relay circuits, isolated interfaces, or specialized machine-control connections.
Connector size alone does not indicate recycling value. Large plastic terminal blocks can add substantial size and weight without proving that the electronic section meets A+ Grade.
3. Markings and model information
Part numbers, equipment labels, assembly codes, and manufacturer markings can help identify whether a board came from a PLC, CNC machine, industrial robot, Apple computer, server, or hard drive.
Companies such as Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi Electric, Fanuc, Omron, ABB, Honeywell, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, and Apple manufacture many different board types. Their names are useful identification clues, not grade guarantees.
Important A+ Grade Board Types
Industrial control boards
Qualifying PLC CPU, CNC, robotics, and process-control boards often combine a main processor with memory, communication controllers, supporting ICs, and industrial interfaces.
Separate the main processing board from simpler terminal, relay, power, or input/output boards whenever practical. These boards may come from the same machine but may not receive the same grade.
Apple logic boards
Qualifying Apple logic boards may have compact shapes and components installed densely on both sides. Depending on the model, visible features can include BGA processors, memory packages, storage components, power-management ICs, and small high-density connectors.
Apple branding does not replace inspection. The board should remain substantially complete, with its processors, chipsets, permanently installed memory, connectors, and original PCB sections present.
Non-Apple laptop motherboards are generally evaluated under a separate category and should not automatically be mixed with qualifying A+ Apple logic boards.
SATA HDD controller boards
A SATA hard-drive controller board normally has L-shaped SATA data and power connections. It should retain its main controller IC, motor driver, firmware components, memory where originally installed, and original connectors.
Qualifying SATA HDD boards are associated with A+ Grade, while qualifying non-SATA HDD controller boards are evaluated separately under the S Grade category. Confirm the interface rather than relying on the drive’s age, manufacturer, or physical size.
The board should also be separated from the hard-drive body, loose steel covers, platters, magnets, and unrelated hardware when required by the applicable purchasing category.
Server and enterprise boards
Some high-density or multi-processor server boards may qualify for A+ Grade, but socket count alone is insufficient. The installed processors or socket configuration, IC population, connectors, board construction, completeness, and current Ohata reference examples must be considered together.
A large server board with empty sockets or sparse component coverage should not be promoted to A+ Grade solely because of its dimensions or original application.
Medical and professional equipment boards
Boards from medical, laboratory, scientific, and professional systems may contain advanced processing, signal-control, memory, and interface circuitry. However, these systems also contain simpler power, display, relay, and connector boards.
Do not classify a board as A+ merely because it came from medical or scientific equipment. The actual board must meet the same A+ construction and component requirements as other qualifying material.
Why A+ Grade Boards Have Higher Recycling Value
A+ Grade boards often combine substantial component density with specialized processors, control devices, memory, connectors, and complex PCB construction.
Copper commonly represents a large portion of the recoverable metal by weight. It is present in PCB traces, internal conductive layers, power-distribution areas, inductors, transformers, and connectors.
Gold may be present on edge contacts, connector surfaces, processor contacts, socket contacts, and selected plated pins. Tin, nickel, silver, and other metals may also be present depending on the board’s age and construction.
The exact composition varies among manufacturers, models, applications, and production periods. A photograph cannot confirm internal layer count, copper weight, plating thickness, bonding-wire material, or the quantity of a particular precious metal.
A compact board can have greater recycling value than a much larger board when it contains a denser and more valuable electronic assembly. Conversely, a large industrial board may contain extensive empty areas, oversized connectors, or heavy low-value attachments.
A+ Grade value comes from the combined recoverable-material profile of the complete board, not its size, weight, original cost, or one visible gold-colored feature.
A+ Grade Boundaries and Common Mistakes
SS Grade primarily covers qualifying high-value telecommunications and enterprise communication boards, including advanced switching, optical transport, cellular, and network-backbone equipment. A lower-density industrial communication board may qualify for A+, while a substantially denser carrier-grade processing board may require SS Grade evaluation.
S Grade focuses more strongly on qualifying legacy computer and storage boards, particularly boards with three or more qualifying ceramic CPUs and certain non-SATA HDD controller boards. A+ Grade does not require three ceramic CPUs and includes qualifying SATA HDD boards instead.
A Grade covers separate computer-board categories, including qualifying non-Apple laptop motherboards and other applicable computer or expansion boards. A professional-looking board should not be promoted to A+ without meeting its specific requirements.
Common classification mistakes include:
assuming every industrial or medical board is A+ Grade
classifying every Apple-branded board as A+
confusing SATA and non-SATA HDD controller boards
relying only on a large BGA package or CPU socket
treating every multi-socket server board as A+
judging a board by manufacturer, model, size, age, or original price
overlooking missing processors, controllers, memory, or connectors
A+ Grade should not become a general category for every board that appears complicated or comes from commercial equipment.
Buying, Downgrade, and Rejection Guidance
A+ Grade boards should be delivered substantially complete, clean, dry, and identifiable. Processors, BGA packages, memory devices, industrial controllers, communication ICs, connectors, gold fingers, and original PCB sections should remain attached.
Steel chassis parts, large heatsinks, cooling fans, plastic housings, loose cables, mounting frames, and unrelated hardware may be separated when this can be done without damaging the board. Batteries should be handled separately, particularly when they are swollen, leaking, corroded, or otherwise damaged.
A board may be downgraded when processors or major controller ICs have been removed, gold fingers have been cut, important connectors are missing, or PCB sections have been broken away. Heavy corrosion, battery leakage, water damage, burning, carbonization, oil, mud, chemicals, and other contamination may also affect classification.
Minor dust, surface discoloration, scratches, or ordinary evidence of use do not automatically prevent A+ Grade classification when the board remains complete and identifiable.
Severely burned, chemically treated, hazardous, deliberately misrepresented, heavily contaminated, or extensively fragmented boards may be rejected. Different board grades and board types should be kept separate whenever practical.
Do not burn boards, scrape plated contacts, cut off gold fingers, remove chips with uncontrolled heat, or apply chemicals to test for precious metals. These actions can reduce recoverable value and create health, fire, and environmental hazards.
Final classification is determined by the board’s construction, component density, installed processors and ICs, completeness, condition, recoverable-material profile, and current buying requirements.
Related References Resources
Readers may also find the following Ohata Board classification resources helpful:
