Printed circuit boards can be somewhat overwhelming to look at. Tiny wires and chips pack a dense space, with labels and numbers galore. Finding and reading the board serial number can seem an intimidating task if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. Luckily, the serial number is perhaps the most often-read number on the board, so it tends to be one of the most prominently displayed.
Instructions
1 Hold the board under a strong light.
2 Look through a magnifying glass for a large, uniform block. On many circuit boards, this will be gray or black. Usually, the only flat space large enough to display print is where the serial number generally resides.
3 Look at the text on the board for an unbroken string of six or more letters and numbers. The format of the letters and numbers varies by board, but the serial number is almost always the only one with a lengthy string. Be sure not to be confused by shorter strings of letters and/or numbers, which generally indicate other properties (for instance 22V for volt count of 128MB for size).
