Abstract: Circuit boards have a complex surface topology, which can lead to uneven coating thicknesses and inconsistent adhesion. To improve coating reliability, a circuit board is provided with a surface including a conductive-trace extending between a first solder-pad and a third pad. A solder-mask region covers a portion of the conductive-trace. A second solder-pad is provided, adjacent to a mask-free region arranged to be free of solder mask. The first solder-pad and second solder-pad are each arranged to retain at least one electrical connection of the same electrical component. A conformal-coating is provided to cover at least the solder-mask region and the mask-free region. By greatly reducing or minimizing the use of solder-mask in the region covered by the conformal-coating, encapsulation quality can be improved.