
The determined drive toward miniaturization in electronics has led to increasingly complex printed circuit board (PCB) designs, posing significant challenges for object detection and inspection processes. This research introduces an innovative method to improve the detection of small objects on PCBs by integrating advanced multiscale layer fusion techniques with the YOLOv8 object detection framework. Leveraging the capabilities of YOLOv8, the proposed methodology addresses the limitations imposed by low-resolution imaging systems, thereby enhancing the reliability and accuracy of small-object detection. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is assessed through experimentation and validation, showcasing its ability to detect small components and defects on PCBs. The results indicate superior performance compared to existing methods, with a mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) of 99.30% and an inference speed of 161 frames per second (FPS). This high FPS and high accuracy facilitate real-time processing, making the model suitable for deployment in time-sensitive industrial environments.