U.S. patent application number 13/915644 was filed with the patent office on 2013-12-26 for circuit board system with mechanical protection.
The applicant listed for this patent is TELLABS OY. Invention is credited to Antti HOLMA, Peter KOKKO.
Application Number | 20130343008 13/915644 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48577603 |
Filed Date | 2013-12-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130343008 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HOLMA; Antti ; et
al. |
December 26, 2013 |
CIRCUIT BOARD SYSTEM WITH MECHANICAL PROTECTION
Abstract
A circuit board system including mechanical protection of
electrical components includes a circuit board (101) furnished with
electrical components (103-111) and a protection element (102)
attached to areas of the circuit board which are free from the
electrical components. The protection element has thickness in the
direction perpendicular to the circuit board and it is shaped to
leave the electrical components unscreened in the direction
perpendicular to the circuit board. Thus, the protection element
constitutes barriers protecting the electrical components but still
allows the electrical components to be accessed from the direction
perpendicular to the circuit board for example in a flying probe
testing. The body of the protection element can be made of same
material as the electrically insulating body of the circuit board.
Thus, the thermal expansion co-efficient of the protection element
can be substantially the same as that of the circuit board.
Inventors: |
HOLMA; Antti; (Espoo,
FI) ; KOKKO; Peter; (Espoo, FI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TELLABS OY |
Espoo |
|
FI |
|
|
Family ID: |
48577603 |
Appl. No.: |
13/915644 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/748 ; 29/593;
29/832 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 3/306 20130101;
H05K 3/303 20130101; H05K 2201/10303 20130101; H05K 3/222 20130101;
H05K 3/30 20130101; H05K 2201/1059 20130101; H05K 3/22 20130101;
H05K 2201/2018 20130101; H05K 1/02 20130101; H05K 2203/162
20130101; Y10T 29/49004 20150115; Y10T 29/4913 20150115; H05K
2201/10189 20130101; H05K 2201/09972 20130101; H05K 2201/10363
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/748 ; 29/832;
29/593 |
International
Class: |
H05K 1/02 20060101
H05K001/02; H05K 3/30 20060101 H05K003/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 26, 2012 |
FI |
20125725 |
Claims
1. A circuit board system comprising: a circuit board furnished
with electrical components on a surface of the circuit board, and
at least one protection element attached to areas of the surface of
the circuit board which are free from the electrical components,
the protection element having thickness in a direction
perpendicular to the circuit board and width and length in
directions parallel with the circuit board, the protection element
being shaped to leave the electrical components unscreened in the
direction perpendicular to the circuit board and the width of the
protection element being greater than the thickness of the
protection element, wherein the protection element comprises
electrically conductive parts connected to electrically conductive
parts of the circuit board and providing at least one galvanic
connection between a first functional entity of the circuit board
system and a second functional entity of the circuit board
system.
2. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
protection element is attached to the circuit board with at least
one of the following: glue, screws, soldering, press-fit pins.
3. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the first
functional entity of the circuit board system is a power supply
converter of the circuit board system and the second functional
entity of the circuit board system is a signal processing part of
the circuit board system.
4. A circuit board system according to claim 3, wherein the signal
processing part of the circuit board system comprises a processing
system for supporting at least one of the following data transfer
protocols: Internet Protocol IP, Ethernet protocol, MultiProtocol
Label Switching MPLS protocol, Asynchronous Transfer Mode
"ATM".
5. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
electrically conductive parts of the circuit board comprise
electrically conductive linings of holes of the circuit board, and
the electrically conductive parts of the protection element
comprise electrically conductive pins pushed to the holes of the
circuit board and an electrical conductor between the pins.
6. A circuit board system according to claim 5, wherein the pins of
the protection element are press-fit pins providing friction fits
with the electrically conductive linings of the holes of the
circuit board.
7. A circuit board system according to claim 5, wherein the pins of
the protection element are soldered to the electrically conductive
linings of the holes of the circuit board.
8. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
electrically conductive parts of the protection element comprise
electrically conductive linings of holes of the protection element
and an electrical conductor between the electrically conductive
linings, and the electrically conductive parts of the circuit board
comprise electrically conductive pins pushed to the holes of the
protection element.
9. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
protection element has a netlike structure so that the protection
element comprises openings for the electrical components and
constitutes barriers between the electrical components.
10. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
protection element has a loop-shaped structure surrounding at least
one of the electrical components.
11. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
circuit board comprises first soldering pads on the surface of the
circuit board, and the protection element comprises corresponding
second soldering pads on a surface of the protection element, and
there are solder joints between the first soldering pads of the
circuit board and the second soldering pads of the protection
element.
12. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein a body of
the protection element is made of same material as an electrically
insulating body of the circuit board so as to make the thermal
expansion coefficient of the protection element to be substantially
same as that of the circuit board.
13. A circuit board system according to claim 1, wherein the
protection element comprises rubber so as to make the protection
element flexible.
14. A method for manufacturing a circuit board system, the method
comprising: furnishing a circuit board with electrical components
onto a surface of the circuit board, and attaching at least one
protection element to areas of the surface of the circuit board
which are free from the electrical components, the protection
element having thickness in a direction perpendicular to the
circuit board and width and length in directions parallel with the
circuit board, the protection element being shaped to leave the
electrical components unscreened in the direction perpendicular to
the circuit board and the width of the protection element being
greater than the thickness of the protection element, wherein the
attaching the at least one protection element to the areas of the
surface of the circuit board comprises providing, with the aid of
the protection element, at least one galvanic connection between
first and second functional entities of the circuit board system,
the first functional entity comprising first ones of the electrical
components and the second functional entity comprising second ones
of the electrical components.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein, the circuit board and
the at least one protection element comprise soldering pads, and
the at least one protection element is attached to the circuit
board in a same soldering process in which those of the electrical
components that are surface mounted devices "SMD" are attached to
the circuit board.
16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the method comprises,
after the furnishing of the circuit board with the electrical
components and prior to attaching the at least one protection
element to the areas of the surface of the circuit board: testing
the first functional entity, and testing the second functional
entity, the first and second functional entities being tested
separately from each other, and after the attaching the at least
one protection element to the areas of the surface of the circuit
board: testing functionality of the circuit board system so that
the first and second functional entities are co-operating with each
other via the at least one galvanic connection during the testing
of the functionality.
17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the first functional
entity of the circuit board system is a power supply converter of
the circuit board system and the second functional entity of the
circuit board system is a signal processing part of the circuit
board system.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a circuit board system comprising
mechanical protection of electrical components. Furthermore, the
invention relates to a method for manufacturing a circuit board
system comprising mechanical protection of electrical
components.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A typical circuit board system comprises a circuit board
furnished with electrical components. The circuit board comprises a
body made of one or more layers of electrically insulating material
and electrical conductors on one or both of the surfaces of the
circuit board and/or between the layers of the electrically
insulating material. Each of the electrical components can be, for
example, an integrated circuit such as a processor or a memory, or
a discrete component such as a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor,
a transistor, or a diode.
[0003] A circuit board system can be subjected to damaging
mechanical impacts in many situations. For example, the circuit
board system can be a part of a plug-in unit where the circuit
board constitutes a body of the plug-in unit and where edges of the
circuit board slide in corresponding support elements of a frame or
another device for receiving the plug-in unit when the plug-in unit
is being installed. If the plug-in unit is being pushed into the
frame or the other device in a glancing or otherwise wrong
direction, the electrical components of the circuit board system
may hit to neighboring plug-in units and/or to structures of the
device receiving the plug-in unit.
[0004] A known arrangement for protecting electrical components
against mechanical impacts comprises a shield plate which is
parallel to a circuit board and which is installed to the circuit
board with spacers so that there is room for electrical components
between the circuit board and the shield plate. An inconveniency
related to this protection arrangement is unsuitability for
applications where the circuit board system has to be as thin as
possible in the direction perpendicular to the circuit board.
Furthermore, different thermal expansion coefficients of the
circuit board and the shield plate may cause mechanical stresses
and/or deformations in the circuit board system.
SUMMARY
[0005] The following presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention
embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the
invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical
elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the
invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of
the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed
description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.
[0006] In accordance with the first aspect of the invention, there
is provided a new circuit board system that can be, for example but
not necessarily, a part of a telecommunication equipment. The
circuit board system according to the invention comprises: [0007] a
circuit board furnished with electrical components on a surface of
the circuit board, and [0008] at least one protection element
attached to areas of the surface of the circuit board which are
free from the electrical components, the protection element having
thickness in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board and
width and length in directions parallel with the circuit board, the
protection element being shaped to leave the electrical components
unscreened in the direction perpendicular to the circuit board and
the width of the protection element being greater than the
thickness of the protection element, wherein the protection element
comprises electrically conductive parts connected to electrically
conductive parts of the circuit board and providing at least one
galvanic connection between a first functional entity of the
circuit board system and a second functional entity of the circuit
board system.
[0009] The protection element is shaped to leave the electrical
components unscreened in the direction perpendicular to the circuit
board. Thus, the protection element allows the electrical
components to be accessed from the direction perpendicular to the
circuit board for example in a flying probe "FP" testing.
Furthermore, the protection element does not excessively hinder the
cooling of the electrical components because the electrical
components are unscreened in the direction perpendicular to the
circuit board. Furthermore, the protection element does not
increase the thickness of the circuit board system in the direction
perpendicular to the circuit board if the thickness of the
protection element is at most the maximum of the heights of all
components on the surface of the circuit board, where the heights
are measured from the surface of the circuit board. Also in this
case, the protection element is capable of protecting the
components against mechanical impacts in directions parallel to the
circuit board and in directions having a slight angle with respect
to the surface of the circuit board. The thickness of the
protection element is advantageously, but not necessarily, greater
than the maximum of the heights of the electrical components to be
protected and lower than the maximum of the heights of all
components on the surface of the circuit board. If the thickness of
the protection element is greater than the maximum of the heights
of the electrical components to be protected, the protection
element is capable of protecting these electrical components in a
situation in which the circuit board is being pressed against a
wide flat surface.
[0010] In a circuit board system according to an advantageous,
exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the body of the
protection element is made of same material as the electrically
insulating body of the circuit board so as to make the thermal
expansion coefficient of the protection element to be substantially
the same as that of the circuit board. In a circuit board system
according to another advantageous, exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the protection element comprises rubber so as to make
the protection element flexible and thereby capable of adapting to
the thermal expansion of the circuit board.
[0011] In accordance with the second aspect of the invention, there
is provided a new method for manufacturing a circuit board system.
The method according to the invention comprises: [0012] furnishing
a circuit board with electrical components onto a surface of the
circuit board, and [0013] attaching at least one protection element
to areas of the surface of the circuit board which are free from
the electrical components, the protection element having thickness
in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board and width and
length in directions parallel with the circuit board, the
protection element being shaped to leave the electrical components
unscreened in the direction perpendicular to the circuit board and
the width of the protection element being greater than the
thickness of the protection element, wherein the attaching the at
least one protection element to the areas of the surface of the
circuit board comprises providing, with the aid of the protection
element, at least one galvanic connection between first and second
functional entities of the circuit board system, the first
functional entity comprising first ones of the electrical
components and the second functional entity comprising second ones
of the electrical components.
[0014] A method according to an advantageous, exemplifying
embodiment of the invention comprises the following actions after
the furnishing of the circuit board with the electrical components:
[0015] testing a first functional entity comprising first ones of
the electrical components, [0016] testing a second functional
entity comprising second ones of the electrical components, the
first and second functional entities being tested separately from
each other, [0017] providing, with the aid of the protection
element, at least one galvanic connection between the first and
second functional entities when the protection element is attached
to the areas of the surface of the circuit board, and [0018]
testing functionality of the circuit board system so that the first
and second functional entities are co-operating with each other via
the at least one galvanic connection during the testing of the
functionality.
[0019] The above-mentioned first functional entity can be, for
example but not necessarily, a power supply converter of the
circuit board system. The above-mentioned second functional entity
can be, for example but not necessarily, a signal processing part
of the circuit board system.
[0020] A number of non-limiting exemplifying embodiments of the
invention are described in accompanied dependent claims.
[0021] Various non-limiting exemplifying embodiments of the
invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation,
together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be
best understood from the following description of specific
exemplifying embodiments when read in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
[0022] The verbs "to comprise" and "to include" are used in this
document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the
existence of unrecited features. The features recited in depending
claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly
stated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0023] The exemplifying embodiments of the invention and their
advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of
examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0024] FIG. 1a illustrates a circuit board system according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention,
[0025] FIG. 1b shows a schematic view of a section taken along the
line A-A shown in FIG. 1a,
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a section taken from a
detail of a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention,
[0027] FIGS. 3a illustrates a part of a circuit board system
according to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention,
[0028] FIG. 3b shows a schematic view of a section taken along the
line A-A shown in FIG. 3a.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a
circuit board system, and
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a
circuit board system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS
[0031] FIG. 1a illustrates a circuit board system according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1b shows a schematic
view of a section taken along the line A-A shown in FIG. 1a. The
circuit board system comprises a circuit board 101 furnished with
electrical components some of which are denoted with reference
numbers 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, and 111. In the
exemplifying case illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the circuit board
system comprises electrical connectors 123 and 124. The circuit
board system can be, for example, a plug-in unit which is installed
by pushing it in the x-direction of a coordinate system 190 into a
device for receiving the plug-in unit. The circuit board 101
comprises a body made of one or more layers of electrically
insulating material and electrical conductors on one or both of the
surfaces of the circuit board and/or between the layers of the
electrically insulating material. Each of the electrical components
can be an integrated circuit such as a processor or a memory, or a
discrete component such as a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a
transistor, or a diode. In the exemplifying case illustrated in
FIGS. 1a and 1b, the electrical components 103, 104, 105, 108, and
109 are integrated circuits and the electrical components 106, 107,
110, and 111 are discrete components.
[0032] The circuit board system comprises a protection element 102
attached to areas of the surface of the circuit board 101 which are
free from the electrical components. In the exemplifying case
illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the protection element 102 has a
netlike structure so that the protection element comprises openings
for the electrical components. Therefore, protection element 102 is
shaped to leave the electrical components unscreened in the
direction perpendicular to the circuit board, i.e. in the
z-direction of the coordinate system 190. Thus, the protection
element allows the electrical components to be accessed from the
direction perpendicular to the circuit board for example in a
flying probe "FP" testing.
[0033] The protection element 102 has thickness in the direction
perpendicular to the circuit board 101, i.e. in the z-direction of
the coordinate system 190. Thus, the protection element 102 forms
barriers capable of protecting the electrical components against
mechanical impacts in directions parallel to the circuit board,
i.e. in the xy-plane of to coordinate system 190, and in directions
having a slight angle with respect to the surface of the circuit
board. As can be seen from FIG. 1b, the protection element 101 does
not increase the thickness of the circuit board system in the
direction perpendicular to the circuit board if the thickness of
the protection element is at most the maximum of the heights of the
electrical components, where the heights are measured from the
surface of the circuit board.
[0034] In a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention, the body of the protection element 102
is made of the same material as the electrically insulating body of
the circuit board 101 so as to make the thermal expansion
coefficient of the protection element to be substantially the same
as that of the circuit board. The protection element can be
attached to the circuit board 101, for example, using glue, screws,
solder between surfaces of the circuit board and the protection
element, press-fit "PF" or soldered pins in mutually corresponding
holes of the circuit board and the protection element, and/or plugs
shaped so that they provide form locking with edges of holes of the
circuit board.
[0035] In a circuit board system according to another exemplifying
embodiment of the invention, the protection element 102 comprises
rubber so as to make the protection element flexible and thereby
capable of adapting to the thermal expansion of the circuit board.
The protection element 102 can be attached to the circuit board
101, for example, using glue. A protection element having a
glue-surface is straightforward to attach to the circuit board. It
can be attached to the circuit board in any of various
manufacturing phases, or even in end-user's premises. In addition
or alternatively, the protection element may comprise, for example,
plugs that are pushed to holes of the circuit board in order to
attach the protection element to the circuit board. The plugs are
advantageously shaped so that they provide form locking with the
edges of the holes of the circuit board. The plugs can be a same
piece with the protection element.
[0036] In a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention, the protection element 102 comprises
electrically conductive parts connected to corresponding
electrically conductive parts of the circuit board and providing at
least one galvanic connection between a first functional entity 121
of the circuit board system and a second functional entity 122 of
the circuit board system. The first functional entity 121 can be,
for example but not necessarily, a DC-to-DC or AC-to-DC power
supply converter of the circuit board system and the second
functional entity 122 can be, for example but not necessarily, a
signal processing part of the circuit board system. For another
example, the first functional entity 121 can be an analogue signal
processing part of the circuit board system and the second
functional entity 122 can be a digital signal processing part of
the circuit board system. For still one example, the first
functional entity 121 can be an equalizer of a digital signal
processing part of the circuit board system and the second
functional entity 122 can be a detector of the digital signal
processing part.
[0037] The circuit board system can be, for example but not
necessarily, a part of a telecommunication device, wherein the
signal processing part of the circuit board system may comprise a
processing system for supporting one or more data transfer
protocols such as, for example, Internet Protocol "IP", Ethernet
protocol, MultiProtocol Label Switching "MPLS" protocol, and
Asynchronous Transfer Mode "ATM". The above-described arrangement,
where the protection element 102 connects the functional entities
121 and 122 to each other, allows the functional entities to be
tested separately prior to installing the protection element, and
subsequent installation of the protection element makes the circuit
board system ready for functional testing where the functional
entities 121 and 122 are co-operating with each other.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a section taken from a
detail of a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention. The detail illustrated in FIG. 2 can
be, for example, the detail 140 shown in FIG. 1b. The protection
element 202 comprises holes provided with electrically conductive
linings 213 and 214, and an electrical conductor 212 providing a
galvanic connection between the electrically conductive linings 213
and 214. The circuit board 201 comprises holes provided with
electrically conductive linings 217 and 218. Furthermore, there are
electrically conductive pins 215 and 216 which connect the
electrically conductive linings of the holes of the protection
element 202 to the electrically conductive linings of the
respective holes of the circuit board 201 as illustrated in FIG. 2.
The electrically conductive lining 217 of the circuit board is
connected to an electrical conductor 219 of the circuit board, and
the electrically conductive lining 218 of the circuit board is
connected to an electrical conductor 220 of the circuit board. The
electrical conductor 219 is a part of a first functional entity,
e.g. a power supply converter, of the circuit board system and the
electrical conductor 220 is a part of a second functional entity,
e.g. a signal processing part, of the circuit board system. As
illustrated in FIG. 2, the protection element 202 together with the
pins 215 and 216 form a galvanic connection between the
electrically conductive linings 217 and 218 and thereby connect the
first and second functional entities to each other.
[0039] In a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention, the pins 215 and 216 are press-fit
"PF" pins at their both ends, and therefore the pins provide
friction fits with the electrically conductive linings of the holes
of the circuit board and with the electrically conductive linings
of the holes of the protection element. In a circuit board system
according to another exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the
pins 215 and 216 are soldered to the protection element 202 at
their first ends, and the pins are press-fit pins at their second
ends providing friction fits with the electrically conductive
linings 217 and 218 of the holes of the circuit board. In a circuit
board system according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the pins 215 and 216 are soldered to the circuit board
201 at their second ends, and the pins are press-fit pins at their
first ends providing friction fits with the electrically conductive
linings 213 and 214 of the holes of the protection element 202. In
a circuit board system according to an exemplifying embodiment of
the invention, the pins 215 and 216 are soldered both to the
circuit board 201 and to the protection element 202.
[0040] FIG. 3a illustrates a part of a circuit board system
according to an exemplifying embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3b
shows a schematic view of a section taken along the line A-A shown
in FIG. 3a. In a circuit board system according to this
exemplifying embodiment of the invention, there are more than one
protection elements on the surface of a circuit board 301 and each
of the protection elements has a loop-shaped structure surrounding
at least one of the electrical components. In the exemplifying case
illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b, a protection element 302 surrounds
an electrical component 303 and a protection element 332 surrounds
electrical components 304 and 305. As illustrated in FIG. 3a, the
protection element 302 consists of two pieces which together form
the loop-shaped structure surrounding the electrical component
303.
[0041] In a circuit board system according to an exemplifying
embodiment of the invention, the circuit board 301 comprise
soldering pads on the surface of the circuit board, and the
protection elements 302 and 332 comprise corresponding soldering
pads. In this case, the protection elements are surface mounted
devices "SMD" and the protection elements can be attached to the
circuit board in the same SMD soldering process when electrical SMD
components are attached to the circuit board. The solder joints
between the soldering pads of the circuit board and the
corresponding soldering pads of the protection element can be used
for providing one or more galvanic connections between functional
entities of the circuit board system.
[0042] In the exemplifying embodiments of the invention illustrated
in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b, there are one or more protection
elements on only one side of the circuit board 101, 201, 301. It is
to be, however, noted that it is possible to have one or more
protection elements on both sides of the circuit board.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that the protection elements 102 and
332 shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 3a and 3b may consist of multiple
separate pieces each of which being attached to the surface of the
circuit board.
[0043] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a
circuit board system. The method comprises the following actions:
[0044] action 401: furnishing a circuit board with electrical
components, and [0045] action 402: attaching at least one
protection element to areas of a surface of the circuit board which
are free from the electrical components, the protection element
having thickness in the direction perpendicular to the circuit
board, wherein the protection element is shaped to leave the
electrical components unscreened in the direction perpendicular to
the circuit board.
[0046] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, a body of the protection element is made of the same
material as an electrically insulating body of the circuit board so
as to make the thermal expansion coefficient of the protection
element to be substantially the same as that of the circuit
board.
[0047] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the circuit board and the at least one protection
element comprise soldering pads and the at least one protection
element is attached to the circuit board in the same soldering
process in which electrical surface mounted device "SMD" components
are attached to the circuit board.
[0048] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the protection element comprises rubber so as to make
the protection element flexible and thereby capable of adapting to
the thermal expansion of the circuit board.
[0049] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method according to an
exemplifying embodiment of the invention for manufacturing a
circuit board system. The method comprises the following actions:
[0050] action 501: furnishing a circuit board with electrical
components, [0051] action 502: testing a first functional entity
comprising first ones of the electrical components, [0052] action
503: testing a second functional entity comprising second ones of
the electrical components, the first and second functional entities
being tested separately from each other, [0053] action 504:
attaching at least one protection element to areas of a surface of
the circuit board which are free from the electrical components,
and providing, with the aid of the protection element, at least one
galvanic connection between the first and second functional
entities, and [0054] action 505: testing functionality of the
circuit board system so that the first and second functional
entities are co-operating with each other via the at least one
galvanic connection during the testing of the functionality.
[0055] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the circuit board comprises holes lined with
electrically conductive material, and the protection element
comprises electrically conductive pins and an electrical conductor
between the pins. The pins are pushed to the holes of the circuit
board so as to provide the galvanic connection between the first
and second functional entities.
[0056] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the pins of the protection element are press-fit pins
providing friction fits with the electrically conductive linings of
the holes of the circuit board.
[0057] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the pins of the protection element are soldered to the
electrically conductive linings of the holes of the circuit
board.
[0058] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the protection element comprises holes lined with
electrically conductive material and an electrical conductor
between the electrically conductive linings. The circuit board
comprises electrically conductive pins that are pushed to the holes
of the protection element so as to provide the galvanic connection
between the first and second functional entities.
[0059] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the pins of the circuit board are press-fit pins
providing friction fits with the electrically conductive linings of
the holes of the protection element.
[0060] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the pins of the circuit board are soldered to the
electrically conductive linings of the holes of the protection
element.
[0061] In a method according to an exemplifying embodiment of the
invention, the first functional entity of the circuit board system
is a power supply converter of the circuit board system and the
second functional entity of the circuit board system is a signal
processing part of the circuit board system
[0062] The specific examples provided in the description given
above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or
the interpretation of the appended claims.
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