A
chip component
assembly is provided that includes a plurality of
chip components each having respective first and second terminal elements, the first terminal elements being joined to corresponding solder pads on a
printed circuit board, the solder pads being in communication with electronic circuitry of the
printed circuit board, and the second terminal elements being joined together by an array
ground plane of a grounding device. The grounding device additionally includes a ground path structure which physically and electrically connects the array
ground plane, and thus the
chip components, to a ground pad located on the
printed circuit board so as to provide a ground path from the chip components. Preferably, the array
ground plane additionally includes a plurality of resilient contact elements which provide for substantial and continuous contact between the array ground plane and an ancillary ground plane, such as the top cover of a
PC card. The grounding device serves to foreclose
electrostatic discharge or EMI by the chip components and in some applications further serves to direct undesirable
noise to ground. The relatively small size of the grounding device permits the use of a relatively smaller ground pad on the printed circuit board, thereby conserving valuable printed circuit board surface area. Finally, the ground path structure is configured for automated attachment to the chip components, and the chip component
assembly thus formed is well suited for installation on the printed circuit board by pick-and-place manufacturing techniques.