Digital Protective Relay Backplane Grounding Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grounding methods for digital protective relays, such as using a metallic conductor enclosure or a power supply module without a circuit pattern, are inefficient or require a metallic conductor enclosure, which may not be feasible in all cases.
Innovation Solution
A digital protective relay design featuring a backplane printed circuit board with a first ground conductor portion and pairs of ground channel pins, connected to an external ground, and a daughter printed circuit board with second ground conductor portions, providing a noise discharge path for electromagnetic interference and high-frequency noise, even if the enclosure is non-conductive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional grounding method using a pin-shaped contactor on a guide rail is used, then the grounding connection is established, but the enclosure must be formed of a metallic conductor which limits design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated ground conductor portion and ground channel pins as intermediary elements on the PCB to establish the grounding path. This mediator allows the grounding function to be achieved independently of the enclosure material, as the grounding path is created through the PCB structure itself rather than relying on the enclosure being conductive.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding function is extracted from the enclosure and integrated directly into the PCB structure. By separating the grounding path creation from the enclosure material requirement, the design allows non-conductive enclosures while maintaining reliable grounding through the PCB's internal ground channels and pins.
2Ease of manufacture
If a power supply module without circuit pattern toward ground is used, then the grounding method is simplified, but grounding efficiency is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific ground conductor portions and ground channel pins at critical locations on the PCB. Instead of a simplified but inefficient uniform approach, the design concentrates grounding resources where needed - at the ground channel pins that interface with the enclosure and along the dedicated ground conductor paths - to achieve both simplicity and high grounding efficiency.
3Reliability
If ground conductor portions are disposed on outer edges of the PCB, then noise discharge path is provided, but PCB layout flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding system is segmented into multiple functional elements: ground conductor portions on the outer edge, ground channel pins at specific locations, and internal ground channels connecting them. This segmentation allows the noise discharge function to be achieved through a distributed network of grounding elements rather than requiring a single complex ground structure, providing both effectiveness and layout flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively discharges electromagnetic interference and high-frequency noise to external ground, enhancing the reliability of the digital protective relay by minimizing noise-induced disturbances and ensuring efficient noise discharge regardless of the enclosure material.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of second ground conductor portions that are disposed at upper and lower parts of the daughter printed circuit board, and configured to electrically connect the daughter printed circuit board to the backplane printed circuit board by being interposed between two pairs of ground channel pins of the backplane printed circuit board
Data Source
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AI summary
A digital protective relay includes at least one daughter PCB (300) having an electronic circuit which generates electromagnetic interference noise or high frequency noise; and a backplane printed circuit board (100) having, on an upper surface thereof, a plurality of first connectors (130) for connection with the daughter PCB (300), the backplane PCB (100) being connected to the daughter PCB through the first connectors (130), and providing a noise discharge path (120) along which the electromagnetic interference noise or the high frequency noise from the daughter PCB flows to an external ground.