What are Backpanel PCBs
The term Backplane PCB generally refers to larger format boards connecting several PCBs together in order to form a computer bus.
A printed circuit board can have many sizes and characteristics. The back panel pcb is similar to a personal computer’s motherboard. It contains connection slots for expansion boards and allows for communications between all connected boards.
They are larger and thicker than standard pcbs because of the number of connections, and they need many layers (up to 30) to be stiff enough to support the insertion force to plug the daughter pcb connector into the motherboard (rear panel). Rigid multilayers are the most common technology used to develop back panels, but flex-rigid can also be developed in the case of requiring a special casing solution.
Passive or active?
There are two types of back panel systems: active and passive. Active back panels contain the slots as well as the necessary circuitry to manage and control all the communication between the slots. In contrast, passive back panels contain almost no computing circuitry.
Interconnection
Applications of Backpanel PCBs
Backplane PCBs are generally used as a backbone within a system such as control panels for industrial, computing, and military use. They provide greater reliability in connecting multiple PCBs due to their static nature, as opposed to cables that need to be flexed every time a card is removed, thereby reducing the life of that component / connection.