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Custom Fingerboards

I wanted to ask if it were possible to create printed circuit fingerboards with trace thicknesses that are thicker on one end than the other?

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I ask because I am working on a custom project that will require connectors to plug onto a fingerboard from both edges. One edge will entail a semi pe rmanent connection, but the opposite edge will experience a great deal of c onnection/disconnection forces. Material recommendations would also be appr eciated.

Thanks.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Reply to
Searcher7
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Searcher7 wrote on 11/17/2017 3:39 PM:

Nothing you've posted indicates why the thickness of the traces need to vary. I don't know of an easy way to make that happen. When plated through holes are desired they add plating to the entire board. It might be possible to get them to mask part of the board where you want thinner traces.

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Rick C 

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms, 
on the centerline of totality since 1998
Reply to
rickman

"One edge will entail a semi permanent connection, but the opposite edge will experience a great deal of connection/disconnection forces."

I have to leave one edge at it's normal thickness so there will not be a problem with a standard connector.

The other edge will need to have thicker traces to deal with the frequent connect/disconnects of a custom connector that will be capable of dealing with the thickness of that side.

Thanks.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Reply to
Searcher7

Searcher7 wrote on 11/18/2017 3:58 PM:

How thick do you expect to make the copper? Two ounce copper is especially thick and only 2.8 mils. Do you expect the compliance of a standard connector won't accommodate that? Or even twice that?

I have seen this type of interface wear out before, but it was because the contacts in the edge connector gave up the ghost and lost their resilience. I've never seen the PCB fail other than from oxidation which is usually prevented by a *very* thin layer of gold. I doubt the copper thickness of the PCB contact will be the wear factor.

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Rick C 

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms, 
on the centerline of totality since 1998
Reply to
rickman

meh... just use thinner substrate and make all the traces thick, you save a lot on not needing oddball tooling. if you're planning to make a few million of these then maybe the complexity you propose is justified, but you'd be talking to an industrial designer, not randoms on usenet.

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This email has not been checked by half-arsed antivirus software
Reply to
Jasen Betts

As for the thickness, initially this will be trail and error. But the standard connector will not work in the end, which is one reason why a custom connector will be used on that end.

Wearing will definitely be a factor due to the frequent connects/disconnects.

Thanks.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Reply to
Searcher7

I don't follow your reasoning but that's ok. The point is you can make the copper thicker across the board and use the same connector. A few thousandths of an inch is many times the thickness of 1 oz copper and still work just fine with the standard connector. What makes you think the standard connector won't work "in the end"?

--

Rick C 

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms, 
on the centerline of totality since 1998
Reply to
rickman

Because the design will not allow for a standard connector. This is a custom project involving the need for a custom connector.

So I plan to use electroless nickel plating on the custom connector side of the fingerboard.

Thanks.

Darren Harris Staten Island, New York.

Reply to
Searcher7

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