Board to Board Connecting

Community PCB Design
1

Hello,

I am designing a simple board to drive an RGB LED. I am then looking to take 48 of these boards and connect them in a 4X12 array.

The chip I have selected to drive these smaller boards live on the main board with a mirco. There will be 12 driving chips, Each chip will drive 4 of these smaller boards. I am looking for a way to only have to spinout one modular board.

I am looking for a crafty way to transfer traces from board to board.

For my first thought, I am imaging inorder to make this modular I will have extra data traces on 2nd 3rd and 4th boards in the chain of 4 boards. The 1st board will use all four, the second board will only use the traces that drive board 2 3 and 4 while the third board will only use the traces that drive the 3rd and 4th boards.

I am looking for feedback on the method I am considering, any other ideas/wisdom that is out there and for tricks to maintain these floating traces.

I am not sure if this is too clear, please reply with questions

Thanks

Eric

2

Could be tricky, how many traces do you have to interconnect?

How about having a backplane PCB that the smaller boards fit onto using 0.1" header & sockets?

3

Even if you only spin out one modular board design, why not run the entire enable down the string (of 4 boards) and pick off which enable, on which board, via a jumper (or header, shorting pad, etc) ? Making them all identical might assist if you had to replace one unexpectedly.

4

Either use LEDs with drivers (like the WS2812) and run them in series. Alternatively, have the LED module take it’s own LED from input 1, and connect inputs 2,3,4 to outputs 1,2,3 to feed the next module. You can connect 4 identical modules in series that way.

/mike

5

Is this a 1 off or something that may go into production?

For a 1 off you could use PTH wire links to join them together.

Let us know more about the design etc and we can advise best.

6

lol, I doubt he will respond if he hasn’t in the last week…

7

cosmicray:
Even if you only spin out one modular board design, why not run the entire enable down the string (of 4 boards) and pick off which enable, on which board, via a jumper (or header, shorting pad, etc) ? Making them all identical might assist if you had to replace one unexpectedly.

Yep, making the design modular helps when you need to troubleshoot it if there are any problems later.

8

codlink:
lol, I doubt he will respond if he hasn’t in the last week…

Unfortunately this happens too often IMO, they ask a question, others spend time answering & they can’t be bothered to come back and reply. :cry: