Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

David G Carpenter

Patrick A Raymond

Vincent W Michna

Richard Barnett

John Hua

Jaime E Llinas

Systems and methods are provided for providing thermal protection to a power backplane printed circuit board. A distributed hotspot detection grid is included in the printed circuit board, the distributed hotspot detection grid comprising a plurality of passive temperature sensors spread across the printed circuit board to measure temperature increases. The plurality of passive temperature sensors are connected to a detection circuit for comparing signals from the passive temperature sensors to a reference signal. If the temperature increases on the PCB, electrical characteristics of at least one passive temperature sensor will change, resulting in a change of the input signal to the detection circuit. When the threshold is exceeded (indicating a potential short circuit or hotspot), the detection circuit outputs a shut down signal to the one or more power supplies connected to the of the backplane printed circuit board, to avoid catastrophic damage to the printed circuit board.

Power backplane with distributed hotspot detection grid

The present disclosure provides a circuit board with a first via and a second via, the first and second vias providing an electrical path from a top surface of the circuit board to a bottom surface of the circuit board. The circuit board also includes a first contact pad electrically coupled to the first via and a second contact pad electrically coupled to the second via. The first contact pad is disposed at an angle with respect to a reference line crossing through the center of the first and second vias, and the second contact pad is disposed on an opposite side of the reference line at the angle with respect to the reference line, such that a footprint that encompasses an area between the first and second contact pads does not cover the first and second vias.

Circuit board contact pads

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Houston, TX, United States of America

David G Carpenter