What is High Voltage PCB?

1.1 What is a high voltage PCB? In short, any PCB that runs at a much higher voltage than the normal rail voltage can call a medium or high voltage PCB. Boards like mains powered power supplies, Inverters, EV chargers, etc. fall into this category.

What is minimum electrical clearance in PCB?

Under the IPC 2221 standards, the minimum PCB trace clearance (really, the clearance between any two conductors) is 0.1 mm for general purpose devices, or 4 mils. For power conversion devices, this minimum spacing is 0.13 mm, or 5.1 mils.

What is the difference between clearance and creepage?

Clearance is the shortest distance in air between two conductive parts. Creepage distance means the shortest distance along the surface of a solid insulating material between two conductive parts.

What is clearance in PCB?

Clearance – Clearance is the shortest distance in the air between two conductors. You can think of this as the line of sight distance between two mountain tops. Creepage – Creepage is the shortest distance to another conductor along the surface of the insulating material of your PCB.

What is CTI value in PCB?

PCB CTI Value The comparative tracking index value depicts the resistance of the printed circuit board materials against ecological influences like moisture and dirt. This is well explained in terms of when the value is higher, then the higher the material is, the more resistant.

What is 3W rule in PCB?

If you’ve ever wondered how far you need to keep your traces from each other to minimize coupling, then use the 3W rule. It states that the separation between traces must be three times the width of a single trace when measured from center to center.

What is PCB clearance?

What are the PCB design rules for high voltage circuits?

PCB design rules must follow manufacturer guidelines for not exceeding values that can destroy the devices. For example, high voltage circuits may require components that have higher breakdown voltage ratings and the capability to handle higher currents.

What is the minimum clearance between two conductors on a PCB?

Low Voltage (<15 V) Under the IPC 2221 standards, the minimum PCB trace clearance (really, the clearance between any two conductors) is 0.1 mm for general purpose devices, or 4 mils. For power conversion devices, this minimum spacing is 0.13 mm, or 5.1 mils.

How does PCB leakage affect voltage?

As an example, consider a PCB leakage current of 100 nA diverted across the positive and negative leads of a component with 1 MOhm input impedance—according to Ohm’s law, this will decrease the input voltage by 0.1 V. This should be considered alongside the PCB leakage current when determining failure criteria for your high voltage board.

How to choose a PCB trace clearance for high voltage?

At h igh DC voltage, the primary concern in choosing a PCB trace clearance value is preventing ESD and dendritic growth between exposed conductors. With high AC voltage, or with a switching regulator that outputs high current, you now have to worry about crosstalk, as well as ESD and dendritic growth.