PCB design floating vs grounded

Thread Starter

pari_samy

Joined Jan 21, 2014
2
We are contemplating over floating vs grounded PCB board designs.Where do I get adv dis of both the schemes.
How to mitigate ESD problems when floating used
 

t06afre

Joined May 11, 2009
5,934

Then a ground is floating. It is always in respect to something;) I think you need to be more specific. Like type of ground (mains safety ground, or local low voltage ground etc)
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
We are contemplating over floating vs grounded PCB board designs.
That's nice.
Where do I get adv dis of both the schemes.
Well, for portable battery power equipment it is inadvisable to use an earth grounding scheme as it is quite intrusive to drive an 8 foot copper rod into the ground every time you wish to turn it on.

A more speciic question may help here. "We are doing X. Should we let the ground float?"
How to mitigate ESD problems when floating used
You need to find the portions of the circuit that are exposed to the outside world. Even in floating circuits a voltage needs two points, and if you protect all the exposed pairs you should be good.

However, I did once have a phone answering machine, and about once a winter I would check messages, bang in a large spark off my fingertip, and blow the 1 1/2 amp line fuse.
 
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