Hello everyone!

I have designed the controller that consist of two PCBs.
One is placed above the other and they are connected with standard 2.54mm pitch headers:

Problem is that after few plug-in and plug-out tracks mechanicly break and all malfunctions.
I am looking for solution to connect that PCBs, be able to uplug and also to have it more mechanicly
resistant to connection breaks.

During controller performance they are connected. PCBs are only unplugged in case of exchange of broken components.

Best regards,
Chris

 

Hello everyone!

I have designed the controller that consist of two PCBs.
One is placed above the other and they are connected with standard 2.54mm pitch headers:
View attachment 134287
Problem is that after few plug-in and plug-out tracks mechanicly break and all malfunctions.
I am looking for solution to connect that PCBs, be able to uplug and also to have it more mechanicly
resistant to connection breaks.

During controller performance they are connected. PCBs are only unplugged in case of exchange of broken components.

Best regards,
Chris

Tell us more about the holes and pads that these connectors are soldered to. Are there pads on both sides of each pcb? Are the holes plated-through-holes? Did you make these boards yourself or have them made by a pcb manufacturing company?

What you're describing matches my own experience when I've soldered things to single-sided pcbs, like cheap perf-board with pads on only one side. However, anything I've ever used with plated through holes, whether high-end proto-board (perf-board) or custom PCBs, has been quite durable. Ripping traces up with through hole components should be quite difficult.

 

Looking at the picture, it looks like a professionally fabbed board (it's got a decent silkscreen). I think the problem comes from the fact that the connectors are spread in 5 groups around the edge of the board so when someone pulls up on one corner, it puts stress on the other connectors and flexes the PCB which would lead to cracking of the traces. Also, the tall caps seem to limit where one could pull.

It looks like the connectors are 4 2x3 and 1 2x4 pin headers. I'm not 100% sure but think that grouping all of them in to one 2x16 header will have a better chance of not getting damaged during removal. Of course that means a huge redesign - mother and daughter.