PCB ground copper area

Thread Starter

araba1980

Joined May 25, 2011
4
Hello

I have a question about PCBs. Why is the ground copper area large, not only line? Like this picture;




Is there any advantages of it?

I think, this is related with magnetic or electical field, But I dont know detail,
please help..


Thanks.
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
It's called "ground fill". It allows for easier ground connections, and can also be cheaper to produce. In the routing process it makes it easier to connect pads because there won't have to be ground traces all over the place--just a solid plane on the board. There are quite a few advantages to it.

Matt
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
The ground plane also suppresses radiated energy a little bit, if there is a copper plane on the other side of the board it creates a bit of capacitance to smooth the power supply, and it takes less chemicals to not etch away all that copper that isn't hurting anything.

There are probably more advantages that we haven't thought of yet.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
Think about this: the current from every component on the board has to go through the ground wire. If you have too much resistance, all those currents cause the gound voltage to bouce up and down. When that happens, every component that depends on ground for 0V reference is instead getting a voltage that is jumping, and thus isn't operating as they should.
 
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