Current Carrying Capacity in Printed Circuits, Past, Present and Future

摘要

In the present as in the past, printed circuit board conductors are sized using simple charts that are a function ofcross-sectional area, current level and conductor temperature rise. These charts do not distinguish between copperweights, board thickness, and they do not take into account internal copper planes, components, or mountingconfigurations. In addition, they do not provide information with respect to the vias, thermals, copper planes orheavier copper weights.Research into the current-carrying capacity of electrical conductors has lead to the development of a new IPCstandard to be used for sizing electrical conductors. This new standard is IPC-2152, Standard for DeterminingCurrent Carrying Capacity in Printed Board Design. This new document will deal with conductors in the mostgeneral of terms, that being any metallic media conducting current. This paper discusses where the existing designguidelinesoriginated and new information that will be incorporated into IPC-2152.