Mohammad Jahangir Alam

Energy Meter PCB| The Ultimate FAQ Guide Introduction The energy meter is an important component in different electrical objects that measure the electric energy consumed by electrical pieces of equipment. On the contrary, a PCB is one of the most vital components for an energy meter. We, PCBMay, are the leading energy meter PCB manufacturer in China. You are in the right place for an energy meter PCB, either for knowledge or supply. In this FAQ guide, we are going to discuss the basics of the energy meter PCB and the technical sides of it elaborately. Please keep reading, and move with us to know about the energy meter PCBs like their structure, manufacturing, uses, etc., and other stuff about energy meter PCBs. 1. What Is An Energy Meter PCB? Let’s first talk about the energy meter. An energy meter is an electric device that measures the consumed electric energy by different electrically powered pieces of equipment or objects. For example, we use energy meters in our houses to measure the consumed energy for our household electrical equipment such as TV, fan, electrical bulbs, etc. You will find such meters in industries or houses. So we can say, an energy meter PCB is a circuit board that bridles the electrical functions and current flow of an energy meter. The microprocessor is the controller of the power factors of the board. There are various PCB industries available as well like Aerospace PCB, Mechanical keyboard PCB, etc. Let’s know more about energy meter PCB here: https://youtu.be/Z2LgmIGE2nI Fig 01- Energy Meter PCB 2. What Are The Materials Of Energy Meter PCB? There are four main materials used to produce an energy meter PCB. Metal: The first one is metal; copper, iron, and aluminum are the three metals that are used to make an energy meter PCB. Copper is the most popular among them, and that is why most of the PCBs are copper clad. All the metals are used on the PCB’s surface for soldering things using surface mount technology. Fig 02- Copper FR4 Epoxy Laminate: Another important material is FR4; FR stands for flame resistance. FR4 is a glass-reinforced epoxy laminate sheet. It is made of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin binders, and it has good electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics. It is one of the most common materials for PCB that meets the requirements of NEMA LI1-1998 standards. Polyimide Laminates: Polyimide laminate is a more temperature bearable performer than FR4 Epoxy sheets along with slightly improved electrical permanence as well. It is also more expensive than the FR4 sheet but gives more thermal performance than it as well. It is thermally stable and can perform at a temperature up to 260 degrees celsius. Teflon Laminates: Teflon is a strong, lightweight, and flexible material used in PCB. It is high tolerance because it doesn’t expand much during the high temperature. It is more expensive than the Polyimide laminates but brings high electrical properties and provides designers with high-speed capabilities that are needed in designing. 3. What Are Energy Meter PCB Components? Without details of components, an energy meter PCB is nothing but a normal board. There are several components in an energy meter PCB highlighted below. 1. Capacitor: The capacitor plays the most vital role in storing the electrical charges. Fig 03- Capacitors 2. Transistor: The transistor is a type of semiconductor that switches or amplifies electronic power or signals. 3. Inductor: Inductor stores electrical energy as magnetic energy. 4. Diode: The main function of the diode is to allow the genre of current in a certain direction along with blocking it in another direction. 5. Integrated Circuit: IC or Integrated Circuit acts as an oscillator, timer, memory, and amplifier. It is made of silicon. It can hold hundreds to millions of capacitors, transistors, and resistors. 6. Transformer: The transformer helps to lower the value of voltage from a higher voltage. 7. Voltage Regulator: The voltage regulator helps to keep a sustainable voltage for the endurability of an energy meter PCB. 8. Transducer: The transducer helps to convert the electric current to voltage. 4. What Are The Applications Of Energy Meter PCB? The general use of energy meter PCB is to measure the consumed power of three-phase and single-phase electrical power measurement in industrial, residential, and utility applications. Energy meter PCB is designed specially to measure the running and rerunning energy directly through the 4-wire networks with the fast sampling principle of voltage and signal of electric current. A built-in microprocessor measures energy, voltage, current, frequency, power angle, power factor, and frequency for every phase. PCBMay has been manufacturing and supplying energy meter PCB for 10 years. We can help with providing any type of energy meter PCB. 5. What Are The Advantages Of Energy Meter PCB? PCB or Printed Circuit Board is a very sensitive part of electronic equipment. It has numerous advantages in terms of use with a small size proportion to the wire. Compact Size and No Wires: There are hundreds of interconnections in an Energy meter PCB. But there is no hassle of wire because the connections are built with copper path. It makes interconnections less bulky despite having hundreds of connections in a small board. A PCB offers a simple platform for electronic equipment in a compressed and small way with the highest efficiency. It helps to generate big and complicated electronic circuits in small form factors. Easy Diagnostics and Repairs: In case of any damage or issues, it is more accessible to find out the problem and repair them. On an energy meter PCB, everything is properly designed and labeled which makes it accessible to find the problems and to repair them. Saving Times: Typical wired connections are very complicated when it comes to a bulk connection. But a printed circuit board makes the connections easy and saves a huge amount of time compared to the typical wired connections. No Moving and Short Circuits Problems: The most important fact in an energy meter PCB is every component and part of the things are fixed. There are no moving problems that can break any part on the board. These connections are done by solder flux. As the connections are made through the copper tracks, that makes with no chance of connections loose and getting any short circuit. Fig 04- No Moving Parts on PCB Lower Cost and Reliability: Bulk production of board facilitates the lower cost and brings reliability in performance. Low Electronic Noise: Energy meter PCB produces lower noise. If things are not laid out properly, it could lessen the performance due to much noise. Electrical components are organized in a PCB in such ways that the length of electrical components is as little as possible. This leads to low radiation, and handle the electromagnetic waves, which keeps lower crosstalk among the components. 6. What Is Mutual Inductance In Energy Meter PCB? The electrical behavior of one coil impacts the other one which is placed nearby it, magnetically. This aspect is known as the mutual inductance of two electrified coils. These two coils can be called neighboring coils. Fig 05- Mutual Inductance Let’s understand mutual induction. There are two coils named A and B placed near each other. In coil A, when the switch of current is closed, and the current flows through the coil, it sets the flux φ in A, an emf is induced in coil A as well. If the value of the current is changing according to the changing value of resistance (R), the linking flux changes the value of the coil. This phenomenon is the mutual inductance in an energy meter PCB. See here the visual representation of mutual inductance: https://youtu.be/VmDR-dXW0NE 7. What Are The Types Of Capacitors Used In Energy Meter PCB? Capacitors are used in the energy meter PCB to store the electric charges and release them wherever needed in the PCB. The effect of capacitors is known as capacitance, and the mathematical expression of capacitance is C= Q/V. There are various kinds of capacitors used in energy meter PCB in terms of the requirements. Here are some examples of types of capacitors. ● Paper Capacitor: The construction of a paper capacitor is between two foil sheets and they are separated from the paper. The capacitance range of a paper capacitor is 0.001 to 2.00 microfarad. ● Film Capacitor: In the film capacitors, thin plastics are used as dielectrics. It is prepared as extremely thin using a sophisticated film drawing process. There are different types of film capacitors available such as metalized film, polyester film, PTE film, polystyrene film, and polypropylene film. ● Electrolytic Capacitor: Electrolytic capacitors are usually used for DC power supply circuits because they have large capacitance. The main application of electrolytic capacitors is coupling and decoupling. ● Non-Polarized Capacitor: Non-polarized capacitors need alternative current demands in parallel or series of power supplies. ● Ceramic Capacitor: Ceramic capacitors use ceramic as the dielectric. Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor and Ceramic Disc Capacitor are the most common ceramic capacitors. Fig 06- Mica Capacitor ● Mica Capacitor: Mica capacitors are low-loss capacitors that are used in high frequencies. And because of its layered structure, it is very stable in terms of chemical, mechanical, and electrical performance. 8. What Are The Layouts Of Energy Meter PCB? Energy meter PCB layout is a high-level engineering tool that is used for designing printed circuit boards. It features manual routing for signals, advanced verifications, a shape-based auto-router, and wide export-import capabilities. In short, before designing a layout, you have to design a circuit diagram into a schematic diagram. Fig 07- Energy Meter PCB Layout Your schematic diagram will show each circuit of your diagram in a 2D CAD drawing. After schematic assembly, you are ready to move with a real translation of your drawing into a realistic energy meter PCB layout. Your energy meter PCB layout is the thing that shows your circuit board going to behave in which way. Your energy meter PCB layout is the visual representation of the real design of your printed circuit board. 9. What Are The Considerations For Energy Meter PCB LCD Layout? There are a lot of factors to consider while making the layout of an energy meter PCB. Here are seven factors that you should keep in mind during the making layout of a PCB. ● Board Incommodity: You should look up the board’s incommodity before finalizing the board including the shape and size of the board. You have to ensure the adequate area for the board that every component will fit in the board. Another important thing is layer selection. You should consider the number of layers in the first stage. More layers are important to increase the advanced functionality. ● Process of Manufacturing: You must consider the manufacturing process in which method you would like to produce your boards. Also, consider the board mounting method. Different approaches might be needed in different areas. ● Components and Material: Check the components and the material that are needed to produce the energy meter PCB. Consider the cost-effectiveness with the best quality components and materials. ● Consider the Components Placement Order: Placing the components orderly is one of the vital parts of energy meter PCB designing. Make sure the following order, connectors > power circuits > precision circuits > vital circuits> the rest of the components. ● Orientation: While placing the components, try to orient the similar components in one direction. The soldering process will be more reliable and accessible for this. ● Placement: Put the components in places such a way so that they won’t disturb the soldering processes. ● Organization: Logical organization of your components can help you to lessen the required steps, increasing efficiency, and reducing production costs. 10. What Is A Three-phase Energy Meter PCB? In electricity, phase means distribution of alternate current’s load. In the single-phase, there is a phase wire, which is a power wire, and another is neutral. The three-phase power load is three alternate current supplies with a signal of 120 electrical degrees apart through each phase wire. The main advantage of a three-phase power load is that it can accommodate more power load than a single-phase power load. A three-phase power load delivers a constant power load. Three-phase PCB is generally used in industrial and commercial environments. Fig 08- Three-phase energy meter PCB 11. Which Surface Finish Is Suitable For Energy Meter PCB? Most of the energy meter PCBs are made of copper for ensuring the proper flow of electric current. Metal parts of the printed board need protection from oxidation and several corrosions for flawless performance and durability. Various types of finish or finishing provide protection against the various types of deterioration. There are different types of finish for energy meter PCBs such as, IMMERSION GOLD (ENIG): It is one of the most demotic finishes that has been used for surface finish. Gold protects the nickel from corrosion. It is expensive but efficient. Fig 09- Immersion Gold IMMERSION SILVER(IAg): It is directly applied to the board surface via chemical displacement. It’s more affordable than ENIG. It is also RoHS-compliant, signal integrity application is a low loss for Its thickness is 4-12u”. Fig 10- Immersion silver IMMERSION TIN: It is also applied directly to the base metal via chemical displacement. It is more affordable than ENIG and IAg. The typical thickness is 20-50u”. It’s also RoHS-compliant. HASL: it is more utilizable for thin surfaces. It is not RoHS-compliant and faltered in popularity due to the cause. PB-FREE HASL: Tin or copper paired is used with nickel to create a protective coating. It is as like as the HASL except for its RoHS compliance. PB-Free HASL finish is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. OSP: It is a non-toxic and organic finish with copper protectivity. But it has a short shelf life. HARD GOLD: The HARD GOLD finish is the most expensive but extremely durable finish for the energy meter PCBs surfaces. But it is typically used for edge connectors, needs more labor, and also bus plating can be required. ENEPIG: Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) is another popular and alternative finish for energy meter PCB surface. It uses multiple layers for a universal finish to work with different tasks. It facilitates working with copper, gold, and aluminum. ENPIG is is a universal finish that can be used for any kind of PCB. There is no soldering issue with Palladium, and it is cost-friendly. Fig 11- Enepig Finish Regarding all discussions, we can say ENPIG is more suitable than any other finishes in terms of cost and reliability. 12. What Is The Analog Layout For Energy Meter PCB? The analog layout or circuitry functions by transmitting continuous voltage or current supply as a signaling method. In general, analog layouts or circuitries are made of basic components of PCB such as transistors, capacitors, diodes, resistors, inductors, and other basic components. The analog layout may use a microcontroller, and the design is more complex to be done compared to the digital layout. Fig 12- Analog Circuit In analog layout, signals must be transmitted precisely because unlike the digital signal there is no fixed “0” and “1” signal in analog layout. 13. Why Do You Use Microcontrollers In An Energy Meter PCB? The main reason is to use a microcontroller in an energy meter PCB to reduce the component size. A microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit that bears a memory, a processor, input-output peripherals in a single chip. Fig 13- Microcontroller in Energy MEter PCB So, compact the space for several types of components which may occupy more spaces if they are used separately. A microcontroller is a space saver, time saver, and cost-effective. 14. How Can You Test Energy Meter PCB? After manufacturing your desired number of energy meter PCBs, the ultimate task is to examine your energy meter PCBs before launching in the market. Because it’s related to your business and profit. Damage in any category of your energy meter PCB may result in huge destruction of your business. There are several ways of testing energy meter PCBs. In-Circuit Test: The in-Circuit test is the most robust and expensive PCB testing method. It actuates and power-ups the individual circuitry automatically, and almost 85-90% is under its coverage. It’s a mature product testing method. Flying Probe Test: This testing method is less expensive than the In-Circuit testing methods. It tests including resistance, capacitance, inductance, diode issues, opens, and shorts. The test occurred with a needle that is attached to scrutiny on an x-y axis by a basic CAD operation. Automated Optical Inspection (AOI): This method uses a single 2D camera or two 3D cameras to capture photos of your energy meter PCB. It will compare every detail of your board to the schematic diagram. Burn-in Testing: It is early-stage testing. It is designed to detect the early failure of the components and boards. Burn-in testing passes powers through the board at the maximum specified power load for up to 168 hours. If the board is destroyed, it is known as infant mortality. The test can be destructive to the other parts too. X-Ray Inspection: During the X-Ray Inspection, a technician is able to find out the defects before the manufacturing like internal traces, solder connections, barrels. There are 2D and 3D AXI testings available here. X-Ray testing can find out the hidden elements. Fig 14- PCB Inspection Under X-ray Functional Testing: Functional testing requires external pieces of equipment. It is tested manually by the user with its specified features that work or not. It is a lengthy process of testing. But in terms of real performance, it might be an ideal testing method to energy meter PCBs. 15. How Can You Minimize The EMI Effect In Energy Meter PCB? Electromagnetic interference, or EMI, refers to the unwanted and damaging effects of EMC, even unwanted interference from the environment. So, protecting from the EMI effect in effective ways is very important for your energy meter PCBs. ● Use a Ground Plane that provides a 0-volt effect. ● Use a multilayer PCB board. It gives the option to handle high-speed traces on your board. ● Use split ground with caution. If you split the ground plane, make sure you have proper reasons behind it. ● Only connect the split ground plane to a single point. More connections create more EMI radiations. ● Connect bypass or decoupling to the ground. It lessens the size of the loop and radiations. ● Keep the high-speed line and lower speed line separate in the board. ● Keep power return paths short. 16. How Do You Reduce Noise In The Power Supply Of Energy Meter PCB? Here are some basic power supply noise-reducing techniques. ● Use proper dimensional power supply in the proper location and proper grounding on the board. ● Use multi-stage EMI filters. Fig 15- EMI Filter ● Use proper grounding techniques. ● Use appropriate bypass capacitor as per desired frequencies. ● Use the decoupling method to isolate two lines in common. ● Increase mutual coupling among the paths ● For multilayer boards, use the power grid with the ground plane. 17. Can Energy Meter PCB Be Used In High-frequency Electric Fields? A good and perfectly designed energy meter PCB should tolerate the high frequency of the current in electric fields. There are two ways to determine the tolerance of high frequency for an energy meter PCB. 1. Conducted Immunity: In this test, you can observe the board’s response of encroaching of high frequency from the electric field through a conductive route. The frequency range here is 150KHz to 30 MHz. 2. Radiated immunity: Here a disrupted high frequency will be generated from traditions without any direct contact. The frequency range here is 30Mhz to 1GHz. PCBMay provides the best durable and high-frequency tolerable energy meter boards to our valuable customers. 18. How Can You Place The Components In The Energy Meter PCB? Placing the component in the right places plays a significant role in terms of performance and maintenance. You should follow the following tips when you are placing components in the energy meter PCBs. ● Group every component according to its function. ● Orient the similar components in the same direction. ● Keep the components away from the heating side and soldering area. ● Keep the board to wire connectors beside the edges. ● Keep spaces for copper traces. 19. Why Should You Consider Form Factor In Energy Meter PCB? The form factor is subject to the hardware design of the energy meter PCB. It includes the shape of the board, size of the board, chassis design, internal configuration, physical properties, and the whole design at all. So, it’s highly considerable and you should consider the form factor to manufacture an efficient and well-designed energy meter PCB. 20. How Can You Assemble An Energy Meter PCB? There are two basic ways through which you can assemble all components of your energy meter PCB, they are surface mounting and through-hole mounting technology. Before assembling the components, mark the places where certain components will be placed. After placing the components in the desired place, you can start the rest. You can use manual soldering or a reflow process. Your board will be passed through a reflow oven during the reflow process, and it initiates the soldering melting. After the surface mounting process, you have to check the board if any fault is found (follow the testing process). Depending on your requirements, your assemble process might be different. PCBMay is one of the best energy meter PCBs manufacturers that can help you with supplying regular PCBs or customized PCBs. Fig 16- Surface Mounting Assemble 21. What Are The Limitations Of Energy Meter PCB? As there is thinness into copper, the PCBs cannot load heavy electrical current. This causes heating problems. Due to soldering, boards, and stripes get overheated, which becomes the cause of the destruction of the boards. 22. How Do You Choose The Best Manufacturer Of Energy Meter PCB? For manufacturing quality energy meter PCBs, a good manufacturer is a must. Let’s talk about some features for finding the best manufacturer of energy meter PCBs. The best manufacturers are, ● Experienced ● Gives free quotes ● Facilitate on-time productions ● Use the best material for the components ● Provide very good customer services and after-sale services ● Generate cost-effectively productions The best manufacturer of PCBs like PCBMay can help you with providing the best quality services. You can choose your manufacturer for your energy meter PCBs if you find the above-mentioned features on any certain PCB manufacturers. Last Words Hope you would find your required technical side answers about energy meter PCBs in this FAQ guide. You should do the study properly before manufacturing energy meter PCBs for your business purpose. Besides this, keep in mind that an experienced and expert manufacturer and supplier like PCBMay can help you with their best available solutions and also can help with well-tracked consultations. We, the PCBMay can help you with proper consultation and manufacturing. Why late? Knock us today for a quote and order, we are at your service.