A printed circuit board for transmitting electrical energy and for signal transmission includes electrical conductor tracks coupled to the printed circuit board wherein the electrical conductor tracks include a first electrical conductor track with a superconducting material. The first electrical conductor track is designed to provide electrical energy directly to a power electronics system. The electrical conductor tracks include a second electrical conductor track which is designed to provide a signal transmission to a signal electronics system. A system is disclosed having such a printed circuit board.

Provided is a method of fabricating a battery protection circuit package, the method including preparing a complex package substrate obtained by connecting a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) including at least one external connection terminal for connection to an external device, to a rigid PCB for mounting components thereon, mounting the complex package substrate on a lead frame including at least one metal tab for connection to a battery cell, and encapsulating at least portions of the complex package substrate and the lead frame with a molded part while exposing the at least one metal tab and the at least one external connection terminal.

Provided is a method of fabricating a battery protection circuit package, the method including preparing a complex package substrate obtained by connecting a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) including at least one external connection terminal for connection to an external device, to a rigid PCB for mounting components thereon, mounting the complex package substrate on a lead frame including at least one metal tab for connection to a battery cell, and encapsulating at least portions of the complex package substrate and the lead frame with a molded part while exposing the at least one metal tab and the at least one external connection terminal.

A circuit board assembly includes a circuit board, an electronic surface mount device (SMD), and a spacer that attaches the SMD to the circuit board. A coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the spacer is closer to a CTE of the SMD than a CTE of the circuit board. The circuit board assembly also includes a flexible electrical lead that extends between and that is electrically connected to the SMD and the electrical node of the circuit board. Methods of manufacturing the circuit board assembly include selectively heating joining material at a predetermined heating rate and selectively cooling the joining material at a predetermined cooling rate to attach the flexible electrical leads to the SMD and the circuit board.

A variety of active cover plate configurations with prongs configured to contact side screw terminals of electrical receptacles are described. In one illustrative embodiment, an active cover plate includes a multi-gang face plate configured to be installed over a multi-gang light switch installation, the multi-gang faceplate including at least two apertures sized to accept a manually manipulatable element of switches in the multi-gang light switch installation. Prongs extend rearward from the multi-gang faceplate around at least one of the apertures.

Aspects of the embodiments include an edge card and methods of making the same. The edge card can include a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a first end and a second end, the first end comprising a plurality of metal contact fingers configured to interface with an edge connector, and the second end comprising a through-hole configured to mate with a post of a screw, the PCB further comprising an aperture proximate the second end of the PCB. The PCB can also include a thermal conduction element secured to the PCB, the thermal conduction element supporting an integrated circuit package, the integrated circuit package received by the aperture, wherein the thermal conduction element contacts the PCB proximate the through-hole and the thermal conduction element is configured to conduct heat from the integrated circuit towards the second portion of the printed circuit board.

A low insertion force contact includes a conductive base layer extending to a mating end including a mating interface configured for mating electrical connection to a mating contact. A silver coating layer is provided on the conductive base layer. The silver coating layer is provided at the mating end. A silver sulfide surface layer forms a solid lubricant directly on the silver coating layer. The silver sulfide surface layer forms a film defining a surface of the low insertion force contact having a controlled thickness at the mating interface.

Embodiments of the invention are related to modular display panels. In one embodiment, a modular display panel includes a first side which includes a display surface, and an opposite second side. The modular display panel further includes a plastic enclosure including an outer surface that forms substantially all of the second side. The modular display panel further includes LEDs arranged as pixels attached to a printed circuit board which is attached to the plastic enclosure. The modular display panel further includes a circuit for controlling the LEDs and a power source for powering the LEDs. The front side of the printed circuit board is sealed to be waterproof and the plastic enclosure is sealed to be waterproof so that the modular display panel is sealed to be waterproof.

A system for forming a conductive tape trace on a substrate includes a segment feeder arm configured to feed segments of conductive tape to the substrate and a segment placement armature configured to grasp and position the conductive tape segments in a predetermined pattern on the substrate. The conductive tape segments include a plurality of conductive tape bend segments and at least one conductive tape branch segment. The segment placement armature is configured to position and overlap the plurality of conductive tape bend segments on the substrate to form a conductive tape bend and position the at least one conductive tape branch segment in contact with and extending from the conductive tape bend. A roller can be included and be configured to apply a force onto the conductive tape segments positioned on the substrate. A welder that welds the conductive tape segments together can also be included.

In a silicon nitride sintered body including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase, dislocation defect portions exists inside at least some of the silicon nitride crystal grains. A percentage of a number of the at least some of the silicon nitride crystal grains among any 50 of the silicon nitride crystal grains having completely visible contours in any cross section or surface of the silicon nitride sintered body is not less than 50% and not more than 100%. It is favorable that a plate thickness of the silicon nitride substrate, in which the silicon nitride sintered body is used, is within the range not less than 0.1 mm and not more than 0.4 mm. The TCT characteristics can be improved by using the silicon nitride substrate in the silicon nitride circuit board.