PCM-MIO-A-1/Best Practices
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Appendix A. Best Practices
The following paragraphs outline the best practices for operating the
PCM-MIO-A-1 in a safe, effective manner, that does not damage the board.
Read this section carefully.
Power Supply
Power Supply Budget
Evaluate your power supply budget. It is usually good practice to budget
twice the typical power requirement for all of your devices.
Zero-load Power Supply
Use a zero-load power supply whenever possible. A zero-load power
supply does not require a minimum power load to regulate. If a zero-load
power supply is not appropriate for your application, then verify that the
embedded system’s typical load is not lower than the power supply’s
minimum load. If the embedded system does not draw enough power to
meet the power supply's minimum load, then the power supply does not
regulate properly and can cause damage to the PCM-MIO-A-1.
Power Harness
Minimize the length of the power harness. This reduces the amount of
voltage drop between the power supply and the PCM-MIO-A-1.
Gauge Wire
Use the largest gauge wire that you can. Most connector manufacturers
have a maximum gauge wire they recommend for their pins.
Avoid Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Only handle the circuit board and other bare electronics when electrostatic
discharge (ESD) protection is in place. Having a wrist strap and a fully grounded
workstation is the minimum ESD protection required before the ESD seal on
the product bag is broken.
Use Proper Power Connections (Voltage)
When verifying the voltage, measure it at the power connector on the PCM-
MIO-A-1. Measuring it at the power supply does not account for voltage drop
through the wire and connectors.
The PCM-MIO-A-1 requires 5 V to operate. Verify the power connections.
Incorrect voltages can cause catastrophic damage.
