SBC35-C398/Best Practices
v1.0
www.winsystems.com
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Appendix A. Best Practices
This section outlines the best practices for operating the SBC35-C398 in a safe and
effective manner that does not damage the board. Please 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 single board computer’s typical
load is not lower than the power supply’s minimum load. If the single board computer
does not draw enough power to meet the power supply’s minimum load, then the power
supply will not regulate properly and can cause damage to the SBC35-C398.
Power Harness
Minimize the length of the power harness. This will reduce the amount of voltage drop
between the power supply and the SBC35-C398.
Gauge Wire
Use the largest gauge wire available for your application and connector. Most connector
manufacturers have a maximum gauge wire they recommend for their pins.
Contact Points
For maximum reliability, WinSystems’ boards typically use connectors with gold finish
contacts. It is critical that the contact material in the mating connectors is matched
properly (gold to gold and tin to tin). Contact areas made with dissimilar metals can
cause oxidation/corrosion, resulting in unreliable connections.
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 SBC35-C398. Measuring it at the power supply does
not account for voltage drop through the wire and connectors.
Power the SBC35-C398 using Power over Ethernet (J16 RJ45, PoE IEEE802.3) or
Auxiliary Input (J17, +10 V DC to + 50 V DC). Verify the power connections. Incorrect
voltages can cause catastrophic damage.
