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How to Connect Multiple Ground Planes on Multilayer PCBs

Printed circuit boards, or PCB, consist of arrays of copper tracks and components on an insulating substrate. The copper tracks are typically a few microns in size and, therefore, many hundreds of components can be squeezed into a small space. A PCB will typically have a reference ground plane to which all electrical zero-volt terminals will be connected to reduce noise. Multilayer PCBs consist of many thin layers that have been glued together. Any component on an individual layer can make contact with other layers through the use of micro holes that are drilled in the desired places.

Things You'll Need

CAD software

Instructions

- 1
  Draw the outline of the PCB in the CAD software. The outline should represent the exact dimensions of the final PCB product.
- 2
  Design the copper tracks on each layer of the PCB. Each PCB layer should be placed into a different CAD layer and labeled "copper layer n," so that each nth layer can be accessed separately. Define an area common to all layers, where the electrical ground plane will be placed. The ground plane normally consists of a wide copper track that crosses as much of a board dimension as possible.
- 3
  Create a new CAD layer and label it "drilled holes." This layer will hold information about the placement of the PCB holes and micro holes. Place a small series of micro holes on the ground plane of each layer. This will allow each of the layers to be electrically connected by flowing solder through the holes. Send the completed PCB design to a manufacturer for building.

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