Questions tagged [potting]
The processes of completely containing a PCB or entire electronic device in a compound designed to protect it from vibration, moisture, etc.
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PCB design resources/recommendations when using potting?
I am designing a new board for an automotive application, and I will need to use potting. I have found guides on how to use potting before pouring it into a pcb enclosure but no layout specifics. Are ...
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Light guides for potted LEDs
I built a PCB with LEDs on it. The PCB must be protected from the environment by potting it in silicone. I don't trust that silicone to be clear enough for the LEDs to be visible, so I want to use a ...
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Potting DIY precision resistors made from resistance wires
I'm making a decade box and I need 100 Ω resistors for the hundreds increments range. I'm quite picky; I want the resistors to have 0.05% tolerance. I've checked online and 100 Ω resistors with that ...
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Why are some relays not completely sealed?
Here are some of the pictures of PCB relays I found online. One may notice there are these opening/holes on the top or bottom of the package. What are the purposes of these 'air vents'?
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RF device best way for capsulation (potting in a case)
I need to encapsulate a Bluetooth beacon in the case, has to be flexible and weather resistant.
what would be your suggestion?
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PCB potting with Lithium battery
I'm designing an electronics prototype for a college project that will be buried in the soil in the middle of a field. So power is basically not available. I am adding a solar panel and want to ...
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BLDC waterproofing for submergance
I have modified a number of brushless DC motors to make them work underwater. The motors are the type with hall effect sensors.
I did the following procedure on several motors, but the results have ...
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Best-practices for potting a high-voltage circuit
Can someone recommend best-practices for potting a passive DC high voltage (<20 kV) circuit? I'd like to eliminate a micro-discharge problem we are seeing.
Details of our use-case follow:
I have a ...
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Are aluminum electrolytic capacitors suitable for encapsulation/potting?
Because aluminum electrolytic capacitors generally incorporate a venting mechanism for over-temperature/over-pressure events, are they suitable for complete encapsulation in potting compound?
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RF and encapsulation materials
I have a WiFi application that we need to encapsulate for environmental reasons. We did some test shoots with Krayden PA2692 since the molder had experience with it. It's a polyamide material. The ...
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What could be the reason for chip capacitor failure due to silicone potting?
Is silicone potting of PCB board beneficial or risky?
What could be the best material for encapsulating a power supply board?
I used 2 part mixed silicone potting compound for encapsulating a ...
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Can you tell me more about "re-enterable" potting compound?
I heard the term "re-enterable potting compound", which is a gel-like (possibly hard?) material that can be used to fill electronics enclosures for water intrusion protection and other things.
What ...
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Potting microSD card inserted in slot with epoxy resin
I would like to know whether it is possible to completely cover/pot a microSD card inserted in a slot (which is soldered on a pcb) with an epoxy resin. Will the sd card continue working properly? Will ...
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PCB material that does not swell from water absorption?
We designed a microchip to sense high pressures under water. The chip senses pressure through a thin diaphragm that deflects and a corresponding piezoresistor circuit that measures the deflection. For ...
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Is there an appropriate "potting" compound for a DC power barrel connector?
I need to modify the DC connector on about 100 AC/DC power supplies and will be installing a barrel connector like this:
I would like to make the connector more permanent and prevent a user from ...
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Board to Board Connections in Potted Electronics
We are contemplating a design which will need 2 PCBAs and be potted. One board is quite "special" so it's rather impractical to reduce the design to a single PCBA.
The conventional wisdom is that ...
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ESP + Lithium Battery Potting
I'm designing a monitoring system for plants based on a lithium-ion battery and an ESP8266 (Adafruit Huzzah board). Due to the application, water may come in contact with the battery and/or ...
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Conformal coating compatibility - parylene- or polyurethane-based vs aqueous NaSiO4
How compatible are parylene-based or polyurethane-based conformal coatings for tin-whisker mitigation with aqueous \$NaSiO_4\$ (sodium silicate) conductive coatings used for EMI\RFI\ЕSD protection in ...
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Potting a board with SMTs
I am trying to find the correct potting compound for a device that will sit on top of lead acid batteries. It will have SMTs, and we would like it to tolerate temperatures as low as -40. Because of ...
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Is hot melt glue suitable as potting compound?
I need some small/cheap waterproof junction boxes for some 12v garden lighting. I am considering using little (25mm x 25mm x 15mm) potting boxes and after soldering the wires, then filling the potting ...
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Pebbles in potted electronics
I was recently taking a look at a failed power supply for 12V halogen lighting and noticed an unusual texture in the potting compound. I tried chipping some of it away with a screwdriver and got a ...
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Embedded microstrip antenna
How well known are embedded microstrip antennas in general and are they feasible. I want to pot a 2.4 Ghz antenna for product reliability/water and shock proof reasons, but finding information and ...
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Potting transformers for mechanical noise reduction
Potting some noisy transformers failed to reduce the sound. My question is where the problem might be.
The setup is a row of small (about 0.75x2x4 cm) transformers on a PCB as part of a power circuit....
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Waterproof enclosures
I have a simple farm gate monitor which I'd like to put in a rugged waterproof enclosure to keep it dry enough to operate outside for approximately ten years with no maintenance other than the ...
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High failure rates after pcb coating using DC 3140 RTV
We have been protecting PCBs using Dow Corning 3140 for many years now without any problems. Last couple of months however, one board after the other is failing after coating. We can't think of any ...
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How to protect trade secrets on board with SMD components?
I have a design which uses a secret technique, and I would like it to remain secret, at least for a period of time. My plan was to pot the board in epoxy. Specifically, MG Chemicals 832TC is ...
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USB Circuit Failure After Potting
I'm experiencing a strange failure of electronics after potting which I'm hoping to get some more insight and explanation to. The device is a custom, rugged USB drive in an Aluminium/Titanium body (...
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Is there a cheap thermally conductive, electrically insulating potting compound?
I've got some some ready-made 12v LED units. I wanted to pot each and put it in a metal container for robustness and to try and dissipate some heat.
I'd like to pot the circuit but was hoping to ...
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Potting Connectors
I work for a company manufacturing electronics. We have a few products where we pot boards into enclosures. Where it is done the incoming connections are always soldered for fear of condensation ...
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Pour-and-drain conformal coating as an alternative to potting
Is there a standard process to pour conformal coating, similar to potting, but then drain the excess? The benefit of draining the excess is to reduce weight and get better cooling.
From my limited ...
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How do you build a machine in a solid block?
I'm aware that a number of mass produced electronics are embedded in a solid thermal resin of some form.
How reasonable is that for the home hacker?
What materials are used?
How do you do it?
Are ...
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Removable/soluble potting compound?
Are there removable/soluble potting compounds that are moisture-proof yet removable without damaging electronic components? I've been able to plunge-mill potted devices to get near enough to ...
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What's the best way to protect a board from corrosion in a hot/moist environment?
Some of my projects need to live outside for long periods. Sometimes, moisture gets into the enclosures. That means that a circuit board might be sitting around in contact with water for hours on ...
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Does this exist: Insulating material to cover circuit
For example when you build a circuit you have the board and the components between them is air.
Is there a clay like material that will act like air does?
Application: you could bundle simple ...
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