Towards Smart Vibration Control for Printed Circuit Boards

Abstract

This article is focused on the problem of vibration control for Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). The proposed control is based on a semi-passive technique called Synchronized Switch Damping on Inductor (SSDI). Implementation of this technique requires PZT inserts and only a few electronic components. Since no external source provides electrical energy to the inserts, a relatively important electromechanical coupling factor is needed to get significant vibration damping. Moreover, the PCB surface that can be covered by the PZT inserts is restricted, limiting the global coupling factor. Optimal location and geometry of the active material are determined according to these constraints using Finite Element Modelling (FEM) of the structure. Experimental results exhibit 15 dB and 10 dB attenuations for the first and the third bending modes respectively. These results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. Transient vibration decay is more than 4 times faster. These promising results show that the SSDI technique provides effective protection of PCBs against shocks and vibrations, while the system is lighter than active controls and more robust than passive controls.