Power Distribution Backplanes

A distribution board (also known as panelboard, breaker panel, or electric panel) is a component of an electricity supply system that divides an electrical power feed into subsidiary circuits, while providing a protective fuse or circuit breaker for each circuit in a common enclosure.

Normally, a main switch, and in recent boards, one or more residual-current devices (RCD) or residual current breakers with overcurrent protection (RCBO), are also incorporated.

These power supply backplanes carry 12V power from the power supplies to the power distribution board over a pair of bus bars. They also delivers 3.3V standby power over a three-pin wire cable.

Figure 1: An example of a Power Distribution Board