Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 0 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
Hub AI
Ground plane AI simulator
(@Ground plane_simulator)
Hub AI
Ground plane AI simulator
(@Ground plane_simulator)
Ground plane
In electrical engineering, a ground plane is an electrically conductive surface, usually connected to electrical ground. Ground planes are typically made of copper or aluminum, and they are often located on the bottom of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
The term has two different meanings in separate areas of electrical engineering.
In Telecommunications, a ground plane is a flat or nearly flat horizontal conducting surface that serves as part of an antenna, to reflect the radio waves from the other antenna elements. In monopole antennas the ground plane is connected to one side of the antenna feedline, usually the shield conductor of a coaxial cable, and the other side is connected to the monopole element itself. Ground plane shape and size play major roles in determining its radiation characteristics including gain.
To function as a ground plane, the conducting surface must be at least a quarter of the wavelength ( 1 /4 λ) of the radio waves in radius. In lower frequency antennas, such as the mast radiators used for broadcast antennas, the Earth itself (or a body of water such as a salt marsh or ocean) is used as a ground plane. For higher frequency antennas, in the VHF or UHF range, the ground plane can be smaller, and metal disks, screens and wires are used as ground planes. At upper VHF and UHF, the metal skin of a car or aircraft can serve as a ground plane for whip antennas projecting from it. In microstrip antennas and printed monopole antennas an area of copper foil on the opposite side of a printed circuit board serves as a ground plane. The ground plane does not need to be a continuous surface. In the ground plane antenna style whip antenna, the plane consists of several wires 1 /4 λ long radiating from the base of a quarter-wave whip antenna.
The radio waves from an antenna element that reflect off a ground plane appear to come from a mirror image of the antenna located on the other side of the ground plane. In a monopole antenna, the radiation pattern of the monopole plus the virtual image antenna make it appear as a two-element center-fed dipole antenna. So a monopole mounted over an ideal ground plane has a radiation pattern identical to a dipole antenna. The feedline from the transmitter or receiver is connected between the bottom end of the monopole element and the ground plane. The ground plane must have good conductivity; any resistance in the ground plane is in series with the antenna and serves to dissipate power from the transmitter.
Antennas usually need ground planes as they serves as a stabilizing factor for the signal, ensuring that antennas have a consistent baseline from which to transmit and receive information. It also helps create a specific radiation pattern by reflecting radio waves, ensuring that the antenna radiates efficiently. There are also some cases that ground planes can improve the overall performance of the antenna by ensuring better signal propagation.
A ground plane on a printed circuit board (PCB) is a large area or layer of copper foil connected to the circuit's ground point, usually one terminal of the power supply. It serves as the return path for current from many different components.
A ground plane is often made as large as possible, covering most of the area of the PCB which is not occupied by circuit traces. In multilayer PCBs, it is often a separate layer covering the entire board. This serves to make circuit layout easier, allowing the designer to ground any component without having to run additional traces; component leads needing grounding are routed directly through a hole in the board to the ground plane on another layer. The large area of copper also conducts the large return currents from many components without significant voltage drops, ensuring that the ground connection of all the components are at the same reference potential.
Ground plane
In electrical engineering, a ground plane is an electrically conductive surface, usually connected to electrical ground. Ground planes are typically made of copper or aluminum, and they are often located on the bottom of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
The term has two different meanings in separate areas of electrical engineering.
In Telecommunications, a ground plane is a flat or nearly flat horizontal conducting surface that serves as part of an antenna, to reflect the radio waves from the other antenna elements. In monopole antennas the ground plane is connected to one side of the antenna feedline, usually the shield conductor of a coaxial cable, and the other side is connected to the monopole element itself. Ground plane shape and size play major roles in determining its radiation characteristics including gain.
To function as a ground plane, the conducting surface must be at least a quarter of the wavelength ( 1 /4 λ) of the radio waves in radius. In lower frequency antennas, such as the mast radiators used for broadcast antennas, the Earth itself (or a body of water such as a salt marsh or ocean) is used as a ground plane. For higher frequency antennas, in the VHF or UHF range, the ground plane can be smaller, and metal disks, screens and wires are used as ground planes. At upper VHF and UHF, the metal skin of a car or aircraft can serve as a ground plane for whip antennas projecting from it. In microstrip antennas and printed monopole antennas an area of copper foil on the opposite side of a printed circuit board serves as a ground plane. The ground plane does not need to be a continuous surface. In the ground plane antenna style whip antenna, the plane consists of several wires 1 /4 λ long radiating from the base of a quarter-wave whip antenna.
The radio waves from an antenna element that reflect off a ground plane appear to come from a mirror image of the antenna located on the other side of the ground plane. In a monopole antenna, the radiation pattern of the monopole plus the virtual image antenna make it appear as a two-element center-fed dipole antenna. So a monopole mounted over an ideal ground plane has a radiation pattern identical to a dipole antenna. The feedline from the transmitter or receiver is connected between the bottom end of the monopole element and the ground plane. The ground plane must have good conductivity; any resistance in the ground plane is in series with the antenna and serves to dissipate power from the transmitter.
Antennas usually need ground planes as they serves as a stabilizing factor for the signal, ensuring that antennas have a consistent baseline from which to transmit and receive information. It also helps create a specific radiation pattern by reflecting radio waves, ensuring that the antenna radiates efficiently. There are also some cases that ground planes can improve the overall performance of the antenna by ensuring better signal propagation.
A ground plane on a printed circuit board (PCB) is a large area or layer of copper foil connected to the circuit's ground point, usually one terminal of the power supply. It serves as the return path for current from many different components.
A ground plane is often made as large as possible, covering most of the area of the PCB which is not occupied by circuit traces. In multilayer PCBs, it is often a separate layer covering the entire board. This serves to make circuit layout easier, allowing the designer to ground any component without having to run additional traces; component leads needing grounding are routed directly through a hole in the board to the ground plane on another layer. The large area of copper also conducts the large return currents from many components without significant voltage drops, ensuring that the ground connection of all the components are at the same reference potential.