Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
backplane

backplane

1 7.7
A flat board inside electronic equipment that connects parts so they can send signals
  • noun
  • /ˈbækˌpleɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : placa de conexión
  • This is why we are using top-of-the-line Mitsubishi with fast response input cards on the backplane.
  • backplane buses

But others use connectors that are more designed for SATA or SAS backplanes.

Examples

  • Both standard and fault-tolerant PCs are available with either motherboard or passive backplane architecture.

    Academic text (1998)

  • So what they've done here is they've taken what is normally a flat backplane on a case like this.

  • Then both of these go to backplanes behind the banks of drives.

  • We're sliding it in so the ATX backplane is in place.

  • The outage caused by a cascading hardware failure destroyed, among other things, our servers' backplane and RAID controller.

    Blog text (15)

  • Like 80% of the hardware was custom-soldered boards in a separate passive backplane, and the OS was proprietary.

    Blog text (1)

  • Interesting comments on the evolution of data centers from racks of desktop-type boxes in the '90s to racks with hundreds of naked specialized motherboards plugged into really large backplanes.

    Blog text (7)

  • The engineer connected the modules to the backplane to ensure they could communicate effectively.

  • The server's backplane allows multiple devices to share data seamlessly within the system.

  • Each component was mounted securely on the backplane to establish a reliable connection between them.

Synonyms

board
vsbackplane
  • Specialized
167 5.4

A flat panel inside electronic devices that holds small parts

is focused on linking several devices for communication rather than general control
circuit board
vsbackplane
  • Specialized
14 3.7

A flat board inside devices like phones or computers that holds and connects electronic parts

is designed mainly to link multiple modules so they can communicate directly
PC board
vsbackplane
  • Specialized
4.2

A small circuit board you plug into a computer to add features

is fixed hardware meant to connect components and allow system communication

Surface Forms

backplane singular
backplanes plural

Morphology

backplane = back + plane (semi-transparent) = back + plane

Formally a compound of 'back' + 'plane' whose components signal location and flatness, but the technical meaning 'a circuit board for connections' is specialized and may not be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Backplane joins back ('rear') and plane ('flat board' or 'flat surface'), so imagine a flat board at the back of a machine. That's why a backplane is the board that connects and lets many electronic parts talk to each other.