Importance

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Abstract

An electromagnetic shield including at least one entry hole is placed in contact with a circuit board, thereby substantially enclosing a compartment. With the shield and circuit board held together, conformal coating is introduced into the compartment through the entry hole. The conformal coating coats the exposed portions of the circuit board within the compartment, but does not coat the portions of the circuit board contacted by the shield. The circuit board may include ground traces that divide the circuit board into sections. An optional electrically conductive gasket may be used between the ground traces and the shield to provide good electrical contact between the shield and the circuit board. In addition, a connector seal may be used to form a barrier preventing entry of environmental contaminants into critical connector interface areas. The connector seal is inserted into the forwardly facing pin cavity of a male connector so that the male pins pierce through the connector seal. When the female connector is joined to the male connector, the front face of the female connector abuts the connector seal so that the connector seal forms a barrier preventing entry of environmental contaminants into the female pins and onto that portion of the male pins that are disposed within the female pins. This connector seal is preferably used in conjunction with the conformal coating process so that the connector's circuit board leads are coated by the conformal coating.

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First Claim