F3 Backplane

F2 + 1 = F3, right?

This is a custom backplane PCB for Terramaster F2-221, which adds a socket for an NVMe SSD for booting an operating system from.

Blog post about creating this: https://codedbearder.com/posts/f3-backplane/

Ordering from JLCPCB

The gerber zip file can be found under fab/v1.0/f3_backplane.zip and is generated for JLCPCB. When ordering the PCB make sure to select impedance controlled stackup JLC04161H-7628.

Also, make sure to select Gold Fingers and 30°finger chamfered. It will recommend selecting an ENIG surface finish in order to get them actually gold plated, but as this is more expensive and the backplane shouldn't get removed and inserted into the motherboard often I just went with the standard HASL (with lead) surface finish and I haven't had any problems.

Bill of materials