grounding question.

[Carp]

So I know that grounding is important when it comes to handheld electronics, but I really don't have a understanding of it at all. Could somebody explain to me what the function of it is and what you are supposed to wire to grounding spots?

 

[Prog]

If you are getting positive voltage from a battery (unless you're doing a Coleco, you do) then GND is where you connect negative.
Basically, voltage must flow from the battery and back to the battery, so every component needs to connections: Voltage and ground.

 

[Carp]

just so I can better understand, basically grounding is always negative, and how can you check if you are getting a positive charge from the battery? Also in the top right where there is the right audio, left audio, etc., why would you need to ground that it doesn't seem like there is any voltage going there.

Sorry if I seem like a noob I just want to fully understand before I start the project.

 

[watsug]

Use a multimeter, set it to voltage. Hold the black and red wire against the poles of the battery. If it for example says 1.5 on the multimeters screen, then the red side is positive. If there is a minus sign infront of the numbers, then red is connected to negative pole. The black wire should always be connected to COM on the multimeter.

A multimeter is also good in contignuity mode to check for ground points (since all ground should be common).

 

[superben51]

Here's a link all about the theory and physics of it all. Also if the diagram says to put ground, then put ground. There is almost always a good reason for it. The audio and video signals may need a ground to be shared between the mobo and screen/amp for them to work. Something about a floating point zero. The speakers need ground to because IIRC they are electromagnets for the audio signal to flow to, to make sound.

 

[Carp]

quick question instead of making a new thread, wouldn't there be a lot of wires going to the pcb or shouldn't that be an issue?

 

[superben51]

Yup, in most portables there is a crap load of wires going to and from all the different components.

 

[Prog]

Well actually you need to hook up GND to the motherboard along with the 3.3V line and 7-12V line once, because the motherboard hooks these up to all the components.