Temperature sensing system and method

1. A system, comprising:

a printed circuit board, wherein prior to assembly, the printed circuit board comprises:

a terminal component connection configured to couple to a connector of a terminal component;

a temperature sensing component connection configured to couple to a connector of a temperature sensing component;

a signal plane thermally coupled to the terminal component connection; and

a thermal plane thermally coupled to the temperature sensing component connection and electrically isolated from the terminal component connection and the signal plane,

wherein a surface area of the thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of a surface area of the signal plane.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal plane is electrically coupled to the temperature sensing component connection.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the thermal plane that overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the signal plane is located directly above or below the surface area of the signal plane.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an other temperature sensing component connection configured to accept an other connector of a temperature sensing component; and

an other thermal plane thermally coupled to the other temperature sensing component connection and electrically isolated from the terminal component connection and the signal plane,

wherein a surface area of the other thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the signal plane.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the signal plane is disposed between the thermal plane and the other thermal plane.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an other terminal component connection configured to accept a connector of an other terminal component; and

an other signal plane electrically coupled to the other terminal component connection,

wherein a surface area of the thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the other signal plane.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the terminal component connection and the other terminal component connection are located proximate the temperature sensing component connection such that a temperature measurement associated with a temperature sensing component coupled to the temperature sensing component connection is associated with a cold-junction temperature of a terminal coupled to the terminal component connection and an other terminal disposed in the other terminal component connection, during use.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensing component comprises a thermistor, and further comprising a thermistor connector coupled to the temperature sensing component connection.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the terminal component connections and the temperature sensing component connections comprises one or more thermal vias.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the connections comprises a through-hole and wherein at least one of the connectors comprises a complementary component leg configured to be disposed in the through-hole.

11. A method of fabricating a circuit board, comprising:

providing a terminal component through-hole configured to couple to a connector of a terminal component;

providing a temperature sensing component connection configured to couple to a connector of a temperature sensing component;

providing a signal plane thermally coupled to the terminal component connection; and

providing a thermal plane thermally coupled to the temperature sensing component connection and electrically isolated from the terminal component connection and the signal plane,

wherein a surface area of the thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of a surface area of the signal plane.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the connections comprises a through-hole and wherein at least one of the connectors comprises a complementary component leg configured to be disposed in the through-hole.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermal plane is electrically coupled to the temperature sensing component connection.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the surface area of the thermal plane that overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the signal plane is located directly above or below the surface area of the signal plane.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing an other temperature sensing component connection configured to accept an other connector of a temperature sensing component; and

providing an other thermal plane thermally coupled to the other temperature sensing component connection and electrically isolated from the terminal component connection and the signal plane,

wherein a surface area of the other thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the signal plane.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signal plane is disposed between the thermal plane and the other thermal plane.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing an other terminal component connection configured to couple to a connector of an other connection terminal component; and

providing an other signal plane electrically coupled to the other terminal component connection,

wherein a surface area of the other thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of the surface area of the other signal plane.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the terminal component connection and the other terminal component connection are located proximate the temperature sensing component connection such that a temperature measurement associated with a temperature sensing component disposed in the temperature sensing component connection is associated with a cold-junction temperature of a terminal disposed in the terminal component connection and an other terminal disposed in the other terminal component connection, during use.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising disposing a thermistor connector in the temperature sensing component connection, wherein the temperature sensing component comprises a thermistor.

20. A system, comprising:

a printed circuit board, wherein prior to assembly, the printed circuit board comprises:

a first terminal component through-hole configured to accept a first leg of first terminal component;

a second terminal component through-hole configured to accept a second leg of a second terminal component;

a first temperature sensing component through-hole configured to accept a first leg of a thermistor;

a second temperature sensing component through-hole configured to accept a second leg of the thermistor;

a first signal plane electrically and thermally coupled to the first terminal component through-hole;

a second signal plane electrically and thermally coupled to the second terminal component through-hole;

a first thermal plane electrically and thermally coupled to the first temperature sensing component through-hole, wherein a surface area of the first thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of a surface area of the first and second signal planes; and

a second thermal plane electrically and thermally coupled to the second temperature sensing component through-hole, wherein a surface area of the second thermal plane overlaps a substantial portion of a surface area of the first and second signal planes;

a thermistor mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the thermistor comprises a first leg disposed in the first temperature sensing component through-hole and a second leg disposed in the second temperature sensing component through-hole;

a first terminal component mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the first terminal component comprises a first leg disposed in the first terminal component through-hole, wherein the first terminal component is configured to couple to a first lead of a thermocouple; and

a second terminal component mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the second terminal component comprises a second leg disposed in the second terminal component through-hole, wherein the second terminal component is configured to couple to a second lead of the thermocouple.