Patent ID: 7666004

Claim:
A programmable logic controller (PLC) system comprising: a PLC housing comprising a plurality of circuit board mounts, each of said plurality of circuit board mounts configured to physically position a first circuit board of a plurality of circuit boards, none of said plurality of circuit board mounts configured to electrically or communicatively couple said first circuit board to any other system component, said PLC housing not comprising a backplane, said PLC housing not coupled to a backplane; and said first circuit board selected from a group comprising a power supply circuit board, a processor circuit board, and an Input/Output circuit board, said first circuit board one of said plurality of circuit boards, said first circuit board substantially planar and defining a first plane, said first circuit board comprising a surface mount connector, said surface mount connector configured to communicatively couple said first circuit board to a second circuit board of said plurality of circuit boards that comprises a corresponding mating connector, when coupled, said corresponding mating connector of said second circuit board and said surface mount connector of said first circuit board configured to define a first substantially convective heat transfer channel between said second circuit board and said first circuit board, said first channel configured to dissipate heat generated by components of said second circuit board and said first circuit board.