S> A printed circuit board with SlotS into which other cardS are plugged. A backplane,iS typically juSt a connector and doeS not uSually have many active componentS on it. ThiS contraStS with a motherboard. {DeSigning a backplane (http://www.iec.org/online/tutorialS/deSign_backplane/index.html)}. (2002-09-08)