If only 5 to 8 channels are actually 20 A, and the rest are only 5 A fused, the design becomes much more realistic than a full 16 x 20 A worst-case board.
What changed
Your board is no longer a pure 320 A worst-case distribution problem. Instead, it is a mixed-current power distribution board, which is much easier to package safely if you separate:
high-current channels: 20 A
medium/current-limited channels: 5 A
main feed and return: heavy cable
control wiring: low current
That matches the guidance that high-current routing should start from estimating net currents and then assigning routing width/geometry from those current estimates, instead of treating everything like ordinary low-current nets . The attachment workflow also emphasizes analyzing technical documents and tying the result back to the actual design constraints rather than giving a generic answer .
Practical verdict
With:
8 AWG for main power and ground
14 AWG to the loads
5 oz to 8 oz copper
only 5 to 8 channels at 20 A
the rest at 5 A fused
I’d say:
Table
Item
Verdict
PCB as a clean mounting/distribution platform
Yes
Short high-current sections on the PCB
Reasonable
PCB carrying all total current through long copper paths alone
Still not ideal
Mixed-current board with reinforced main feed
Good approach
Best way to think about it
Use the PCB for:
holding the fuse positions
holding the switching channels
organizing outputs
low-current control wiring
Use the heavy wiring for:
the main incoming supply
the main ground return
any trunk path that would otherwise accumulate current from many channels
Important design rule
Even with 5 oz to 8 oz copper, I would still avoid long shared copper runs carrying the sum of many outputs. Heavy copper helps, but good architecture matters more than just copper thickness. The project-analysis guidance is clear that current budgeting and routing strategy should be determined up front from the power architecture .
My recommendation
This is now feasible, provided you:
keep each 20 A path short
use large pours/bus-style copper for shared distribution
bring the highest current in through wire or studded connection
do not depend on ordinary PCB geometry alone for the entire common trunk
Simple rule of thumb
5 A fused channels: easy on the same board
20 A channels: fine if short and reinforced
shared common bus: this is still the critical part
If you want, I can help you next with a practical layout architecture for:
8 high-current + 8 low-current channels, or
5 high-current + 11 low-current channels
and show the safest way to arrange the power entry, fuse row, and output rows.
Wirelessly connects nets on schematic. Used to organize schematics and separate functional blocks. To wirelessly connect net portals, give them same designator. #portal
Wirelessly connects power nets on schematic. Identical to the net portal, but with a power symbol. Used to organize schematics and separate functional blocks. To wirelessly connect power net portals, give them the same designator. #portal #power