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Cars are getting smarter, with more electric, connected, and self-driving features. To make these advanced vehicles safe and reliable, they need sophisticated electronics and circuit boards. Despite complexity, these systems need to be interoperable with an open standard for communication; this is where AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture) comes in. This article explains what AUTOSAR is, how it affects PCB design in automotive...

Here is something nobody told me until I was four years into my freelance career as a hardware engineer: the parts library and managing it well are the real bottleneck in PCB design. It’s not so much the circuit design or even the PCB layout. It’s the parts, their availability, and their suitability. I, along with other engineers, have spent hours or days looking for the right connectors and headers in a library because we didn’t know which...

Glasses are emerging as the newest personal device form factor, merging fashion, function, and connectivity into one sleek package. According to IDC, shipments of smart and augmented reality (AR) eyewear are expected to grow 39% in 2025, reaching 14 million units and rising to 43 million in 2029.  The market today is currently being driven by smart glasses (aka AI glasses), with 250% growth in 2025, yet next-gen AR glasses are right around the...

This short article presents three examples of failures that can occur in electronic designs when power distribution is not properly considered as a key design constraint. Please note that the circuits presented in this article have not been tested and are intended for demonstration purposes only. Failure 1: PCB Trace Meltdown Imagine a scenario where a narrow PCB trace is used to carry a high current to a load. Would it still function as an...

Supply chains can be unpredictable and locking in part prices is the deciding factor on whether you will achieve your margin goals or not. All it takes is a sudden increase in demand, a supply chain disruption, or a global event, and prices can suddenly go up or parts can disappear overnight. For complex product manufacturers, even a small delay or price increase can disrupt the entire production line, driving up costs and slowing delivery. This...

The most consequential sources of delay in PCB assembly have nothing to do with the assembler. They originate in the design data and procurement process. Product designers, and particularly PCB designers, have a responsibility to maintain the design data repository to ensure it reflects complete and accurate supply chain information. Buyers then need to take this information and implement a process that accounts for and mitigates any sources of...

In the past, developing PCBs was a rather isolated process. Today, the focus is shifting—from creating a single PCB to building a highly sophisticated electronic product. This shift creates the need for multidisciplinary cooperation. With the Altium platform, this collaboration becomes easy and efficient. What you’ll learn: The challenges in modern development PCB development in the past Electronic system development and collaboration through...

The goal of voltage monitoring is often to identify fluctuations or surges that can damage equipment in power electronics. However, voltage monitoring is not only performed in power electronics; it can be used in sensing or specialized applications in precision measurement. Voltage monitoring in these applications relies on a very small list of components and circuits, but these designs can take up a lot of board space on the PCB. It often...

Flex and rigid-flex circuits are often a PCB designers' first choice when they need to save space, shed weight, or eliminate clunky connectors. They've enabled incredible achievements in miniaturized electronics, from medical wearables and drone systems to ruggedized aerospace applications. But as more demanding applications emerge, even the best-designed flex circuits start to show stress. In many cases, it’s not the routing or signal flow that...