The Copper Ground Pours Problem in PCB Designs Arguments Against Copper Ground Pours in PCB Design Recently on the SI-List, aka the SI Reflector, (see note at the end of this article) there’s been a spate of activity around the topic of copper ground pours and whether they are advantageous in a multilayer PCB implementation. There were arguments on both sides of the question. One person said a ground fill pour reduces EMI, another stated that it balances the copper and makes the board less Read Article OnTrack Newsletter: Student Hackers, Crosstalk and Design Blogs - August 2019 OnTrack Newsletter August 2019 VOL. 3 No 4 Major League Hacking Fuels Students Passion for Engineering To bridge the gap between theoretical university-level electrical and computer science education and the kind of practical hands-on experience young engineers need and crave, Jonathan Gottfried co-founded Major League Hacking (MLH). In this interview Jonathan shares the inspiration behind MLH and talks about the impact of the hundreds of Read Article Seven Design Guidelines to Break Bad Habits from Using Open-Source Designs AltiumLive keynote speaker, Dr. Eric Bogatin talks about implementation of the right design guidelines and the disadvantages of using open-source designs. Watch today's OnTrack podcast to learn more. Read Article Trip to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel My name is Piotr Lazarek and I’m a second-grade student of the secondary school “Filomata” in Gliwice. My passion for physics, informatics and new technologies has resulted in an innovative project; an autonomous vehicle which measures concentration of different elements inside soil. I dedicated two years of my hard work to designing and creating a prototype of the device. I’ve already posted an article about my work, so if you’re interested in Read Article How Do the Seamless Transfer and Use of PCB Design Data Improve Workflows? Introduction One of the more thrilling events in track and field is the 400 Meter relay race. Understand, I don’t run; rather I enjoy watching. However, the most critical part of every race is the transferring of the baton to the next runner. I was watching a race some time back where one team was way ahead of the others and was coming around the final turn for the last hand-off. But, THEY DROPPED THE BATON, and they ended up losing. How Read Article PCB Design - It is a Team Sport Introduction A poem by John Donne is the source of a phrase we are all familiar with: “No man is an island.” Although he was speaking of how human beings do rather poorly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community to thrive, this principle is especially true when it comes to the PCB Design process. That no single person—or better said, roles—are involved in the PCB design. I would contend that for any PCB Design to be a success Read Article Solving Component Library Errors During PCB Layout Reuse With the right PCB design package, you can even reuse layouts for these old cell phones I recently bought a new computer after data on my old hard drive started to “magically” become corrupted. Once I broke into my new computer and transferred my data over, I became worried I wouldn’t be able to reuse my old data. When it comes to simpler things like text files or images, you’ll have no problems; you can immediately reopen and reuse these files Read Article 77 GHz Radar for Automotive Radar PCBs: Routing and Signal Integrity Technology moves quickly these days, and automotive radar has transferred from primarily operating near a 24 GHz to a 77 GHz wavelength shortly after its introduction into new vehicles for object detection. Recent regulation changes have allowed the transition to 77 GHz, which provides a number of benefits. Shorter wavelengths facilitate wider bandwidths, and provide better resolution, smaller device form factors, and longer range. This band just Read Article Automotive Telematics Systems Design In 2015, the cost of the electronics in a new car surpassed the cost of raw steel for the first time in history. We shouldn’t be surprised; the increasing number of electronic systems placed in cars over time made this change in cost structure inevitable. As cars become more autonomous, more connected, and include more creature comforts, this trend is only going to continue. After the OnStar system was popularized by General Motors in the 1990s Read Article Relative Permittivity of PCB Substrates: High-k or low-k dielectrics? The relative permittivity of water makes this pencil appear bent If you’ve paid attention to refraction, then you know something about the physics of relative permittivity. The semiconductor industry has managed to continue scaling to smaller technology nodes by using materials with high dielectric constant (so-called high-k dielectrics), but can you see similar benefits in your PCB with similar substrate materials? What about the use of low-k Read Article Advanced Electronics: Understanding Design Challenges for Space Applications Part 1 Electronics design for space applications is a subject I’ve always been passionate about, and understanding the reasons particles can damage circuitry has always fascinated me. In this article, we’ll discuss how a Beta or Gamma particle can create—for a short period of time (usually referred as SEE or Single Event Effect)—a large current in your design which could lead to permanent damage if ignored. We’ll discuss a technique I have used in my Read Article Mike Buetow on PCB West Free Expo pass and more. Mike Buetow shares details about the upcoming PCB West in Santa Clara on September 9 to 12. Watch this OnTrack Episode for complete event details. Read Article ECAD-MCAD Collaboration - Bridging the Communication Gap Let’s face it, there are things that we do the same way every day, simply because ‘we have always done them that way’ and we are used to them. Due to schedule pressures and outside demands, there is rarely time to think about how to make these things better, never mind try to actually implement something new. This makes the motivation to invest in exploring different methodologies challenging. Our general tendencies lean more toward continuing to Read Article How Does Altium Designer Improve PCB Design Workflows? One of the great pleasures in my life is to be the grandfather of—as of now—five grandkids. It’s interesting to watch them go through various stages of learning. There is Caleb, who is four, and Ashley, who is five (though she loves to remind everyone that she is NOT five, but five and seven months). Both are in different stages of learning. Ashley’s question for everything is “WHAT”, and Caleb, his question is “WHY.” What are we doing? Why is Read Article Major League Hacking Fuels Passion for Engineering Students Judy Warner: Jon, please share briefly about your background and what inspired you to co-found Major League Hacking. Jonathan Gottfried: I grew up tinkering with technology, but when I went to college to study Computer Science it was so much more academic than the creative building that I loved to do. I switched majors to history, started doing programming work as a consultant on the side, and ended up graduating and becoming a Developer Read Article Electronics Lab Equipment: Kitting out a Lab from Scratch Setting up a new electronic lab from scratch? In this article you'll learn essential information from budget, tools, your first soldering station, prototyping equipment, and more. Read Article Engineering Laptop Buying Guide Mid 2019 Previously, I covered buying a desktop computer for engineering purposes in The Definitive Engineering Computer Buying Guide Mid 2019. I only touched on engineering laptop/notebook computers at that point, if you’re looking at buying an engineering laptop this is the guide for you. If you’re looking for a laptop specifically for engineering work, my expectation is that you are traveling a lot or are a student. Either way, you’re not looking for a Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page101 Current page102 Page103 Page104 Page105 Page106 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More
