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    Home

    Explore content from blog posts to technical white papers gathered together for your convenience. All written by Altium's community of PCB design experts.

    14:01 Thermal Management Part 2: Sizing a Component Heatsink In this episode, Chris Carlson shows how to properly size a heatsink for a component. An expert in PCB design Watch Video
    PCB CAD Design for Manufacturing Guidelines: How Trace Routing Can Affect Solder Joints A couple of weeks ago I attended a concert that was a tribute to the big band leader Stan Kenton. I love big band jazz for many reasons, one of which is the configuration of musicians and instruments in the band. There are usually around 15 to 20 musicians on different instruments, and everyone plays a different part. If just one person makes a mistake, it can ruin the balance of the number that was so carefully arranged by the composer. The Read Article
    PCB Technology Trends: The Benefits of Internet of Things Security Gateways Do you ever like to take a break from social situations for a few days and spend some quality time with your television? I do that maybe a little more often than I should, and last week I spent that time binge-watching the new season of Stranger Things. If you haven’t seen the show, it’s about a girl with psychic powers who opens a portal to another dimension (the Upside Down) filled with creatures. The gateway to that world lets monsters loose Read Article
    Introduction to High Speed PCB Designing: How to Eliminate Crosstalk Recently at a wedding reception I was trying to talk to a gentleman who was sitting at the same table as me. Unfortunately there was a woman sitting between us carrying on a conversation with someone else sitting on my other side. With all the commotion of the reception in the background, conversation was difficult to begin with. Having another discussion taking place between us though made our conversation impossible. What we had was crosstalk Read Article
    The Best Easily Available PCB CAD Design Software Training Resources Congratulations! You’re about to start working on a new CAD system, and you are chomping at the bit to design something. Like a 10-year old waking up on the morning of their birthday, you can hardly wait to rip the wrapping off the box and get started. Once you’re seated in front of your new software though, you begin to worry. How do you open up a part to work on it, and is it even called a “part” in this system? How do you create a simple Read Article
    PCB Design for Manufacturing Guidelines: How to Avoid Critical Design Mistakes I swear I would have been on the journey to be the next MasterChef if I had not completed my engineering degree. Not because I’m terrifically good at cooking, but because I didn’t give up after a horrifying attempt to cook fried rice vermicelli. Failing to soak those long threads of noodles resulted in pasta with a hard wire texture that was beyond salvageable. This was a good example of what can happen to a dish when you don’t follow directions Read Article
    Important Considerations for Pads in PCB Design: Pad Cratering Prevention Every year after Halloween, my school used to have a pumpkin launch, probably so they could get the pumpkins on sale. Mostly, mechanical engineering students participated, but anyone was allowed to enter and see if they could launch their pumpkin the farthest. Sections of campus were blocked off and your path to class was rerouted if you went at all. Most of the engineers got (or took) the morning off for cheering and jeering. Results were Read Article
    The Best Multilayer PCB Design Tips for Circuit Board Layout Doing something new for the first time can be difficult. Baby birds probably don’t appreciate being pushed out of the nest and teenagers are nervous before their first real date. I, personally, was scared to death on my first date. However, I’m glad that I took that first step because that milestone was a great moment in my life. Designing your first multilayer PCB board may not be quite like a first date, but it's still a critical step for a PCB Read Article
    What is a BOM in PCB Design? I spent many years designing circuit boards in a service bureau. I built assembly components, placed and routed traces, and created Gerber files and drawings. In all that time though, I never worked with a PCB bill of materials. It probably was because those customers created their own BOM’s and we worked only with the data that they gave us. Whatever the reason though, I was in the dark when it came to the BOM, and I had a lot of questions Read Article
    How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Last week one of my co-workers, a brilliant guy named Phil, quit his job for a position in another company. Phil was amazing, and losing him was a tremendous blow to our department and the company. The tragic thing though is that Phil didn’t leave for a better job, he left because he felt that he no longer added any value. It is amazing at how many truly exemplary employees end up quitting because of workplace frustrations and feeling Read Article
    Wearable Electronics Until recently, wearable accessories had one primary purpose-- to be fashionable. Sure, watches are useful for keeping time and staying punctual, but that's about as far as things went for functionality. Today, we have a rising selection of wearable electronics, many of which can be directly credited with a rise in health and lifestyle improvements. They track distance and time on your runs, help assess whether you're getting the right amount of Download PDF
    Rigid Flex PCBs Between the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable electronics, and flexible displays, there is an increasing demand for flexible and rigid flex PCB technology in the electronics industry. If PCB designers don't want to be left in the dust, it's of the utmost importance to learn and adapt to this new tech, where PCBs must be compact, nearly (or completely) wireless, and-- most obviously-- flexible. Through proper design planning, utilization of space Download PDF
    PCB Layout As electronics get smaller and more complex, so too must the boards (PCBs) that make them function. Because of this, your PCB layouts matter more than ever before. While a PCB with a poor layout may still function, a well-planned layout will go a long way to ensure efficiency, minimize risk, and even save you money in your production budget. The care you put into your PCB layout can give your product a strategic edge over competition through Download PDF
    3D PCB Design When it comes to designing circuit boards, you know that being able to properly visualize your spacing, sizing, and layout is crucial to a successful finished product with minimal setbacks. While standard PCB design software has its place, 3D PCB software allows you to get a detailed look at your routing, components, and overall layout BEFORE you send your design out for a physical prototype. As 3D environments become more advanced, they become Download PDF
    High Voltage PCB Design When it comes to designing high voltage PCBs, it's important to ensure your layout is able to control and optimize electric field strengths for optimal operation and longevity. While the manufacturing process of high voltage PCBs remains similar to that of normal PCBs, careful attention to the materials you use, as well as their properties, are crucial to success. A thorough understanding of spacing rules, clearances, operating frequencies, and Download PDF
    PCB Design Techniques to Reduce EMI Reduce EMI in your PCB designs. This presentation will discuss multiple ways good PCB design can help manage EMI interference on your board. It covers tips and tricks for basics and beyond, including: using EMI cans for shielding, proper grounding techniques, trace length, isolating AC and DC signals and differential pair routing. Click the PDF above to read more about PCB design techniques to reduce EMI in this presentation. Or view the original Download PDF
    How to Work with Your PCB CAD Software Support Technicians Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to help someone, but they don’t understand what you are talking about? You want to help them through their difficulties, but the two of you seem to be from different worlds. If that scenario doesn’t sound familiar to you, then you’ve probably never raised teenagers. If it does ring a bell, then you may be a seasoned parent, or you may even be a customer support technician. I firmly believe Read Article