Sunswift: Student-Designed Solar Cars from Down Under Judy Warner: Please share how your team was started, how many cars you have built to date, and give us an overview of Violet. Kristian Bojidarov: Sunswift is a team of undergraduate students from the University of New South Wales who design, build and race the world’s most advanced solar-electric vehicles. With the knowledge gained since Sunswift’s founding in 1995, the team has recently completed the manufacture of our sixth vehicle, Violet Read Article Getting a Handle on Flex Cost Drivers Judy Warner: You've been in the board fabrication business for over 20 years. What factors do you see as contributing to the rise in flex and rigid-flex designs? Tara Dunn: I believe that space, weight and packaging are the primary factors driving designs to flex and rigid-flex technology. For customers that are already using flex and rigid-flex, I am seeing an increase in their percentage of new designs using flex and I am also noticing an Read Article Bill of Materials Management In the past, many PCB designers were confined to tools that dictated when the Bill of Materials could be produced. But we know from years of experience that the Bill of Materials, or BOM, can change throughout the design process. We believe the decision should be up to you, which is why we strive to offer tools that embrace flexible and agile options for PCB designers and other professionals involved in the decision process. Click the PDF above Read Article Manufacturing Checklists and Tools When it comes to manufacturing, organization is critical. With so many different players involved in the design process (engineers, sourcing agents, manufacturers, etc.), maintaining documentation and utilizing checklists and other tools will keep everyone on the same page and avoid confusion. Additionally, checklists can help ensure that the PCB design is fully complete and ready to send for manufacturing, protecting you from any unexpected Read Article Multiboard vs. Multilayer PCB Design Systems In the past, PCB designers were limited with system designs spanning more than one board. However, recent developments in mechanical CAD systems have given designers the ability to now design multiple boards for a system with relative ease. Thanks to 3D PCB design tool technology, designers are able to save both time and money previously spent on prototypes by confirming that their designs are system-ready. Click the PDF above to read more about Read Article Bluetooth Design Guidelines: Important Considerations for Low Energy Designs In my twenties, I could easily carry my laptop around the city without any sign of fatigue. These days, I tire out quickly and seek a nice massage after long periods of walking around with my laptop. That’s why I prefer to carry lighter working tablets instead of my bulky laptop. Technology has grown quite a bit since the classic Bluetooth. In electronics, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) does something similar for applications. It transmits short data Read Article Part Placement Shortcuts in Altium Designer I read once that circuit board design is 90% placement and 10% routing. I’m not sure that I believe that, but it is fair to say that component placement is a critical part of the overall board design. Yet some designers will rush this part of the job so that they can get on with routing the board, only to have to come back later and re-place portions of the board. I wonder if one of the problems is that designers get frustrated during the Altium Read Article Planting Seeds in a Row SMT Component Placement Tolerance for your PCB I had my 5-year-old nephew helping me spread flower seed this Spring. He got a kick out of throwing the seed out into the flower beds, but he didn’t pay attention to where he was throwing it. Most landed on the sidewalk. Before letting him continue, I decided to put some landscaping tape around the each bed’s perimeter. This helped the little guy get most of the seed into the right areas. With the flowers in order, we made sure to get a nice Read Article Managing Your PCB Design Through BOM Planning: What’s Important Back in my younger days, I was infatuated with Legos. Every chance I had, I would run into the toy store with a pocket full of change from weekly chores swiping as many sets as I could afford. Looking back on these days, I’m surprised at how complex these structures were that I (at the ripe age of 8) was actually able to assemble. It never seemed like it was too difficult of a task either. I never felt incredibly overwhelmed with the procurement Read Article PCB Design BOM Planning: A Balancing Act The balancing act of knowing how much or little info is needed when designing your BOM is often convoluted and muddied. If done incorrectly, you could be stuck in a communication loop with a confused manufacturer, frustrated engineer, or a designer. This will inevitably cost you money, time and effort that otherwise would have been avoided. In order to assist us, today we’ll assume that you’ve begun to wrap up the final stages of your design, and Read Article Isolated vs Non-Isolated Power Supplies: The Right Choice Without Fail Learn the advantages and disadvantages of isolated vs non-isolated power supply design. Read Article High Currents and High Temperature: PCB Design Tips for Heat Management I remember the first (and hopefully the only) time one of my circuits caught on fire. It started with the resistors and quickly spread to a nearby decoupling capacitor. Thankfully, the destruction was minor and most of the components were salvageable. Why did this happen you ask? No, this was not due to a short circuit. Very simply, I did not take into account the high current PCB layout. As electronics continue to be miniaturized, the thermal Read Article Universal Language: PCB Design to Minimize EMI in Communications Systems Can you imagine what a world without lines would be like? At first, it seems wonderful to not have to wait around anymore, trusting that people will figure their business out. Disneyland, happiest place on Earth, receives about 44,000 people per day. Imagine a thousand people all rushing to get on the next available log flume. No longer just a tower of terror, but a whole theme park. When designing PCBs, your traces are the lines and each has a Read Article Be the Expert When it Comes to Designing Your Power Distribution PCB Editorial credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com Around my house, we seem to undergo a transformation to obscure-sport experts every four years, and coincidentally it occurs at the same time that the Winter Olympics is taking place. Yes, I’m talking about the sport of curling. We have all become subject matter experts in the “button,” the “hammer,” the “house,” “sweeping,” and of course the “curl.” Rest assured, by next month we will have Read Article Design Medical Devices for Internet of Things and Your Hardware Capabilities It seems like everyone I know has a smartwatch or fitness tracker. I gave mine to my mother when I felt like it was making me act weird (I sometimes put my laundry away one item at a time instead of using a laundry basket to get those extra step counts). There are days when I still covet graphs informing me of my status sleeping, walking, and eating. Fitness trackers barely scratch the surface of capabilities for medical IoT, though. Medical IoT Read Article How To Find Circuit Design Software Online: Search Parameters and Powerful Tools Often, designers and companies will choose a certain PCB design tool based on factors other than what the tool is capable of doing for them. The chosen software may have a very low price tag associated with it, but does it do everything that you need it to do? This question goes much deeper as well. Not only does this software do what you want it to—but does it really excel? You may invest in an application that satisfies your needs today--but Read Article Increase Component Density in Multilayer PCB Design with Blind Vias When I was still a novice circuit designer, my boards would be crammed with components. I later learned how to place components on both sides of the circuit board, freeing up some desperately needed real estate. If only there was a way to free up space by hiding traces below the surface of the circuit board... Newer devices are taking on smaller form factors, and the increasing demands for more capabilities will require that more components be Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page153 Current page154 Page155 Page156 Page157 Page158 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More
