Global PCB Designers and Innovators: OnTrack Newsletter October 2017 On Track Newsletter October 2017 VOL. 1 No 7 Welcome to the October 2017 issue of Altium’s On Track Newsletter. This month we celebrate a few unique engineers and designers from our global user community. The first is Omer Mahgoub from South Africa who is designing boards for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The SKA will be the world’s largest radio telescope ever built, spanning two continents and providing unprecedented views of space. Next Read Article PCB Design Software Features To Consider Before making a decision on buying a home, you would probably ask a lot of questions. Is it close to the facilities and services that are important to you? Is it in a good and safe neighborhood? Will the layout of the house satisfy your needs? These are all important questions that need to be answered before you commit to living there. In the same way, buying new PCB design software deserves the same level of scrutiny. You will want to find out Read Article 7:34 Thermal Management Part 1: Thermal Resistance Concept In this episode, Chris Carlson gives an overview of thermal management as it relates to PCB design. An expert in PCB design, Chris is a wealth of information for the novice and experts in PCB design. Get the most effective information on PCB design and Electronic Design Automation. If you find this video interesting, please like and share with your fellow PCB designers or let us know if you have any questions in the comments. Let us know if you Watch Video From Pads to Altium: Evaluation Resources to Help You Switch As you dive into your evaluation of Altium Designer, I wanted to share with you some information specifically for someone like you that is coming from a PADS background. When we look at what engineers and designers really do every day, we often see that as much as 61% of your day can be consumed with non-design related tasks. These tasks are a byproduct of using a collection of tools (toolchains), vs. the Altium Designer paradigm of using a Read Article How to use Circuit Design Software for PCB DFM Guidelines I once had the privilege of touring the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) courtesy of a family member who served aboard her. Although secure areas were off-limits to me, I still was able to see a good portion of the ship. I saw everything from hangars and workshops to crew quarters and the galley. I even stood on the foremost part of the flight deck, right where Optimus Prime stood at the end of the second Transformers movie. Through it all, I was Read Article PCB Grounding Techniques for Plated PCB Mounting Holes Whenever you place your board into an enclosure, it will need to mount to that enclosure somehow. In order to provide a secure mount without damaging the surface of the PCB with a screw, it's typical to simply place plated through holes in the corners. These PCB mounting holes generally have the pad exposed beneath solder mask so that, if needed, the mounting point can be connected electrically back to one of your nets. One question that often Read Article How to Choose the Correct Solder Mask Thickness and Type for Your PCB When looking at a circuit board, especially as a beginner in the electronics industry, I always wondered why the top layer of PCBs was green. The answer varies depending on who you ask, but one thing everyone agrees on is this: your solder mask aids inspection, provides protection for conductors, and prevents visual fatigue during hand assembly. The various PCB solder mask types differ in how they are applied, their composition, and of course Read Article The MOM/MES Edge: The MES Performance Kick Manufacturers are increasingly being pushed to implement manufacturing execution systems (MES) in order to optimize their operations. Statistics illustrate both how Best-in-Class organizations successfully deploy such systems as well as how they reap the benefits of doing so. Key observations include: The pressure to implement MES is predominantly driven by cost, quality, and the need to comply with regulations, respectively. Best-In-Class Read Article Circuit Design Tips: PCB Moisture Protection for Humid Environments Learn more about implementing PCB moisture protection and storage in your design to prevent corrosion and board failure. Read Article Solar Cars of the Future Pioneered by Midnight Sun Solar Engineering and Design Team Since the 1988-1989 academic year the University of Waterloo’s Midnight Sun solar team, under the guidance of faculty advisor Professor Gordon Savage, has been building and competing in the American Solar Challenge ( ASC) and the World Solar Challenge ( WSC). Each of these competitions are held alternately every other year. Running the helm of the electrical systems team are Minghou Ji (Engineering Manager), Yifei Li (Hardware Engineer) and Read Article How PCB BOM Management Tools fit into a Paperless Manufacturing BOM Software My wife is an avid reader, and we have a large selection of her favorite books filling the bookshelves in our family room. Lately though, she has been purchasing more and more E-books to read on her tablet. E-books are easier for her to store and transport, and she now prefers that format over the traditional printed book. This transition from paper to electronic format has been going on for a while now, and E-books are just a small portion of Read Article Omer Mahgoub from Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Africa and PCB Design for Astronomy Judy Warner: Omer, will you please share what the SKA is, what countries are involved, and what purpose it serves? Omer Mahgoub: The SKA (Square Kilometre Array) is an international effort to build the world's largest radio telescope, with a total collecting area of 1 square kilometer and located on two continents (Africa and Australia). Organizations from 10 countries are members of the SKA: Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand Read Article Obsolescence Information Management for PCB BOM Maintenance In my home laboratory, the garage, I have many bins. One contains small springs, another gear-motors, yet another small bolts… and so on. Despite my girlfriend’s skepticism, these bits are actually very useful for fixing assorted gadgets and household appliances, and they also provide fodder for my weekend tinkering habits. Keeping track of what I have and where it is uses up quite a lot of mental capacity in itself. At work, the sheer volume of Read Article From OrCAD to Altium: Evaluation and Review Resources to Help You Switch As you dive into your evaluation of Altium Designer, you will find this information helpful specifically for someone like you that is coming from an OrCAD background. When we look at what engineers and designers do every day, we often see that as much as 61% of your day can be consumed with non-design related tasks. These tasks are a byproduct of using a collection of tools (toolchains), vs. the Altium Designer paradigm of using a Unified Design Read Article The PCB Routing that Benefits the Most from Interactive PCB Auto Routing Years ago I helped to re-roof a house, and the first task was to remove the old shingles. Pulling up shingles one at a time, I was very proud of my efforts until a professional roofer came over to me shaking his head. Using a scoop shovel like a snowplow, he removed a couple a hundred shingles in less time than it took me to pull up five by hand. I learned up on the roof that day to always look for better ways to get the job done. When routing a Read Article Environmental Considerations for High Voltage PCB Board Design Several years ago, I had a date take me hiking. Beforehand, he gave me a long list of what to wear and bring for the hike. I had been camping and hiking in the mountains since childhood, and this guy was a southern boy, so I found it a little vexing to have him telling me what to do on my home turf. Fortunately, I had been raised to take environmental hazards seriously and tried hard to appreciate someone else who also had neurotic and Read Article Intro to Altium Designer Evaluation [Videos] We often see that the tendency with evaluators is to jump right in with both feet using their experience as a guide to evaluation. However, we highly recommend that you use this guide as Altium Designer has a fundamentally different approach to PCB design than anything else in the market. From concept to manufacture, your design process is a series of distinct stages and Altium Designer allows these stages to remain consistent and connected Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page169 Current page170 Page171 Page172 Page173 Page174 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More
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