Solving Modern PCB Layout Challenges PCB technology advances are a two-edged sword. They have increased the power and applicability of electronics. But they also make PCB layout more difficult, raising the risk of longer time-to-market cycles and higher product costs. Designers can mitigate these risks by using a unified PCB layout software package that provides the automation necessary to bring products to market quickly and on-budget. INTRODUCTION “Honey, I shrunk the kids.” “It’s Read Article How the Evolution of Space Mission PCB Design Has Allowed SpaceX's Visions to Take Flight Today, the new frontiers of spaceflight are explored by SpaceX. SpaceX is an ambitious venture to create a new reusable launch system and, ultimately, interplanetary travel. The most visible of these efforts is the Falcon series of rockets. Designed with the goals of reusability and reduced costs, the Falcon series is engineered around ease of manufacturing and assembly. What role does today’s printed circuit board technology, and the computing Read Article Embedded Active Components Are Enabling Independent Smartwatches with Smartphone Capabilities The innovation that most clearly signals the potential of the smartwatch is the LG Watch Sport’s ability to make phone calls and receive data without needing to be near enough to an anchor smartphone to connect. This turns the question “why would I need a smartwatch when I have a smartphone?” on its head. How about: “why would I need a smartphone when I have a smartwatch?” Read on to find out more! I live in one of the more tech-savvy cities in Read Article 3:26 Embedded World 2017 with Altium PCB Design Software Watch Video Pros and Cons of Having a Manufacturer Source Components for Your PCB Design Turnkey PCB manufacturing and assembly can be convenient, but can you trust these service providers to source your parts? Read Article The Benefits of a Consistent Interface in Professional PCB Software Software should utilize a common user interface that is consistent with the operating system environment. Nothing is quite as awkward as attempting to do something standard and not getting the expected outcome especially in the realm of Professional PCB Software. Keep your momentum, work with intuitive and professional PCB design tools. I think everyone can agree: it's important that any software shares a common user interface consistent with the Read Article 32:01 Embedded World 2017: Altium Designer 17 Demo (English) Watch Video 32:49 Embedded World 2017: Altium Designer 17 Demo (German) Watch Video Move 3D Interference Checking to Electronic Design for a More Efficient Flow During a typical design process it can take multiple iterations before your PCB fits its enclosure, leading to delayed schedules and missed deadlines. How can you ensure your PCB fits right the first time? With 3D interference checking. Every electronic product consists of both mechanical and electrical assemblies. The two need to fit together — you don’t want electronic components interfering with the mechanical enclosure. Typically, the Read Article How Proper PCB Layout Can Help You Avoid Adding Heat Sinks to Your Design Having to recall products, like faulty computer monitors, is a financial burden that can be avoided How does PCB Layout help to Avoid Adding Heat Sinks to Your Design? Everyone knows that excessive heat can kill components or drive them out of spec, but sometimes it isn’t obvious when heat will be a problem. Heat mitigation issues may appear over time, like a solder joint that fractures due to thermal expansion and contraction over numerous heat Read Article Advances in Printed Circuit Board Design: Fitbit Takes Fitness from Clunky to Cool When Fitbit was first developed neither of its creators had PCB design or manufacturing experience, and they immediately ran into major problems. They ultimately wanted a product that comes in a small package, which meant that proper PCB layout was critical for success. For his birthday, my nephew got a Fitbit. To my astonishment, instead of rolling his eyes and muttering a thank you to the floor, he held it above his head and started jumping Read Article Implementing Complex Pad Shapes into Your PCB Designs In some instances, geometrically irregular or complex pad shapes may be required in your designs, and getting them just right can drain a significant amount of time and manual effort. Learn how to save time and energy by quickly implementing complex pad shapes in your PCB design in Altium Designer®. Read on to find out more. Most component package types have consistent and straightforward rectangular or round pad shapes. Creating footprints for Read Article How to Use a Modular Approach to Simplify Your PCB Design Process Modular PCB design can end up taking more time if it is not planned out properly when moving from conceptual spec to actual design. There are a lot of factors to consider at once. For example, where to place major components to optimize space and performance, and which one to drop first. You’ll also need to consider where subsystems fit and which placement will result in the cleanest traces. These initial decisions can be daunting and lead to Read Article Migrating From Autodesk Eagle™ to Altium Designer® For the purpose of this migration guide we are going to focus on importing Eagle PCB Designs, if you require other files migrated, please refer to their specific guide. Preparing to Migrate Your Legacy Data Never forget that migration of data follows the “garbage in…. more garbage out” principle. So, we need to consider four distinct phases of the process, this is best shown in the flow diagram below: Step 1: Prepare Original Data - Pre Read Article How to Design Your Rigid-Flex PCB Within a Board Outline Medical wearables need to be sleek, unencumbered, and compact; able to collect meaningful medical data with few (or no) wires attached to the patient. This creates demand for flexible PCB layouts. While you’re trying hard to push the limits of space, to use smart materials, and to minimize its footprint, it can be damn annoying when you fall out of a board outline (particularly when dealing with an irregular board shape). Read on to find out how Read Article ECAD Design Data Release Management There is no question that many of the our recent technological advancements, have been in fact within the communication realm! From the internet, cell phones, satellites, Facebook, and so on, it’s all been geared for us to easily communicate and collaborate. However, with all this technology in the palm of our hands, many companies today still struggle communicating their ECAD data releases. Whether it is to internally collaborate with peers and Read Article The Challenges Of Library Management While there are many paths that can lead to a product failure, such as the challenge of managing a globally dispersed team, undeveloped development processes, working with multiple tools, and poor collaboration, one particular issue should be among the top priorities for any business to tackle: ECAD data library management system problems and solutions. DEFICIENT MANAGEMENT DATA, A HUGE PROBLEM No one questions the reality of electronics Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page180 Current page181 Page182 Page183 Page184 Page185 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More