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Modern digital systems and low-level analog boards need methods for achieving precise characteristic impedance calculations and impedance control. Differential microstrip and stripline pairs have common-mode noise immunity if they are routed symmetrically, but they also need to have controlled differential impedance to ensure impedance matching and consistent propagation delay throughout an interconnect. With the differential microstrip impedance...

Losses in a PCB interconnect come in many forms. These include dielectric losses due to the PCB substrate and losses on conductors, both of which combine in a unique way to determine interconnect impedance. These terms are also complex functions of frequency, reflecting the nature of dispersion in a real PCB. When we look at the PCB substrate and the conductors, we can divide up our losses into two categories and focus on each during the design....

I proclaim that the digital “on-demand” manufacturing revolution is here! It was 1999 when I first experienced quick turn, “online” PCB fabrication. Since then, PCB fabrication services have become plentiful, inexpensive, and accessible to engineers of all levels. Online automation of full turnkey assembly is the next logical step, and I see it the future of PCB assemblies. I often say it is a great time to be alive if you are in the business of...

Ethernet has been around for over 40 years, but it hasn’t made headway outside the office or industrial settings until recently. Ethernet networking in cars makes this old yet powerful technology mobile and provides an easy way to transfer data around a vehicle quickly. Anyone following the auto industry knows that modern vehicles are moving computers, and they now leverage more data than ever before. The reliance on more sensors, more data, and...

Every embedded system has three primary components: hardware, embedded software, and firmware. Your board won’t operate without hardware and components, but embedded systems firmware also forms the basis for applications based on MCUs. Designing embedded systems requires working in both areas as the hardware design and firmware are inherently linked. Since designers need to collaborate now more than ever, they’ll need the right design tools and...

Many computer peripherals, SerDes channels, and telecom systems use LVDS, but there are times where you might need to interface with another signaling standard. Some examples include interfaces between components that use LVDS to LVPECL, CML, and HSTL. In other cases, you may want to convert between single-ended and differential signals, and some components have settings that will support this type of translation. If you need to create this type...

S-parameters are an often misunderstood topic for the intrepid RF/SI/PI engineer, and I even find myself questioning my understanding at times. One reason I’ve found that this useful set of signal integrity metrics is often misunderstood is that there are copious online resources with different definitions and explanations, all of which are given for different systems. In addition, S-parameters sometimes get used interchangeably with return loss...

According to the World Health Organization, 2 billion people across the globe rely on contaminated water sources. Dr. Cody Friesen, founder of SOURCE and Fulton Engineering professor saw this problem and developed the SOURCE® Hydropanel, a device which can extract water vapor from ambient air to create clean, potable water using the power of the sun.  Cody Friesen joins the OnTrack podcast to discuss materials science, entrepreneurship, the...

WiFi is arguably the most successful wireless networking technology the world has seen to date, and WiFi 6 is like a brand new world for your networked devices. As I’ve slowly accumulated connected products for my home, everything from my garage door opener to my thermostat can be connected to my LAN and accessed through an app on my phone. As the wireless landscape in homes and offices becomes more cluttered, wireless products need to move to...