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When it comes to today’s complex multilayer, high-speed PCB designs, one of the most critical aspects of the product development process focuses on power subsystem design. For that portion of the design, the goal is to make the PDN impedance as low as possible (a few milliOhms) across a broad range of frequencies. While determining that the PDN impedance of the power subsystem adequately meets the final PCB’s performance parameters, there are...

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Evaluating laminates for a particular PCB implementation can be a complex, multilevel process, especially when it comes to the operation of key components on the board, such as high-speed differential pairs. This article will examine some of the factors that come into play with the evaluation process: materials with a low dielectric content versus materials that are low loss; comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each of them; taking into...

In our one, two and three-day courses, which we conduct at technical and trade conferences as well as at private on-site classes, we will frequently be asked about particular technology trends and their impact on current designs. Of late, a number of these questions have focused on how the use of PCI Express (also known as PCIe) at higher frequencies impacts signals that change layers through vias. Limits on the number of vias in PCIe...

  OnTrack Newsletter August 2020 VOL. 4 No 2   A New Experience of Digital Collaboration has Positive Impact on Calumet Electronics In this article, we interview Rob Cooke of Calumet Electronics, a US Based PCB Fabricator in Michigan. Cooke shares his recent experience collaborating on...

Altium Concord Pro™ as a standalone product and brand name has been discontinued and the capabilities are now available as part of our Altium enterprise solutions. Learn more here. Introduction There are few things in life as satisfying as concluding the debug of an analog/digital signal chain. When you realize that your circuitry is working as intended. That adorable microcontroller is a getting clean and intelligible signal; you can finally...

Signal integrity expert, Dr. Eric Bogatin, has a new book whose mission is to establish a solid educational foundation in the essential principles of signal interaction with transmission lines. The multimedia eBook, Bogatin’s Practical Guide to Transmission Line Design and Characterization for Signal Integrity Application, is currently available from Artech House and can also be found on Amazon.  Dr. Bogatin is Signal Integrity Evangelist at...

I’ve been playing around with RGB LED strips recently for lighting up my test equipment rack as well as some display shelves. On the display shelves, I have the RGB LED strips behind the shelves, which gives a great definition to the objects on the shelf. But I also want to have a high CRI white LED strip on each shelf to light up the objects. Typical RGBW LED strips available through online marketplaces do not have very good white LEDs, and I...

The electronics lifecycle is a funny thing in that it relies so heavily on component lifecycles. Despite this relationship, every electronic product lifecycle follows a similar track as any other product. New products start with early adoption, later rise with sustained growth to peak adoption, and fade as new products become available with better features. Once you accept this fact, you can determine how to plan out your design and business...