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In our discussions regarding PDS design, we have noted that the complexity and high data rates associated with a large number of PCBs being designed these days make them susceptible to any number of different disruptive elements that impede current flow. As noted, unwanted inductance comes from two main components in DC/DC converters: capacitors (called parasitic inductance or series inductance/ESL) and inductor/transformer coils (leakage...

There’s an essential concept for project managers and product owners that needs to be considered during the design phase: value chain management. This sounds like some vague term from a business textbook, and it isn’t often considered until you get to the corporate level. However, defining your design requirements with the value chain in mind is important for ensuring profitability while also delivering the most value to the end user. Here’s how...

Introduction A few years ago, I temporarily transitioned from working in a hip hyper-caffeinated startup environment to an engineering job in a more well-seasoned and experienced company. I then realised the binomial connection between technical culture and tools. How we think and how we work is shaped by the tools available to us, as our needs and customs influence the tools we choose. The new company where I worked wasn't accustomed to 3D...

High speed buses, whether single-ended or differential, can experience any number of signal integrity problems. A primary problem created by propagating signals is crosstalk, where a signal superimposes itself on a nearby trace. For parallel nets, this is particularly problematic as it leads to data corruption in severe cases. While you could slow down the rise time of a signal, this may require lowering the data transfer rate and may be...

With ever-increasing speeds in high-speed data systems comes a couple of PCB layout challenges. High speed busses like DDR, VME, PCIe just to mention a few can all reach data transfer speeds that require strict timing with very tight tolerances, thereby leaving very little slack in the PCB layout. Join us in this webinar to learn why it's imperative to match track lengths in high speed data systems and differential signals. You’ll see how to...

With ever increasing speeds in high speed data systems comes a couple of PCB layout challenges. High speed busses like DDR, VME, PCIe just to mention a few can all reach data transfer speeds that require strict timing with very tight tolerances, thereby leaving very little slack in the PCB layout. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn why it's imperative to match track lengths in high speed data systems and differential signals. You’ll see how...

If you’re building a dev board for your project or using a common MCU, you’ll find many protocols for communicating other active components. Standards like USB and Ethernet are built into most controllers for working with computer peripherals. Still, protocols like I2C, SPI, UART, and others are used to interface with downstream MCUs or programmable ICs. The differences between SPI vs. I2C vs. UART buses are simple, and any designer working with...

When you’re engineering a new system, you try to account for all the electrical and environmental factors that could lead to early failure. High temperatures, excess humidity, exposure to corrosive substances, and high vibration stresses are sources of failure. A conformal coating is one way to protect your board from humidity, dust, or corrosive substances, reducing the chances of failure during operation. Here are some of the popular PCB...

We talk about signal integrity and power integrity a lot on this blog. Both are important concepts and are related to the impedance of different elements in a real board. Impedance defines how the current and voltage in a signal are related to each other, but this is the typical definition of self impedance that most designers are familiar with. In a complicated electronic or optical system, elements form a complex multi-port network due to...