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PCB components are not just electronic parts, they are important pieces of data in ECAD software used to create a PCB layout. The physical components placed on a PCB during assembly all have digital analogs that exist in your PCB design software. As such, designers have a responsibility to know about the physical characteristics of their components and to create this data in PCB design software while ensuring DFM and DFA rules are followed in the...

You have an important design project ahead of you, but what you don’t have is the resources to get it done on time. Not only do you need help, but you also need a powerful PCB design system to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Fortunately, Altium has the answers to your problems. With Altium Develop, which includes Altium Designer and Altium 365, you have the most advanced PCB design software system available today that can...

This article is intended to define the new challenges and provide guidance in how to successfully engineer the Power Delivery System (PDS) so it meets the needs of new technologies. As integrated circuit technology allows for billions of transistors on a single IC, it has resulted in very powerful systems on a chip. This has made it possible to put the equivalent of supercomputers inside video games, cell phones, and a host of other products...

Designing PCBs for 3D printing can follow one of two routes: additive or subtractive manufacturing. Your PCB design software should be adaptable to either technique and should have the capability to generate the files required for your 3D printer to accurately lay etch or deposit your traces. Working in Altium Designer’s unified design environment integrates your design tools in a single interface. Altium Designer offers the only design package...

Although electronics have become more advanced over time, many devices are still built among two layers due to the low cost, volume production, and the readily available fabrication capacity for these designs. For many new designers, two-layer designs are used very often in cases where a four-layer PCB stack-up should be used, leading to cases where these devices fail EMC testing and even have signal integrity problems on fast digital interfaces...

Arduino Shield projects are integrated circuit blocks available in off-the-shelf printed circuit board assemblies. ALTIUM DESIGNER The most powerful, modern, and easy-to-use PCB design tool for professional use. Arduino is a company that offers off-the-shelf printed circuit board assemblies containing small circuits for idea development. Each Arduino is designed with connections to interface with other circuit assemblies for the developer...

Impedance matching plays a critical role in high speed, high frequency, and wireless PCBs. Building a PCB with strong wireless communication capabilities requires impedance matching your antenna to its receiver/transceiver using one of many termination schemes, especially if you opt to print your own antenna on your PCB. When you use design software with the best signal simulation and analysis tools, you can easily identify the best termination...

The layer stackup is the foundation for everything in your PCB. It is also a major determinant of success in EMC, signal integrity, power integrity, and many areas of reliability. For some designs, aggressive high-density PCB stackups are needed to enable routing into components, and specialty materials will be used. The goal of this comprehensive guide is to provide everything designers need to know about a PCB layer stackup. The different...

Thermal demands from high power or high-speed components can have a major effect on the functionality of your PCB. Your design software has a major role to play in helping you create durable designs that can withstand and mitigate problems from heat generated in your PCB. When your design software contains simulation and verification features in a single interface, you can quickly identify hotspots and add elements like thermal pads to dissipate...