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Discover how software-defined vehicles are revolutionizing the automotive industry! Join Tech Consultant Zach Peterson in this episode of the OnTrack Podcast as he chats with Lenora Clark, Director of Autonomous Driving and Safety Technology at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. The pair explore the latest advancements in autonomous driving, advanced automotive electronics, and the incredible technologies that are shaping the future of cars...

The semiconductor industry is facing a growing challenge in its supply chain, and today we’re not talking about the chips themselves. Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), a critical component in advanced IC packaging, has become a potential bottleneck in the production of high-performance processors. As demand for cutting-edge electronics continues to surge, the ABF substrate market is struggling to keep pace, creating a precarious situation for chip...

The European Union (EU) is preparing to roll out new standby power standards for electronic devices in 2025. These regulations will require that the standby power consumption for many types of products be significantly reduced. The intention is to save billions of dollars in energy costs while also reducing CO2 emissions by millions of tons annually.  The EU has long been a world leader when it comes to energy efficiency and environmental...

If you’ve read some of my previous articles such as Using ChatGPT to Analyze Your Test Data, Using Generative AI to Write and Run Embedded Code, and Having a Conversation With Your Design Using AI Digital Twins, you may have noticed that I’m wild about AI and what it can do for engineers. From generating code to analyzing our designs, AI helps us be more productive in our daily lives. In this article I want to take a step back and provide a...

Welcome to the Altium "OnTrack Podcast," hosted by Zach Peterson. In this episode, we're joined by Joost Brilman, an EMC consultant and creator of the EMI Buster weekly email. Joost and Zach discuss the common pitfalls in electronics design, particularly with pre-certified modules, and how they can lead to EMI issues. Joost shares valuable tips for troubleshooting and preventing EMI problems, as well as insights into a career in EMC consulting....

High-speed signal integrity is crucial in modern PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design, impacting performance, reliability, and compliance. Designing high-speed PCBs involves managing signal integrity issues such as crosstalk, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and thermal management. This article explores some essential aspects of high-speed signal integrity, including crosstalk, ground plane strategies, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and...

Welcome to a new installment on the Pi.MX8 compute module SoM project! In this update we will be putting the finishing touches to our PCB design and getting the design ready for prototype production. In the last article we completed the routing of the signal layers. This was the most time-consuming part of the PCB layout for the Pi.MX8 module. However, we still have two tasks ahead of us that require just as much care: routing the power planes...

In today's ever-changing electronics industry, using outdated design software can significantly disadvantage you. Without access to the latest features and improvements, you may encounter issues like reduced productivity, increased errors, and compatibility issues. Are you ready to unlock the benefits of a continually improving design environment? Altium Designer is committed to providing its users with the most advanced design capabilities...

Basics of Signal Integrity Signal integrity refers to the quality and reliability of electrical signals as they travel through a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). In high-speed PCB design, maintaining signal integrity is critical because even minor signal distortions can lead to data corruption, communication errors, and overall system failure. Factors such as impedance mismatches, crosstalk, signal reflections, and power fluctuations can...