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RF PCB designs often make use of low-loss PTFE-based materials thanks to their very low dielectric losses and huge range of possible Dk values. These materials use polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as the base material, but this is not the only constituent in these laminate materials. There are also reinforcements and fillers that are used to engineer PTFE PCB materials to have their required material properties. Commercially available PTFE-based...

As of 2023 and 2024, the next data rate doubling in data center architecture is taking us to 224 Gbps per lane of serial data. This data rate doubling is not achieved by doubling the clock directly, but rather by doubling the baud rate through higher order 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4). The decision to implement PAM-4 is necessary in order to extend data rates without extending the required channel bandwidths  We are witnessing an...

The human body model (HBM) is used to define EMC standards for electronics, including withstand voltages during ESD events. The model is a simulation model used to mimic the potential ESD that can occur when the human body touches an electronic device. When ESD occurs, the potential energy stored in accumulated charge on the human body will be released to the circuit, and any protection measures must be able to respond to the resulting...

PLM system methodologies have traditionally lacked a direct integration with ECAD design system data. As a result, the only way for ECAD organizations to manage the entire product data structure was to manually enter their data into their PLM system, leading to increased time, potential data inconsistency, and risk of human error. Altium enterprise solutions address this by providing an automated connection between your Altium ECAD data and your...

Sending your design data for manufacturing can be a stressful time because if you send outdated, incomplete, or unclear documentation, that can easily delay your time to market and consume your budget. This is why you need to make sure that all parts of your documentation are up to date with the latest revisions of your design. Creating complete assembly and fabrication notes and drawings doesn’t have to be difficult. Altium Designer takes this...

Sending your design data for manufacturing can be a stressful time because if you send outdated, incomplete, or unclear documentation, that can easily delay your time to market and consume your budget. This is why you need to make sure that all parts of your documentation are up to date with the latest revisions of your design. Creating complete assembly and fabrication notes and drawings doesn’t have to be difficult. Altium Designer takes this...

Aerospace systems are the one area that demand paramount reliability, both in the commercial and military segments. These systems can operate over a huge range of temperatures, pressures, and altitudes, including in Earth’s orbit and beyond. As such, there is an expectation of perpetual uptime for aerospace systems, as well as long lifetimes with MTBF values exceeding 10,000 hours of continuous operation. SMD parts used in these environments...

One of the most common questions I get from my hardware startup clients is this: how can I de-risk my prototype? Entrepreneurs that are just getting started converting their proof-of-concept into a real device that they can test in the field want to make sure their time, effort, and money are put to good use. A lot of entrepreneurs are putting their hard-earned savings into these ventures, and it's desirable to ensure any potential causes of...

Sending your design data for manufacturing can be a stressful time because if you send outdated, incomplete, or unclear documentation, that can easily delay your time to market and consume your budget. This is why you need to make sure that all parts of your documentation are up to date with the latest revisions of your design. Creating complete assembly and fabrication notes and drawings doesn’t have to be difficult. Altium Designer takes this...