PCB Technology Trends: The Benefits of Internet of Things Security Gateways Do you ever like to take a break from social situations for a few days and spend some quality time with your television? I do that maybe a little more often than I should, and last week I spent that time binge-watching the new season of Stranger Things. If you haven’t seen the show, it’s about a girl with psychic powers who opens a portal to another dimension (the Upside Down) filled with creatures. The gateway to that world lets monsters loose Read Article Introduction to High Speed PCB Designing: Techniques for Avoiding Crosstalk Wondering how to reduce crosstalk? Crosstalk is the unintentional electromagnetic coupling between traces on a PCB. Let’s take a look at what crosstalk is and how to reduce crosstalk in high-speed PCB design. Read Article The Best Easily Available PCB CAD Design Software Training Resources Congratulations! You’re about to start working on a new CAD system, and you are chomping at the bit to design something. Like a 10-year old waking up on the morning of their birthday, you can hardly wait to rip the wrapping off the box and get started. Once you’re seated in front of your new software though, you begin to worry. How do you open up a part to work on it, and is it even called a “part” in this system? How do you create a simple Read Article Important Considerations for Pads in PCB Design: Pad Cratering Prevention Every year after Halloween, my school used to have a pumpkin launch, probably so they could get the pumpkins on sale. Mostly, mechanical engineering students participated, but anyone was allowed to enter and see if they could launch their pumpkin the farthest. Sections of campus were blocked off and your path to class was rerouted if you went at all. Most of the engineers got (or took) the morning off for cheering and jeering. Results were Read Article The Best Multilayer PCB Design Guidelines and Tips for Circuit Board Layout Doing something new for the first time can be difficult. Baby birds probably don’t appreciate being pushed out of the nest and teenagers are nervous before their first real date. I, personally, was scared to death on my first date. However, I’m glad that I took that first step because that milestone was a great moment in my life. Designing your first multilayer PCB board may not be quite like a first date, but it's still a critical step for a PCB Read Article What is a BOM in PCB Design? I spent many years designing circuit boards in a service bureau. I built assembly components, placed and routed traces, and created Gerber files and drawings. In all that time though, I never worked with a PCB bill of materials. It probably was because those customers created their own PCB BOM board and we worked only with the data that they gave us. Whatever the reason though, I was in the dark when it came to the BOM, and I had a lot of Read Article How Online BOM Management Helps Build Teamwork Last week one of my co-workers, a brilliant guy named Phil, quit his job for a position in another company. Phil was amazing, and losing him was a tremendous blow to our department and the company. The tragic thing though is that Phil didn’t leave for a better job, he left because he felt that he no longer added any value. It is amazing at how many truly exemplary employees end up quitting because of workplace frustrations and feeling Read Article Wearable Electronics Until recently, wearable accessories had one primary purpose-- to be fashionable. Sure, watches are useful for keeping time and staying punctual, but that's about as far as things went for functionality. Today, we have a rising selection of wearable electronics, many of which can be directly credited with a rise in health and lifestyle improvements. They track distance and time on your runs, help assess whether you're getting the right amount of Read Article Rigid Flex PCBs Between the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable electronics, and flexible displays, there is an increasing demand for flexible and rigid flex PCB technology in the electronics industry. If PCB designers don't want to be left in the dust, it's of the utmost importance to learn and adapt to this new tech, where PCBs must be compact, nearly (or completely) wireless, and-- most obviously-- flexible. Through proper design planning, utilization of space Read Article PCB Layout As electronics get smaller and more complex, so too must the boards (PCBs) that make them function. Because of this, your PCB layouts matter more than ever before. While a PCB with a poor layout may still function, a well-planned layout will go a long way to ensure efficiency, minimize risk, and even save you money in your production budget. The care you put into your PCB layout can give your product a strategic edge over competition through Read Article 3D PCB Design When it comes to designing circuit boards, you know that being able to properly visualize your spacing, sizing, and layout is crucial to a successful finished product with minimal setbacks. While standard PCB design software has its place, 3D PCB software allows you to get a detailed look at your routing, components, and overall layout BEFORE you send your design out for a physical prototype. As 3D environments become more advanced, they become Read Article PCB Design Techniques to Reduce EMI Reduce EMI in your PCB designs. This presentation will discuss multiple ways good PCB design can help manage EMI interference on your board. It covers tips and tricks for basics and beyond, including: using EMI cans for shielding, proper grounding techniques, trace length, isolating AC and DC signals and differential pair routing. Click the PDF above to read more about PCB design techniques to reduce EMI in this presentation. Or view the original Read Article How to Work with Your PCB CAD Software Support Technicians Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to help someone, but they don’t understand what you are talking about? You want to help them through their difficulties, but the two of you seem to be from different worlds. If that scenario doesn’t sound familiar to you, then you’ve probably never raised teenagers. If it does ring a bell, then you may be a seasoned parent, or you may even be a customer support technician. I firmly believe Read Article Essential PCB Design Tips: How to Implement a Watchdog Timer in Your PCB Design When you work from home there are some perks of the job. You can make your own meals, slot in some laundry over lunch, and drink all the tea you want. I use a stove-top kettle to boil water for my tea, so when I get in the writing zone, I rely on its high-pitched whistle to tell me when it’s done. Sometimes when I’m careless, I don’t fit the lid on properly. As a result, the kettle remains silent despite the fact that the liquid water inside of Read Article The Top Reasons Why PCB Design Software with Auto Routing Can Save You Time I’ve been designing printed circuit boards long enough that my family has sadly grown accustomed to me spending more time at work than at home. When deadlines are looming, everyone knows I’ll be working late nights at the office. Modern PCB design software with auto-routing tools can help you cut down your routing time, but not everyone is a fan of these features. I know all the arguments against using an auto-router because I’ve been using them Read Article PCB Design: An Optocoupler Tutorial for Your PCB Layout Are you guilty of hitting the snooze button at least twice before you reluctantly wake up from your blissful sleep? My wife claims that I probably have the world record time for hitting the snooze button since I do it without even opening my eyes. But there are times when the third snooze alarm mysteriously doesn’t go off and it is a losing battle to get my day started on time. In electronics, embedded systems often rely on optocoupler circuits Read Article PCB Thermal Relief Pad Guidelines for PCB Layout and Design I once read that young Eddie Rickenbacker got pranked by his older co-workers when they sent him around to ask for a tool that doesn’t exist. Later on, Rickenbacker would become a race car driver in the 1900’s, an automotive designer, an American air ace in World War I, a government consultant, and eventually the head of Eastern Air Lines. Yet as a junior apprentice in that automotive shop, he had to learn the basics of his trade the same as the Read Article Pagination First page « First Previous page ‹‹ Page159 Current page160 Page161 Page162 Page163 Page164 Next page ›› Last page Last » Load More