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Rotation-proof pin header

Can You Design a Rotation-Proof Connector Pinout? There are times where your connector pinout needs to be adaptable and reversible. What’s the easiest way to do this? Use a rotation-proof connector in your PCB. Read Article

PCB fabrication notes

Decoding PCB Fabrication Notes Your PCB fabrication notes contain important information that ensures your board can be manufactured exactly as you intend. See what you should include and what these mean. Read Article

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Active and Passive RFID Technologies

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Active and Passive RFID Technologies When I’m designing a new PCB or product one of the hardest parts for me is choosing exactly which components I should use. It seems like every technology out there now has a different configuration to achieve the best performance. Even when you’re dealing with a fairly straightforward technology like radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit board there are a lot of flavors to choose from. While every type of RFID design label uses an active Read Article

Capacitor Dielectrics

Guide to Ceramic Capacitor Dielectrics and Other Types Capacitor electrical behavior is determined, in part, by the capacitor dielectric. Learn all about capacitor dielectrics in this article. Read Article

custom arduino shield

How to Design a Custom Arduino Shield Board Custom Arduino shields are easy to design with the right PCB layout tools. If you’re a hobbyist or student, take a look at our guide on custom Arduino shields. Read Article

PCB mount transformers

All About PCB-Mount Transformers Before you rectify your AC input down to DC, you’ll need to step down your mains power to the desired voltage with a PCB-mount transformer. Read Article

High Current Circuit Board Design

Getting Started With High Current PCB Design High current PCB design brings its own set of challenges, both in terms of PCB layout and safety. Here’s what you need to know. Read Article

USB 2-layer PCB

Routing Requirements for a USB 2.0 Impedance Interface on a 2-Layer PCB In an earlier blog, I discussed some of the basic points in preparing routing rules for 2-layer PCBs to support routing and layout with digital signals. In particular, we looked at some of the basic stackup and routing rules needed to support a digital interface like I2C or SPI on a 2-layer PCB. When working with these interfaces, a few simple guidelines can help ensure signal integrity in your board and cut down on EMI. What about an impedance Read Article

H-bridge Full Wave Rectifier

Beginner's Guide to H-bridge Full Wave Rectifier Design Need to start a new power conversion design? You’ll probably need an H-bridge full-wave rectifier to produce a stable DC output. Read Article

1 oz copper weight

Do You Always Need 1 oz. Copper Thickness on Each Layer? 1 oz. copper thickness is often seen as a standard thickness value used in many designs. Here’s when you might need thicker copper on every layer. Read Article

2-layer PCB Routing

Can You Route Digital Signals on a 2-layer PCB Design? 2-layer PCBs are a common entry-level choice for designers, and they can even support high speed designs if built correctly. Read Article

What Skills Are Needed to be a PCB Designer?

What Skills Are Needed to be a PCB Layout Designer? To readers who have been working in the PCB industry for most of your career, you have probably seen a very diverse group of professionals with varied skill sets and backgrounds. My own background is odd, having come into the profession from optics and lasers, and then focusing on analog and RF electronics. Other designers might get started as engineers or as technicians, and some designers learn how to create beautiful PCB layouts in university Read Article

4 Layer PCB Stackup

Two 4 Layer PCB Stackups With 50 Ohms Impedance Need a 4-layer PCB stackup that can support high speed components on both sides of the board? Consider these alternatives to the typical 4-layer stackup. Read Article

buck converter regulator STM32

Buck Converter Regulator vs LDO for DC, AC, and RF: Which is Best? For small, low-current loads, LDO is usually the best option. What about a buck converter? Learn more about choosing between a buck converter vs. LDO in this guide. Read Article

Keep Your PCB Assembly and Production Processes Like Your Best Pants: Seamless

Keep Your PCB Assembly and Production Processes Like Your Best Pants: Seamless I lost a button on an old pair of jeans the other day and I was totally unable to repair it. The seams were all sorts of wonky, and while normally you can find extra buttons along the waist there were none to be found. My mom taught me to always check the seams, but sometimes it’s easy to get lazy and forget to do some of the most basic procedures when you want to get an otherwise grueling experience done with. Some brands are more trustworthy Read Article

PCB silkscreen

PCB Silkscreen Guidelines PCB silkscreen helps ensure your board is easy to read and test, and it aids assembly by clearly indicating component locations. Read Article

Don’t Settle for Better Late Than Never: Packing and Shipping Your PCBs

Packing and Shipping Your PCBs: Best PCB Packaging Standards I mailed my last Christmas present yesterday, a few weeks after the holidays are over. I’m only a little embarrassed; I like to do a very precise job with wrapping even if I’m not terribly concerned with punctuality. The package was for a friend overseas who had a craving for her favorite American candies. Let me tell you: a beautiful wrapping job on a bag of fun-size Butterfingers is no small feat. Circuit board packing and shipping are more Read Article