Electromagnetic interference (EMI)

EMI Series Part III

Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: How to Choose the Stackup for EMC Design One of the most important concepts to master when designing PCBs that outperform in terms of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is the choice of the layer stackup of the PCB. Figure 1 - Layer Stack Manager tool in Altium Designer This becomes one of the most significant aspects as it tightly relates to the containment of the electromagnetic fields in our PCB design. In this third article of the Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design series, we are Read Article

Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: Component Placement for EMC

Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: Component Placement for EMC In this second article of the Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design series, we will dive deeper into one of the key concepts for maintaining low levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Board segregation, also known as board partitioning, is a method used to organize the different circuit parts of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to keep them separate. This improves the overall performance of the board, particularly in terms of EMI. This Read Article

EMI_Series_Part_I

Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: How Signals Propagate in a PCB Designing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requires a solid understanding of signal propagation from the perspective of electromagnetic fields and currents. These concepts are important because they help us design PCBs with low levels of electromagnetic field emissions and low susceptibility to external emissions or interferences. In this first article of the Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design series, we will Read Article

EMI EMC compliance PCB design

EMI and EMC Compliance 101 for PCB Designers Learn about the basics of EMI and EMC compliance requirements in PCB design and electronics product design. Read Article

EMC on the Board and Off the Board

EMC on the Board and Off the Board We are very delighted to have Min Zhang in this episode. Min is an independent EMC consultant based in the UK. Today, we'll be talking about EMC, both on board and off the board. It will be a very interesting discussion because we will look a little bit deeper at the system level. Read Article

Addressing EMI Issues Early in the PCB Design Stage

EMIStream: Addressing EMI Issues Early in the PCB Design Stage EMI design rule checker and plane resonance analyzer are now available through EMIStream extension in Altium Designer®. Watch this podcast episode with Yoshi Fukuwa, CEO of TechDream. Read Article

Pi Filter Designs for Power Supplies

Pi Filter Designs for Power Supplies In this article, Expert Mark Harris will be looking at the low-pass filter arrangement. He will cover basic principles all the way to design constraints. Read now to learn more. Read Article

Phalanx, not Failure: PCB Shielding to Protect Your Design

Phalanx, not Failure: PCB Circuit Shielding to Protect Your Design During 7 B.C., Greek soldiers—or hoplites--carried a large, concave, circular pcb shield called the hoplon. Made from bronze and wood, the hoplon or Argive shield protected hoplites from chin to knee and—when overlapped—became the basis for the Greek phalanx. At the beginning of the 20th century, Ethiopians used their shields when fighting against an invading Italian army. The constant banging on the shields by the Ethiopians mingled with war Read Article

How to Reduce EMI in Mixed-Signal Systems Using Proper PCB Ground Designs

The Right PCB Grounding Design Will Reduce Mixed-Signal EMI Use these PCB grouding design practices to help you prevent EMI in your mixed-signal PCB layout. Read Article

Oscilloscope Probes

Real-World Analysis of Oscilloscope Probes This article conducts a real-world analysis of oscilloscope probes, comparing their performance and impact on signal measurements. The author tests a variety of probes, including both high-quality and budget options, revealing surprising results. Despite expectations, some budget probes perform comparably to more expensive ones, emphasizing that bandwidth alone is not the sole determinant of probe quality. The study underscores the importance of understanding a probe's behavior and choosing based on various factors beyond just bandwidth. Additionally, the article highlights that major brand-name probes (Diglent, Keysight, Rigol) offer more consistent performance and quality control compared to cheaper alternatives. Read Article

Efficiency And Noise Top 10 Switching Regulator Modules

Top 10 Switching Regulator Modules Discover the top 10 switching regulator modules based on efficiency and noise levels in this comprehensive analysis. Voltage regulators play a crucial role in electronic devices, and this article provides valuable insights into real-world performance, helping you choose the right regulator for your specific circuit design. With in-depth testing and a scoring system, the article highlights the top-performing regulators while addressing the challenge of limited and inconsistent datasheet information. Explore the results and make informed decisions to enhance your circuit's efficiency and reliability. Read Article

SIG/GND/SIG + PWR/GND Stackup

SIG/GND/SIG + PWR/GND Stackups: Will This Work in 4-Layer PCBs? The most popular 4-layer PCB stackup is signal/GND/GND/signal, but what about signal/GND/PWR/GND? Read Article

Class X and Class Y Safety Capacitors

How to Use Class X and Class Y Safety Capacitors Safety capacitors are used on the input stage of power supplies and on isolated power supplies to reduce EMI and ensure galvanic isolation at low frequencies. Read Article

Human Body Model in EMC

Overview of the Human Body Model in EMC The human body model provides a description of charge accumulation and discharge from the human body, and it provides a way to understand how charge redistributes into a circuit during ESD. Read Article

Should a Capacitor Be Used For ESD Protection?

Should a Capacitor Be Used For ESD Protection? Capacitors are not capable of fully protecting a system from ESD, other components are also needed for comprehensive protection. Read Article

Crosstalk Reduction and Elimination Techniques in Altium Designer

Crosstalk Analysis, Reduction, and Elimination Techniques in PCB Design Whether you're designing a digital board with a ton of traces, or an RF board operating at very high frequencies, any electronic device with propagating signals will experience crosstalk. It's simply a matter of whether that crosstalk is so extreme that the system fails to function, or whether crosstalk is within some acceptable limit. There is no universal level of "acceptable" crosstalk levels, but if you do find through simulation and Read Article

Types of TVS Diode

ESD Protection Basics with TVS Diodes Learn about ESD protection basics with TVS diodes, why we need them, and what key parameters make up a typical TVS diode. Read Article