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Long Live EDA: Modular System-level Electronics Design Online Long Live EDA: Modular System-level Circuit Engineering Online Modular instruments like this are much easier with online electronics design software If you’re familiar with the electronics design automation (EDA) industry, you’ll find plenty of similarities. These important software platforms have been the mainstay of electronics development since the 1980’s. Although there is plenty of differentiation between different products, as well as various levels of integration, these platforms have always seemed Read Article
PianoArc: A Circular Piano Fit for Princes and Mega Stars PianoArc: A Circular Piano Fit for Princes and Mega Stars Earlier this year I met a fascinating designer at the San Diego Altium Users Group. Dave Starkey told me about a circular keyboard piano he and his partners had designed and built called the Pianoarc. In this interview, learn more about Starkey’s background and how he came to co-create this unique instrument that now graces a Middle Eastern Palace and is played around the world by PianoArc visionary Brockett Parsons, keyboardist for Lady Gaga Read Article
Avoid Common Pad and Via Problems in Your Last-Minute DFM Check Avoid Common Pad and Via Problems in Your Last-Minute PCB DFM Check You’ll want to examine your pads and vias for these components during a DFM check There are times where you’ll need to make last minute changes to your board before you send it off to a manufacturer. Similarly, you may need to modify an existing design before sending it off for manufacturing, which may require swapping components as well as slightly rearranging traces and other components. This can occur due to unavailable components or simple Read Article
RF Signal Chain Design for FMCW Chirped Radar Systems RF Signal Chain Design for FMCW Chirped Radar Systems If you could hear the output from your chirped radar system, it might sound like a brahminy starling In automotive and UAV radar applications, radar signals are amplified throughout the signal chain. Amplification is critical for ensuring the reflected signal can be accurately detected and for maximizing the range and resolution of your radar system. Although there are some ICs that integrate an entire signal chain into a single package, these Read Article
RF Amplifier Impedance Matching at Microwave and mmWave Frequencies RF Power Amplifier Impedance Matching at Microwave and mmWave Frequencies According to MarketWatch, the overall market for RF amplifiers is expected to surpass $27 billion by 2023. So where are all of these RF amplifiers expected to be used? You can thank 5G and the expansion of cellular networks in general for a healthy portion of the expected growth. For the PCB designers out there, RF amplifier impedance matching becomes an important design point, especially with high power amplifiers. Large-signal RF Amplifier Read Article
Cooling Fan Electrical Noise Reduction in Your PCB Cooling Fan Electrical Noise Reduction in Your PCB Who hasn’t opened up their PC or laptop and taken a long look at its fans and heatsinks? If you’re working with high speed components, high frequency components, or power components, then you’ll need to devise some sort of cooling strategy to remove heat from these components. Unless you want to use the nuclear option and install an evaporative cooling unit or build a water cooling system, you’ll get the best results with the smallest form factor Read Article
Happy Holden the Father of HDI PCBs Happy Holden the Father of HDI PCBs Happy Holden, father of High-Density Interconnect, discusses his career at HP, his work with AI, and delivers cost-effective insights on multi-layers and miniaturization. Read Article
Set up a Low Power Rugged Network Attached Storage server Set Up a Low Power Rugged Network Attached Storage Server Building an Internet-of-Things device, or perhaps recording continuous video, requires a low-power, high capacity storage system, preferably utilizing inexpensive hardware. In specific cases, your device might be remote or might deal with high vibration intensities, like being mounted on a piece of industrial equipment, on a robot, or in a vehicle. Such circumstances make solid-state storage indispensable. Raspberry Pi? I started out looking at Read Article
Will All Thin Materials Flex? Will All Thin Materials Flex? Telling “war stories” about flexible circuit designs is something that can provide endless hours of entertainment when you get a bunch of “geeky” PCB people together. In fact, it seems that the best of these stories have all caused countless hours of frustration while in the midst of them, but once that frustration eases, we seem to be able to find both a little (or a lot of) humor in the situation and clarity on the lesson learned. Today, I am Read Article
Designing For The Mil-aero Market—aircraft Designing For The Mil-aero Electronics Market—aircraft In designing PCBs that are used for aircraft delivered to the mil-aero market, there are some similarities to other products within the broader military market sector. Satisfying performance metrics relative to shock, temperature, corrosion, long-term product suppor,t and the ability to adhere to outdated standards and specifications can be challenging in this vertical market space. This article will address these factors and what is necessary to Read Article
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