Mobile menu
PCB Design
Resources PCB Design Learn from the Master of Signal Integrity: OnTrack Newsletter June 2017

Learn from the Master of Signal Integrity: OnTrack Newsletter June 2017

Judy Warner
|  Created: September 12, 2017  |  Updated: January 7, 2021
 
Facebook  Twitter  Linkedin  Youtube
 
On Track Newsletter
 
On Track Newsletter
June 2017 VOL. 1 No 3
 

If the PCB design galaxy had Jedi knights, Rick Hartley would be the Obi-Wan Kenobi of signal integrity. In this month’s edition of Altium’s On Track newsletter, you will have the unique privilege to hear first-hand about Hartley’s failures and triumphs throughout his design career. Next month, in part two of this interview, he will share a few of his “Jedi mind tricks” and offer some advice for today’s PCB .

In the Makers section, you will learn about the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) SAE Baja Racing team and how they recently built a winning Baja racing car from the ground up.

Finally, Chris Carlson steps behind the camera once again to offer a few tips on Layer Stacks for High-Speed Design in the On Track Video education series.

As always, your thoughts are always welcome at judy.warner@altium.com.

Judy M. Warner
Director of Community Engagement
 
 
Spotlight
 
Highlighting Exceptional PCB Designers
 
Rick Hartley is a familiar name when it comes to PCB design and signal integrity, particularly in North America. Beyond an impressive, lengthy career as both an EE and PCB Designer, he is a very popular teacher to fellow engineers and PCB designers at electronics conferences around the country. In this article, Rick gives a no-nonsense account of his learning curve over the years. So, lean in... I’m confident you’ll enjoy learning from the one-and-only Rick Hartley!
 
 
Maker Space
 
Makers and Their Cool Stuff
 
Among our favorite things to do here at Altium is to help equip the next generation of engineers and designers through providing design software and sponsoring student engineering competitions. One such competition is the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) SAE Baja Racing team. The team has the goal of designing, fabricating, and then racing a single seat semi-professional off-road car. There are three competitions in which 100 universities from around the world showcase their best in engineering and design capabilities. Recently, we talked to one of the team leads, Bob Burghart, to learn about their recent competition.
 
 
Featured Blog/Video
 
Layer Stack for High-Speed Designs
 
Chris Carlson discusses layer stack for high-speed designs and how to optimize for cost and performance with thru-hole vias and back-drilling.
 
 
Brain Food
 
 
Altium Designer - PCB Design Software Altium 365 - PCB Design Platform Enterprise PCB Design Solutions FREE Trials

About Author

About Author

Judy Warner has held a unique variety of roles in the electronics industry for over 25 years. She has a background in PCB Manufacturing, RF and Microwave PCBs and Contract Manufacturing, focusing on Mil/Aero applications. 

She has also been a writer, blogger, and journalist for several industry publications such as Microwave Journal, PCB007 Magazine, PCB Design007, PCD&F, and IEEE Microwave Magazine, and an active board member for PCEA (Printed Circuit Engineering Association). In 2017, Warner joined Altium as the Director of Community Engagement. In addition to hosting the OnTrack Podcast and creating the OnTrack Newsletter, she launched Altium's annual user conference, AltiumLive. Warner's passion is to provide resources, support, and advocate for PCB Design Engineers worldwide.

More content by Judy Warner

Related Resources

What is Lenz's Law What is Lenz's Law and How Does it Affect PCB Design? Lenz's law is one of the fundamental physical laws that describes the multitude of relationships between electricity and magnetism. Together with Ampere's law, Gauss law, Faraday's law, Coulomb's law, and the Lorentz force law, we have everything we need to understand the classical behavior of the electromagnetic field. Among these laws, Lenz's law and Faraday's law work together to describe how the magnetic field in your PCB is related to the Read Article
What is a balun What is a Balun in RF PCB and Do You Need One? Are you wondering what a balun is? Find out more and see where one fits into your RF PCB layout. Read Article
pcb testing PCB Testing 101: Important Methods and Metrics PCB testing must occur during fabrication, assembly, and board bring-up. Here’s how you can plan to be successful during testing and inspection. Read Article
Continuous conduction mode Continuous Conduction Mode in an SMPS: What is it and Why it Matters Learn more about continuous conduction mode and how to design to this condition in your power supply. The best design and simulation tools can help you verify continuous conduction mode is reached. Read Article
Solder Bridge Jumper Best Practices in PCB Design What Is a Solder Bridge? Best Practices in PCB Design A PCB variant is often simply thought of as a new layout created from an old design. However, if you’re creative with your routing and layout, you can use a solder bridge jumper to configure portions of a single PCB layout for multiple variants. This lets you quickly create variants of a PCB layout without rerouting traces or changing your schematics. If you plan to use jumpers in your PCB layout, there are some important guidelines to follow to Read Article
Everything You Need to Know About Oscillators What Is An Oscillator? Everything You Need to Know What is an oscillator? Mark Harris gives an in depth overview of the major categories of Oscillators. He explains the different types with their functions and drawbacks. Read more here. Read Article
ESD protection and PCB design What is ESD and How Does it Affect My PCB Design? We've compiled a complete guide to ESD protection for PCBs and your electronics. Implement these guidelines for enclosure-level ESD protection and to prevent ESD on important digital interfaces. Read Article
What is PCB Design? What is a PCB and Intro to PCB Design Printed circuit board (PCB) design has grown into its own specialized field within the electronics industry. PCBs play an important role in that they provide electrical interconnections between electronic components, rigid support to hold components, and a compact package that can be integrated into an end product. They are the main component in an electronic device that is responsible for form and function, and they allow advanced semiconductors Read Article
Carry Propagation Delay in High Speed Data Processing What is Carry Propagation Delay in High Speed Data Processing? I sometimes get into text message conversations with friends that go completely haywire. It’s too easy to ask five questions back and forth in a single text, and trying to respond to everything causes our message chain to go completely out of sync. It isn’t until three text messages later that I actually respond to everything my friend asked, and by then we’ve moved on to a completely new topic. Signal delay between logic circuits in a PCB or an Read Article
1:06 Ted Pawela What is Altium 365 Watch Video
Back to Home
Altium Designer Logo

Take advantage of the world's
most trusted PCB design system.

One interface. One data
model. Endless possibilities.

Effortlessly collaborate with
mechanical designers.

The world's most trusted
PCB design platform

Best in class interactive
routing

View License Options
Try Altium Designer
Which best describes you?
Step 1 of 2
Try Altium Designer
Which best describes you?
I’m a Professional
I’m a Student University Email Required
I’m a Startup
Thank you, you are now subscribed to updates.