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PCB Design

Pin Swapping Without Back Annotation Using Straightforward PCB Design Software

Pin Swapping Without Back Annotation Using Straightforward PCB Design Software When working with high pin count, fine pitch components like FPGAs or memories, pin swapping may need to be performed when laying out your PCB. Designing schematics based on these devices that perfectly translate into a sane layout is extremely difficult. But as you start placing components and routing connections, you may find that your initial layout is a tangled, crisscrossed mess. This is where pin swapping becomes invaluable. Once you start Read Article

Altium User Groups: Starting, Finding, and Joining

Altium User Groups: Starting, Finding, and Joining Back in my youth, I fondly remember the days of after-school clubs. Whether it be chess, band, or robotics clubs, these were the places to go to find like-minded, passionate folks eager to talk the talk. Although the days of youth are likely well behind most of us (rest in peace monkey bars), there still exist social environments where we can meet up with like-minded individuals. However, this time around, we’ll be able to reap far more than just Read Article

18:34 What’s New in Altium Designer 18 Webinar Performance Improvements in Altium Designer Multi-threading Multithreading allows Altium Designer to parse out different tasks to different cores making it Watch Video

Painless Circuit Creation with a Hierarchical Schematic Design System that Works

Effortless Circuit Design with a Hierarchical Schematic System There is a lot of joy in creating a new world schematic circuit design. Placing and connecting the netlist together so that their logic flows naturally can give you a feeling of great accomplishment. Using a hierarchical schematic circuit design flow to organize a larger schematic makes it even better. By including a top hierarchical sheet in your schematic, you can represent the circuit creation design with a logical hierarchical block that Read Article

Creepage and Clearance Design Rules Require More Than Integrated Flow

Creepage and Clearance Design Rules Require More Than Integrated Flow Occasionally, I get to drive through the Pacific Northwest on a clear day. Unencumbered by rain clouds, the mountain ranges are visible. So visible that I feel I could reach out and touch them. If I could fly the line of sight, I could be at the top of any mountain quickly. Since I can’t fly, driving my car along a twisting mountain highway would get me there on a longer route. So it is with PCB creepage and clearance design rules on a printed Read Article

33:14 The Future of Browser-Based PCB Design at Upverter [OnTrack Podcast] Watch Video

Propagation Delay, Transmission Delay, and Analog Signal Resonance in Your PCB

Transmission Lines: Propagation Delay, Transmission Delay, and Analog Signal Resonance in Your PCB Legend has it that opera singers can break champagne flutes just by wailing at the right note. From opera singers to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the high tide in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, resonance can be a beautiful and simultaneously destructive phenomenon. The terms “transmission delay” and “propagation delay” are sometimes used interchangeably. In analog systems, both terms can refer to the time required for a signal to travel between Read Article

PCB Noise Reduction with Linear Devices in Electronics

PCB Component Noise Reduction with Linear Devices in Electronics When I first got into electronics and PCB design as a student, I had the idea that noise suppression required a lot of elaborate (and expensive) equipment. I had visions in my mind of building complicated mainframe-style systems for the sole purpose of coaxing the perfect signal from a device. Sure, you can go that route if you like. But like many aspects of engineering, the best solution is often the simplest. Most PCB designers are considering Read Article

ELIC PCB and HDI Routing

Explain Like I’m a Designer: ELIC PCB and HDI Routing Using ELIC in your HDI PCB can help you maximize your connection and component density. Read more about using ELIC for high density interconnect routing. Read Article

Where to Start in Courses for PCB Design or Skills I Wish I’d Learned in College

Where to Start in Courses for PCB Design or Skills I Wish I’d Learned in College I’m no longer embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t exactly a model student in college. When I was pursuing my engineering degree, Warcraft and FIFA occupied more of my time than pouring over “boring” electronics notes. I came close to failing some classes but paid attention to important topics involving electronics design and microcontrollers. Nevertheless, nothing prepared me for the real world of PCB design, like my first job as an electronics Read Article

Managing Your Audio Power Supply Designs: Tips for Circuit Design

Managing Your Audio Power Supply Designs: Tips for Circuit Design As I get older, I suspect I’m gradually getting deafer. My hearing was pretty sharp during my teenage years but these days, I miss out on conversations and need to frequently ask people to repeat themselves. Perhaps my hearing ability is deteriorating due to age; however, when I hear static noise creeping out of an amplifier, I know to trust my ears. In electronics, the power supply of audio circuits can mean the difference between perfect audio Read Article

Step by Step Guide to Changing Board Sizes in Altium Designer

How to Change Board Sizes in Altium Designer It seems like there are as many different circuit board shapes and sizes as there are stars in the sky. If you have been working for a company that only makes boards according to a few standard form factors, then you may not know just how diverse all of the different sizes and shapes can be. Round boards, square boards, boards with notches and cutouts in them, boards with odd angle corners, and boards with multiple corners and contours. A list of Read Article

Altium Enterprise Server As of September 1, 2022, Altium NEXUS® as a brand name has been discontinued and all capabilities are available as part of the Altium enterprise solutions. Watch Video

Choosing the Right RFID Card Technology For Your Embedded System

Choosing the Right RFID Card Technology For Your Embedded System As a pure introvert who fears small talk, I absolutely dread networking events. Besides maintaining endless empty chatter with strangers, picking out the best attire is challenging, especially considering my dreadful fashion sense. Thankfully, I’m much better at choosing the right type of Radio Frequency Identification or RFID card technology for my embedded system projects. What is an RFID Card? In the simplest sense, an RFID card is a token Read Article

In Your Altium Library, Multiple Part Symbols Ease Your Design Time

Creating Multiple-Part Symbols for a PCB in Altium Designer How to create multi-part components and symbols in Altium Designer^®. Build a symbol manually or use an advanced symbol generator to do the heavy lifting of symbol creation for you. Read Article

Old Software Doesn’t Need a Leash for New Supplier Parts Updating

Old Software Doesn’t Need a Leash for New Supplier Parts Updating Keeping track of component updates is a big job, what with change announcements coming in from vendors and distributors in random announcements and emails throughout the year. Keeping track of random notices and having a good process for implementing them is also difficult. Using schematic and PCB editors, along with local and global libraries in an organized manner helps keep component information organized and available. Use of component Read Article

Introduction To PDN Analyzer Webinar Recap May 10, 2018

Introduction To PDN Analyzer Webinar Recap May 10, 2018 If you joined us for the May 10th, 2018, PDN Analyzer^™ webinar then the following will be a recap, if not here’s what you missed. You can also view the presentation slides and recording. Key Takeaways about PDN Power Delivery Network () Design Issues Low supply voltage at load components. A low supply voltage at your loads can cause issues like processors outputting faulty logic. These things happen when there is an unexpected voltage drop Read Article