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Signal Integrity_Article 2

High-Speed PCB Design: Ensuring Signal Integrity, EMI Mitigation, and Thermal Management High-speed signal integrity is crucial in modern PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design, impacting performance, reliability, and compliance. Designing high-speed PCBs involves managing signal integrity issues such as crosstalk, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and thermal management. This article explores some essential aspects of high-speed signal integrity, including crosstalk, ground plane strategies, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and Read Article

PIMX8 Project - Chapter VI

Pi.MX8 Project - Board Layout Part 4 Welcome to a new installment on the Pi.MX8 compute module SoM project! In this update we will be putting the finishing touches to our PCB design and getting the design ready for prototype production. In the last article we completed the routing of the signal layers. This was the most time-consuming part of the PCB layout for the Pi.MX8 module. However, we still have two tasks ahead of us that require just as much care: routing the power planes Read Article

SI Article 1

The Ultimate Introduction to High-Speed Signal Integrity for PCB Designers Basics of Signal Integrity Signal integrity refers to the quality and reliability of electrical signals as they travel through a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). In high-speed PCB design, maintaining signal integrity is critical because even minor signal distortions can lead to data corruption, communication errors, and overall system failure. Factors such as impedance mismatches, crosstalk, signal reflections, and power fluctuations can Read Article

Ferrite Bead Circuit Model

How to Determine Ferrite Bead Circuit Model Parameters For some modeling tasks, an impedance vs. frequency curve for a ferrite bead is needed to properly estimate or simulate circuit behavior. This applies to SPICE simulations of power supplies or filtering applications involving ferrites. While we generally don't advocate the use of ferrites in ways that have been popularized in the past, it's very important to test and validate any proposed design involving ferrites. When a SPICE model for a Read Article

Which Electronic Components Can Reduce PCB Cost?

Which Electronic Components Can Reduce PCB Cost? Printed circuit board (PCB) design is continuously advancing, requiring electronics designers to deliver new functionality and reliability while always keeping a focus on cost efficiency. By understanding the relationship between choosing components and the effect on PCB costs, designers and engineers can make better decisions when optimizing their designs for performance and cost. This article explores various classifications of electronic Read Article

What Makes the Life Sciences Supply Chain Different?

What Makes the Life Sciences Supply Chain Different? The life sciences supply chain is unique due to its complexity, high stakes, and the critical role it plays in patient care and public health. It handles a wide range of items, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and biologics, each with unique requirements for storage, handling, and transportation. Key aspects that set the life sciences supply chain apart include: Complexity and Regulation: The products it handles are often Read Article

Advanced Forecasting for Reducing Inventory Costs

Advanced Forecasting for Reducing Inventory Costs In today's competitive business environment, efficient inventory management is a key strategic factor for reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through advanced forecasting. The Case for Advanced Forecasting The case for Advanced Forecasting is compelling. It’s a strategic approach that leverages cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to predict future trends and behaviors Read Article

PCB Manufacturers Offering the Shortest Turnaround Times

PCB Manufacturers Offering the Shortest Turnaround Times With the growing demand for PCBs in just about every electronic device in development, time is of the essence. For manufacturers or even hobbyists, quickly getting hold of a functional prototype can be the difference between success and missed opportunities; as a solution to this time-intensive problem, some manufacturers have started offering quick-turn PCBs. Note from the editor: The text below lists several companies offering quick-turn PCB Read Article

Securing Early Access to Cutting-Edge Components

Securing Early Access to Cutting-Edge Components Historically, PCB designers have faced the ongoing challenge of finding the right component for whichever purpose their eventual manufactured PCB will serve. With supply shortages, poor quality parts, and unreliable vendors filling the space, that has proven troublesome. Today, with the oversaturation of the tech market and growing consumer demand for bigger and better, designers now face an even more difficult task: sourcing cutting-edge Read Article

Certified Suppliers for Compliant Medical PCBs

Certified Suppliers for Compliant Medical PCBs The medical device industry relies heavily on technology to deliver life-saving treatments and diagnostics. At the heart of many of the devices used, you will find the printed circuit board—a network of electrical pathways etched onto a laminate substrate. Given the industry in which devices are used, it is of the utmost importance that designers guarantee both quality and compliance in their PCB designs to ensure patient safety and device Read Article

How Will RISC-V Change Supply Chains For Advanced Chips?

How Will RISC-V Change Supply Chains For Advanced Chips? From innovative new electronics to the most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) use cases, advanced chips form the backbone of the latest technologies—the current rate of innovation hinges on more power in smaller packages. For years, many industries have not had the expertise or resources to pursue custom chip designs, despite the fact that custom chips would bring a huge range of features in varying applications, such as harnessing the power Read Article

How Multimodal LLMs Address Supply Chain Challenges

How Multimodal LLMs Address Supply Chain Challenges The modern supply chain is a complex and dynamic network that spans across industries and the globe, encompassing a wide range of processes, everything from procurement and production all the way to distribution and delivery. As global supply chains become increasingly intricate, supply chain managers face numerous challenges, including demand forecasting, inventory management, logistics optimization and risk mitigation. The traditional methods Read Article

Mechanics Meet Electronics Seamlessly in Multi-Board PCB Design

Mechanics Meet Electronics Seamlessly in Multi-Board PCB Design If you really take time to appreciate PCB layout, you'll find that circuit boards are as much a work of art as they are driven by science and engineering. Multi-board PCB design only expands the possibilities in terms of form, function, and capabilities. The reality is that many products are multi-board systems, and the need to integrate multiple PCBs into a single package or ecosystem is a specialized area of electronics development. What makes Read Article

How Thermoformed Flex PCB’s are Designed and Fabricated

How Thermoformed Flex PCB’s are Designed and Fabricated In today’s fast-paced world of electronics, we’re always on the lookout for components that are more compact, durable, and flexible to add to the toolbox. Flexible materials and flexible circuit technology continues to be a winning solution. Read Article

Having a Conversation with your Design using AI Digital Twins

Having a Conversation With Your Design Using AI Digital Twins In this article Ari Mahpour guides us through the process of creating a “Digital Twin” like Custom GPT to give users the ability to “have a conversation” with their design. Read Article

PCB Thermal Design Deep Dive with Ethan Pierce

PCB Thermal Design Deep Dive with Ethan Pierce Welcome to the Altium OnTrack Podcast! Today, we are joined by Ethan Pierce, founder of Dodec Labs. He and host Zach Peterson explore the intricacies of thermal management in PCB design. If you’ve ever faced issues with overheating PCBs or want to enhance your PCB thermal design skills, this episode is a must-watch! Listen to the Episode: Watch the Episode: Episode Highlights: Importance of early thermal problem identification Effective PCB Read Article

Break Up Your PCB Data Package to Keep IP Secure

Break Up Your PCB Data Package to Keep IP Secure Contained in your PCB manufacturing data is the golden goose that drives your profitability. Make sure you keep track of who gets your data and what's kept secret. Read Article