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Top 5 Design For Manufacturing Tips for 2019

Top 5 Design For Manufacturing Tips for 2019 Recently, when browsing through a major electronics industry blog, I came across a 10 top ‘design for manufacturing’ mistakes article. I read the article thinking it could be interesting and inventive, but to my surprise, it was essentially a copy-and-paste of an article I had read 10 years ago, which itself was a rehash of an article almost 10 years older. I’m not a fan of reworking old articles and labeling them as ‘new’ content, as it’s a Read Article

Continuous Integration: An Implementation Using Altium Designer

Continuous Integration: An Implementation Using Altium Designer In a previous article, Continuous Integration and Deployment in ECAD, we discussed the concept of Continuous Integration while testing within a build system (leveraging Git). In this article, we will take a deeper look at how to set this up and run these “tests” against one’s PCB design project. Continuous Integration Tests: Revisited In Software Engineering, the purpose of implementing Continuous Integration into a workflow is to prevent one’s Read Article

The Evolution Of Simulation Technology and Crosstalk

The Evolution Of Simulation Technology and Crosstalk In Part 1 of this blog, I discussed the evolution of simulation as it applied to calculating impedance control. This article focuses on crosstalk which, along with impedance, is one of the more straightforward aspects associated with simulation. The following describes the various elements associated with crosstalk, the challenges associated with it and how to ensure that your PCB design meets crosstalk requirements. Crosstalk Solving for Read Article

The Evolution Of Simulation Technology and Impedance

The Evolution Of Simulation Technology and Impedance When design engineers started using simulation toolsets, we originally cared only about impedance and terminations. Then when things got fast, we had to worry about loss in the path. Next, we had to address differential pairs (which are specialized transmission lines) and skew. Most recently, we have had to worry about the effect of vias at very high data rates. Note: Of all of these elements, skew is the only one which cannot be simulated. From Read Article

Rigid Flex Cost Comparison

Rigid Flex Cost Comparison Are you starting a design and contemplating whether to use a rigid-flex construction or to move forward with multiple rigid boards and wire/cable connections? Using a rigid-flex concept to replace the traditional approach of using cable assemblies to join two or more rigid boards has clear benefits: reduction in space and weight, more design freedom in packaging, reliability, and increased current carrying capabilities. But the rigid-flex Read Article

Addressing The PDS Design Challenge

Addressing The PDS Design Challenge In part 1 of this article, I described the various challenges and problems associated with maintaining the power integrity of a PCB as accomplished through the design of a fully functioning PDS for any given product implementation. This article will address those problems and challenges by outlining the elements that comprise a PDS, what the job of an engineer is in designing a PDS and the resources available for that design process. It should be Read Article

How to Layout a Phase-locked Loop IC in Your RF PCB

How to Layout a Phase-locked Loop IC in Your RF PCB As part of telecom systems, radio systems, and other RF devices requiring frequency synthesis, phase-locked loops play an important role in PCB design. High frequency transceivers and high speed digital devices contain integrated phase locked loops alongside an integrated VCO layout, which provides stable and internally controllable clock signals. However, some PLL ICs are available as discrete ICs, which will include an integrated VCO layout Read Article

Why and How to Use an Aluminum PCB Substrate for Your Next Design

Why and How to Use an Aluminum PCB Substrate for Your Next Stackup Design Aluminum can be used for more than just soda cans I don’t drink soda so much anymore now that I’m in my thirties, but I know aluminum has plenty of uses outside of making coke cans. One use is in the core of your PCB as a material for thermal management. Aluminum has high thermal conductivity and can be used to carry heat away from active components on a PCB when other passive or active cooling measures cannot bring component temperatures to a Read Article

The Role of a Decoupling, Inductance, and Resistance in a PDN

The Role of a Decoupling, Inductors, and Resistance in a PDN What is the role of a RF decoupling capacitor? Do I need a decoupling circuit for my PCB? Some designers might overlook the role of a decoupling, inductance, and resistance when designing their power distribution network. Read Article

What Size Decoupling Capacitor Should You Use For Digital ICs?

Decoupling Capacitor Calculations: What Size Should You Use For Digital ICs? Are these decoupling capacitors sized properly? Something that comes up repeatedly in PCB design guidelines, including high-speed digital design "gurus", is the need to find the proper decoupling capacitor size. This is sometimes addressed without a full understanding of what these caps are supposed to do in a PDN or their role in ensuring power integrity. I've also seen many application notes that default to the decades-old guideline of placing Read Article

Symmetric Stripline Impedance Calculators and Formulas

Symmetric Stripline Inductance or Impedance Calculators and Formulas In a previous article, we looked at the inconsistencies that can arise when using different calculators to compute the impedance of surface and embedded microstrip traces. Many of the same issues mentioned in the previous article apply to stripline impedance calculators. Symmetric striplines are easier to address than asymmetric striplines, both numerically and analytically. Here, we’ll give a short comparison of the various impedance formulas Read Article

Ethernet Layout and Routing Standards: MAC, PHY, and RJ-45 Connectors

Ethernet Layout Routing Guidelines: MAC, PHY, and RJ-45 Connectors Magnetics termination has little to do with actual magnets. Here are some important ethernet layout routing guidelines (MII, RMII, RGMII, etc.) to ensure signal integrity. Read Article

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