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PCB Routing

pcb via size PCB Via Size and Pad Size Guidelines Do you know what PCB via size you should use in your PCB layout? We’ll look at a few simple ways to answer this question. Read Article
tented vias When to Use Tented vs. Untented Vias in Your PCB Layout Some designers swear by tented vias and prefer to always use them. When should these be used and when should they be avoided? We’ll explore in this article. Read Article
Via current carrying capacity for PCBs PCB Via Current-Carrying Capacity: Is My PCB Too Hot? What does PCBA too hot mean? It's a common question from designers, particularly new designers that are learning about industry standards, and refers to the PCB via current-carrying capacity of conductors. Trace and via current-carrying capacity are legitimate design points to focus on when designing a new board that will carry high current. The goal is to keep conductor temperatures below some appropriate limit, which then helps keep components Read Article
Gibbs phenomenon How the Gibbs Phenomenon Produces Measurement Artifacts The Gibbs phenomenon is a measurement artifact that can be mistaken for real signal integrity problems like ground bounce, ringing from reflections, or resonance on short lines. Read Article
Reduce copper losses Recover Conductor Losses By Clearing Your PCB Ground Layer Need to recover some conductor losses? Here’s how clearing out your ground plane near an I/O or connector can help. Read Article
Differential Impedance Specification How to Design to a Differential Impedance Specification Differential impedance is sometimes misunderstood and it depends on multiple factors. Learn more about trace width design needed to reach a specific differential impedance target. Read Article
Differential Pair Spacing Should You Use Tight vs. Loose Differential Pair Spacing and Coupling? We get a lot of questions about trace impedance and how to calculate the right trace size to hit a specific impedance in a manufacturable PCB. Just as important as determining an appropriate trace width for a single-ended trace is determination of an appropriate spacing between two traces in a differential pair. So the question is, how close do the traces in a differential pair need to be to each other, and is the need for “tight coupling” really Read Article
USB 2-layer PCB Routing Requirements for a USB Interface on a 2-Layer PCB In an earlier blog, I discussed some of the basic points in preparing routing rules for 2-layer PCBs to support routing and layout with digital signals. In particular, we looked at some of the basic stackup and routing rules needed to support a digital interface like I2C or SPI on a 2-layer PCB. When working with these interfaces, a few simple guidelines can help ensure signal integrity in your board and cut down on EMI. What about an impedance Read Article
2-layer PCB Routing Can You Route Digital Signals on a 2-layer PCB Design? 2-layer PCBs are a common entry-level choice for designers, and they can even support high speed designs if built correctly. Read Article
What Skills Are Needed to be a PCB Designer? What Skills Are Needed to be a PCB Layout Designer? To readers who have been working in the PCB industry for most of your career, you have probably seen a very diverse group of professionals with varied skill sets and backgrounds. My own background is odd, having come into the profession from optics and lasers, and then focusing on analog and RF electronics. Other designers might get started as engineers or as technicians, and some designers learn how to create beautiful PCB layouts in university Read Article
4 Layer PCB Stackup Two 4 Layer PCB Stackups With 50 Ohms Impedance Need a 4-layer PCB stackup that can support high speed components on both sides of the board? Consider these alternatives to the typical 4-layer stackup. Read Article
microstrip to ground clearance Microstrip PCB Ground Clearance Part 2: How Clearance Affects Losses In a previous article, I provided a discussion and some simulation results on the necessary clearance between impedance controlled traces and nearby grounded copper pour. What we found was that, once the spacing between the pour and the trace becomes too small, the trace becomes an impedance-controlled coplanar waveguide (with or without ground). We also saw that the 3W rule for the spacing between the trace and the grounded copper pour is a bit Read Article
Differential Pairs and Differential Signals What Are Differential Pairs and Differential Signals? Differential pairs and differential signaling are the mainstay of high speed digital communication and data transfer. Read Article
Front-end Engineering A PCB Product Front-End Engineering A PCB Product PCB front-end engineering consists of all the tasks required to get a board into production. Here's what goes into your design review and how to plan for it. Read Article
PCB manufacturing impedance control Impedance Control: How to Specify Your Requirements for PCB Manufacturers PCB manufacturing houses can easily accommodate impedance control requirements as long as you can specify requirements clearly. Here’s what to tell your fabricator. Read Article
PCB routing What is PCB Routing? Learn about PCB routing techniques and how to design traces to proper routing in any device. You can access the best PCB routing features in Altium Designer. Read Article
Circuit Diagram Maker: Your Guide to Building with Altium Designer Online Circuit Block Diagram Maker: Your Guide to Building PCBs with Altium Designer Some PCB design software packages make you feel like you’ve been bamboozled. On one hand, you’re told that you’ll have access to tools that will let you move through the entire design process. Then all of a sudden, you can’t finish your design without purchasing critical features as add-ons. Only Altium Designer integrates all the best design tools in a single circuit diagram maker. You can get access to free versions that include critical design Read Article