PCB Routing

Browse our library of resources to learn more about pcb design and pcb routing.

Removing Noise From Analog Signals in Your PCB On my 12th birthday, I received my very own stereo system, complete with 4 speakers, a CD changer, and a tape deck. My parents found my taste in 80s hair metal pretty annoying, but I couldn’t get over the annoying hum coming from the speakers after a CD ended. Noise in analog systems, and analog noise in general, can present serious problems in a number of applications. Examples include systems for precise measurement, power systems, and radios Read Article

The Right Auto Routing Algorithms Can Make or Break Your Next PCB Staying on top of every algorithm required to solve complex technical challenges is a job in itself. If you’re a competent programmer, you’ll see how to scale different algorithms up to any level, including auto routing algorithms. But with the right EDA software, you won’t have to keep re-inventing the wheel. Using an autorouter to help layout your next PCB can help you save time and can save your sanity. Unfortunately, auto routing algorithms Read Article

43:36 Speed Up your Routing Phase with Altium Designer with David Marrakchi Watch Video

Creative Design with Buried Vias in Your Next HDI PCB Once I learned how to use different types of vias on my PCBs, I found that my routing strategies greatly improved, and I was able to reduce my overall board size. Judicious use of the right vias lets you place connections only between the layers you absolutely need for your board to function, instead of making connections that aren’t necessary. As newer devices pack more functionality (and more components) onto a single board, vias are Read Article

How to Design With a DP83848C Ethernet PHY In my university days, high-speed internet was non-existent. Online gaming was often limited to Starcraft or Warcraft, played over the Local Area Network (LAN). Friends would gather and start battling each other from different computers within a house, with cries of victories reverberating through the walls. It’s possible to be an awful Warcraft player and still design great PCBs. However, if you fail to understand the LAN and its underlying Read Article

DDR Layout Tips to Maximize Signal Integrity of Complex Memory Devices The science of transporting people by air has changed dramatically in a very brief period of time. During the 1920s, the Ford Trimotor was considered the ultimate luxury flight experience. Affectionately known as the “Tin Goose,” the first all-metal, multi-engine airliner could comfortably carry 10 passengers on a 36-hour transcontinental flight. When we consider modern passenger aircraft, the concept of moving people comfortably over long Read Article

Design Guidelines for Your Next Wireless PCB As a child, I used to watch Star Trek and always marveled at all the technology. Anything wireless on the show was particularly fascinating, especially to a 5-year old. As I aged, and as so many cool things from science fiction became reality, I realized that all these capabilities start with great PCB design. Whether you’re building a better Wifi router, GPS system, or two-way radio, you’ll need to decide which type of antenna to use and how to Read Article

How Autorouters Help Expedite Design Routing traces around on your PCB is like knitting a quilt. Not only can it take forever, but it requires very precise steps to ensure that all your stitches fit together seemlessly. If you get your stitches wrong, then everything can fall apart. Just like we have automatic threading sewing machines that increase productivity, autorouters can do the same for your PCB. But be wary: not all autorouters have the same capabilities. The best PCB Read Article

Asymmetric Striplines in Your Next Multi-layer PCB The beauty of symmetricity in art, science, and nature, in general, is something of a wonder. The visual balance between elements in a painting or drawing can make or break a piece of artwork. PCB design is as much art as it is engineering, and symmetricity plays as much of a technical role as it does an aesthetic role. Ever since its humble beginnings as a replacement for high frequency coaxial cables and waveguides, striplines are a mainstay Read Article

Split PCB Plane Pours are Partial to Carefully Managed Connections James Madison said that “philosophy is common sense with big words.” Big words can produce a mess if applied with the wrong syntax. Similarly, the ability to produce intricate PCB designs requires extraordinary vision, each minute step exquisitely accomplished through common sense. Common sense and, if you’re lucky, elegant design tools. PCB design tools able to make common sense from complicated layout rules promote efficient development Read Article

Addressing Forward and Backward Crosstalk in PCB Design If you’ve ever been at a raucous party in your college days, then you know how tough it is to talk over everyone else in the room. Signals in your electronics can propagate into neighboring traces, making it difficult for messages to reach their destinations. With faster signal speeds comes more crosstalk in your PCB. But crosstalk actually comes in two varieties. Each can have a serious effect on signal integrity at each end of a trace, but you Read Article

Layout Guidelines for Embedded Power Supplies I don’t get out to raucous parties as much as did in my 20’s. The thought of yelling over other people just to have a conversation is about as enticing as getting a tooth pulled. Crosstalk doesn’t just kill the mood at a party, it can ruin the functionality of electronic systems. Most PCB designers worry more about crosstalk between signals traces, but your power supply and power components can have an even greater impact. Thankfully, some simple Read Article

1:03 How to Use Follow Contour Routing Mode in Altium Designer 19 Learn how to use Altium Designer’s Follow mode to lock your routing to any contour with any angle. To learn Watch Video

1:45 How to Switch Layers During Routing in Altium Designer 19 Learn how you can quickly change and switch between layers during interactive routing. To learn more about Altium Designer 19 Watch Video

When Should You Use an Online Circuit Calculator? Even if you’re an experienced engineer, you probably haven’t perfectly memorized every single formula you need to design PCBs and electronic devices. If this is true for experienced engineers, then what is a weekend warrior to do? Thankfully, there are many online calculators available that can help even novice designers build devices that meet industry standards. As you venture down the rabbit hole of designing a new electronic product, it Read Article

Low Power Electronics: Do You Need a Battery to Keep Your Circuit Boards Online? I was recently chatting with a friend of mine about his new hardware startup and how his progress on his new product was coming along. He was building a Bluetooth device and his first run at a prototype only kept his circuit board online for 40 minutes before draining the battery. I’ve noticed the difficulty of many IoT devices is that often they need to run for long periods of time. Whether it’s something you can wear or a sensor in a smart home Read Article

Which BGA Pad and Fanout Strategy is Right for Your PCB? From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by computers. I remember tearing open computers in middle school and marveling at motherboards. Looking at the pin layout on a CPU and comparing it with the socket and connecting all of those pins throughout the motherboard seemed like some sort of engineering black magic. Have you ever wondered how your PC’s motherboard accurately routes all of the microprocessor pins through the PCB? Enter the ball grid Read Article