Power Integrity

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

Through Thick And Thin — How Do You Get High Current Into a High Speed PCB? The typical large currents in today’s high speed PCB designs require a different approach. This article will describe the stackup requirements associated with these very large current PCBs and how to design them so that they can be readily manufactured properly. Read Article

CAN-Bus: Designing CAN-Bus Circuitry This article is part of a three-part introductory series on the CAN-bus: Part 1: An Informal Introduction Part 2: The Protocol Part 3: Designing CAN-Bus Circuitry Introduction There are three main components in a CAN-bus node: Microprocessor CAN-bus controller CAN-bus transceiver The CAN-bus controller implements all the low-level features of the network protocol, ISO 11898–1, while the transceiver communicates with the physical layer. Different Read Article

Getting Started with PDN Analyzer To learn more about this topic please see the full solution - Getting Started with PDN Analyzer - at Altium.com. Download PDF

Better PCB Routing - Highlight Nets Regardless how many PCBs I design, I always find myself having to regularly review network paths on schematics layer and trace routes on PCBs. The complexity reminds me of a maze where only one path is the right one for a particular network. It is imperative that all the connections are accurate as errors made here will come back to haunt you later in the form of redesigns. The best way to ensure network accuracy is by isolating it so that each Read Article

High Currents and Higher Temperatures: PCB Design Tips for Heat Management I remember the first (and hopefully the only) time one of my circuits caught on fire. It started with the resistors and quickly spread to a nearby decoupling capacitor. Thankfully, the destruction was minor and most of the components were salvageable. Why did this happen you ask? No, this was not due to a short circuit. Very simply, I did not take into account the high current PCB layout. As electronics continue to be miniaturized, the thermal Read Article

How to Combat Power Supply EMI in Your PCB Power supply EMI can be like a ghost lurking in your PCB layout, but some simple design choices can help you prevent excess EMI from your power supply or power regulator. Read Article

Switching Power Supply Output Filter: Design and Simulation SPICE packages can help you design a switching power supply output filter bby looking at transient response results and running parameter sweeps. Read Article

The Mysterious 50 Ohm Impedance: Where It Came From and Why We Use It 50 Ohm impedance became the standard impedance used in RF transmission lines long ago, but it is still useful today and is a standard reference impedance used in test equipment. Read Article

Build a DC-DC Buck Regulator - Student Project In this article, Mark Harris will go through the implementation of power supplies in a PCB Design project with a student. Curious how it turned out? Read now to learn more. Read Article

Why Power Rails Need to be Low Impedance Read to learn what constitutes a power rail, how it functions, and how fear can be a driving factor in making bad design decisions. Read Article

PDS Impedance: The Traditional Approach To PDS Design vs. Energy Flow Take a look at traditional PDS impedance versus the “energy flow” view of PDS design. We’ll debunk misleading information that could cause your designs to fail. Read Article

Decoupling Capacitor Optimization for Power Integrity Decoupling capacitor optimization is more than a buzzword, it’s all about selecting the right set of capacitors to keep power stable in your PDN. Read Article

How to Calculate PCB Power Plane Current Capacity Do you know how much current your power plane can accommodate? Learn more about PCB power plane current capacity in this article. Read Article

Making the Most of Your Crystal Oscillator “Blindly” adopting what a crystal oscillator data sheet says usually results in adequate frequency stability. An oscillator requires the phase shift around the loop to be 360° and this total phase shift must be a precise and stable oscillation frequency. Read Article

Huge Vu-meter with RGB LEDs Project A laboratory journal to guide you through the steps to develop a successful product that value-conscious customers are sure to love. Read Article

Developing a PCB Testing Procedure For New Designs Before your new device comes off the fabrication line, it will need to go through a comprehensive PCB testing procedure. Here’s how to create a PCB testing procedure for new boards. Read Article

Light Pipes Explained What do you do if you need to protect your device from the elements, be that wet or dusty conditions, high humidity, or external EMI? Read Article