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

NTC Thermistors as Temperature Sensors NTC thermistors are the most commonly used class of sensor as they are cheap, easy to use, and accurate enough for most applications. 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

Controlled ESR Capacitors: Should You Use Them for Power Integrity? I can’t think of a single product I’ve built that doesn’t require capacitors. We often talk a lot about effective series inductance (ESL) in capacitors and its effects on power integrity. What about effective series resistance (ESR)? Is there a technique you can use to determine the appropriate level of resistance, and can you use ESR to your advantage? Like many answers to important engineering questions, the answer is “it depends.” One type of Read Article

Voltage Derating for Ceramic Capacitors Operating just about any type of capacitor below its maximum rated voltage ensures a longer operating life. Such components’ performance will degrade in response to the application of voltages approaching their rated limit and exposure to high temperatures. By choosing to limit the applied voltage, such effects can be reduced. Ceramic capacitors are one of the most common types of capacitors that are in use today thanks to their compact packaging Read Article

Resistor Derating to Improve Mean Time Between Failure All resistors have a specified power rating that determines the maximum energy they can convert without its performance degrading or the component failing. Read now to learn more. Read Article

Methods to Protect your Circuit Overvoltage, overcurrent, and heat are the three most likely events that can destroy our expensive silicon-based components or reduce our product’s life expectancy. The effects are often quite instant, but our product might survive several months of chronic overstress before giving up the ghost in some cases. Without adequate protection, our circuit can be vulnerable to damage, so what should we do? Or do we need to do anything? For instance, if Read Article

Power supplies - Buy, Outsource, or Design There is more stress on a power supply compared to most of the other parts of our design. Mark Harris addresses the most pertinent issues to consider and, in several places, adopt a checklist format for you to use. Read now. Read Article

Testing the Limits of Your LDO's Efficiency The efficiency of your LDO isn’t a fixed value, but neither is your maximum current output. Read about your LDO efficiency curve to better see why LDOs have narrow operating ranges. Read Article

Should You Route Signals in Your PCB Power Plane? Before you cut up your PCB power plane with signals, pay attention to things like impedance control power plane current capacity to ensure reliability. Read Article

How Total Harmonic Distortion Affects Your Power System Total harmonic distortion is used to quantify the quality of power that reaches your electronics. Read Article

Choosing A Converter or Regulator For your Power Supply Design This article will go on a brief tour of the main choices in DC power supply design. It tackles converters and regulators, linear and switch mode, and isolation consideration. Read now to learn more. Read Article

Switching Power Supply Filter Design When optimizing your filter performance, it is important to choose your components wisely. This article will serve as your comprehensive guide, read now. Read Article

Power Supply Filtering Options This article will help PCB designers identify the filter requirements, select the best options and locate the optimum places within the circuit design to incorporate filtering. Read Article

Pi Filter Designs for Power Supplies In this article, Expert Mark Harris will be looking at the low-pass filter arrangement. He will cover basic principles all the way to design constraints. Read now to learn more. Read Article