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RF Design for PCBs

Radio frequency (RF) designs operate at high frequencies, and they require careful layout and routing to prevent signal integrity problems. An RF PCB layout can sometimes contain a section with digital components, and careful layout can help prevent interference between RF and digital signals. Browse our library of resources to learn more about RF PCB design, layout, routing, and signal integrity.

RF PCB Design Overview What is RF Circuit Design? RF PCB Design Software

MIMO Antenna Design

MIMO Antenna Design and PCB Layout Tips Advanced products operating in the RF domain are increasingly using MIMO antenna arrays to provide high data throughput and serve multiple end users. Read Article

rf power supply design

RF Power Supply Design and Layout Guide Learn some of the basics on design, placement, and routing of RF power supplies. A good layout strategy helps prevent noise coupling in high power RF systems. Read Article

multiphase buck converter RF power supply

Designing a Multiphase Buck Converter for an RF Power Supply Consider a multiphase buck converter for the regulator stage in your RF power supply. Alongside envelope tracking, you can ensure high efficiency power delivery and transmission. Read Article

input impedance

How to Use Input Impedance in Circuits and Transmission Lines The concept of input impedance is used to understand power transfer and matching in complex interconnects. Read Article

Hybrid PCB stackup

How to Design a Hybrid PCB Stackup If you need alternative PTFE-based materials or low-Dk glass cloth materials, consider using a hybrid PCB stackup. You’ll have lower costs and the advantage of a low-loss material on one layer. Read Article

RF PCB material

RF PCB Material Comparison for mmWave Devices Here’s a comparison of the best RF PCB materials or your high-frequency analog products. Read Article

Substrate integrated waveguide routing

Substrate Integrated Waveguide Routing for mmWave PCBs The applications of mmWave signals used to be confined to defense, but now mmWave systems are becoming more common. You can thank car radar, UAV radar, upcoming rollouts of 5G, and current research on 6G for bringing mmWave technology into the mainstream. Routing with mmWave signals has forced designers to rethink their routing practices and interconnect designs. This has motivated many research groups and innovative companies to design new Read Article

Embedded RF Design: Ceramic Chip Antennas vs. PCB Trace Antennas

Embedded RF Design: Ceramic Chip Antennas vs. PCB Trace Antennas Knowing ceramic antennas vs PCB trace antennas will enable you to design the PCB that meets your frequency needs. Read Article

Can You Use Series and Parallel Termination on the Same Net?

Can You Use Series and Parallel Termination on the Same Net? Series and parallel termination are the most common resistive termination options for digital signaling. The reason is that resistance is a wideband quantity and does not start to be affected by parasitics until well into the GHz range. At the channel bandwidth associated with most digital signals, there are cases where an unterminated line actually needs termination, even if there is no impedance specification in the interface. As both options Read Article

PCB Impedance Table

How to Read a PCB Impedance Table PCB impedance tables show values of trace impedance on specific layers, but without the designer choosing materials or a stackup. Read Article

Types of PTFE Materials for RF PCB Design

Types of PTFE Materials for RF PCB Design PTFE (Teflon) PCB materials are sometimes seen as the magic bullet for your RF PCB stackups. Make sure you choose the right type of PTFE-based material for your design. Read Article

Simulation Driven PCB Design

Simulation Driven Design Can Solve Your PCB’s Signal Problems and More If you work in the electronics industry or in research, there’s a chance that simulations are a regular part of life. Simpler systems can be designed with intuition and simulated after designs are completed, but more advanced systems running at high frequencies or very high data rates need qualification before and after a PCB layout is complete. Simulation software has to take a more prominent role in PCB design for many advanced systems Read Article

Why Are Advanced Car Radars Using So Many Antennas?

Why Are Advanced Car Radars Using So Many Antennas? Advanced car radar systems rely on large virtual arrays for high-resolution imaging, long range, and/or tracking of multiple objects. Read Article

Should You Remove Ground Below Impedance Matching Networks?

Should You Remove Ground Below Impedance Matching Networks? Impedance matching networks in a PCB layout might need to have ground cleared from them. We’ll explore when to remove ground in this short guide. Read Article

SMA Edge Connector Transitions in an RF PCB

SMA Edge Connector Transitions in an RF PCB SMA edge connector footprints sometimes require ground clearance below the connector’s coaxial pin. We’ll show why this can arise and how to qualify the need for ground clearance. Read Article

PCB Edge Plating

Guide to PCB Edge Plating in RF Design RF designs sometimes use PCB edge plating to contain electromagnetic fields and ruggedize a PCBA. Read Article

PCB critical length

Can We All Stop Quoting the Critical Length Rule? Let’s all agree to stop using the PCB critical length rule in high-speed PCB design. Read Article