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Design, validate, and verify the most advanced schematics.
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Simulation / Analysis for PCB Design
RF Signal Chain Design for FMCW Chirped Radar Systems
If you could hear the output from your chirped radar system, it might sound like a brahminy starling In automotive and UAV radar applications, radar signals are amplified throughout the signal chain. Amplification is critical for ensuring the reflected signal can be accurately detected and for maximizing the range and resolution of your radar system. Although there are some ICs that integrate an entire signal chain into a single package, these
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RF Power Amplifier Impedance Matching at Microwave and mmWave Frequencies
According to MarketWatch , the overall market for RF amplifiers is expected to surpass $27 billion by 2023. So where are all of these RF amplifiers expected to be used? You can thank 5G and the expansion of cellular networks in general for a healthy portion of the expected growth. For the PCB designers out there, RF amplifier impedance matching becomes an important design point, especially with high power amplifiers. Large-signal RF Amplifier
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Automotive Telematics Systems Design
In 2015, the cost of the electronics in a new car surpassed the cost of raw steel for the first time in history. We shouldn’t be surprised; the increasing number of electronic systems placed in cars over time made this change in cost structure inevitable. As cars become more autonomous, more connected, and include more creature comforts, this trend is only going to continue. After the OnStar system was popularized by General Motors in the 1990s
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Relative Permittivity of PCB Substrates: High-k or low-k dielectrics?
The relative permittivity of water makes this pencil appear bent If you’ve paid attention to refraction, then you know something about the physics of relative permittivity. The semiconductor industry has managed to continue scaling to smaller technology nodes by using materials with high dielectric constant (so-called high-k dielectrics), but can you see similar benefits in your PCB with similar substrate materials? What about the use of low-k
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Signal Integrity Simulations for Backplane Bus and Connectors
Modern embedded computing systems that interconnect a large number of modules in a single enclosure will probably need a backplane, and the buses connecting these systems run at multi-Gbps data rates. The connectors, PCB, and interfaces in total contribute to losses throughout the bus, and a system-level simulation will need to account for all of these elements to ensure a working design. As part of a design and verification flow, simulations are
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Continuous Integration: An Implementation Using Altium Designer
In a previous article, Continuous Integration and Deployment in ECAD , we discussed the concept of Continuous Integration while testing within a build system (leveraging Git). In this article, we will take a deeper look at how to set this up and run these “tests” against one’s PCB design project. Continuous Integration Tests: Revisited In Software Engineering, the purpose of implementing Continuous Integration into a workflow is to prevent one’s
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The Evolution Of Simulation Technology and Impedance
When design engineers started using simulation toolsets, we originally cared only about impedance and terminations. Then when things got fast, we had to worry about loss in the path. Next, we had to address differential pairs (which are specialized transmission lines) and skew. Most recently, we have had to worry about the effect of vias at very high data rates. Note: Of all of these elements, skew is the only one which cannot be simulated. From
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Symmetric Stripline Inductance or Impedance Calculators and Formulas
In a previous article , we looked at the inconsistencies that can arise when using different calculators to compute the impedance of surface and embedded microstrip traces. Many of the same issues mentioned in the previous article apply to stripline impedance calculators. Symmetric striplines are easier to address than asymmetric striplines, both numerically and analytically. Here, we’ll give a short comparison of the various impedance formulas
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Continuous Integration and Deployment in ECAD
Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment have become widely adopted practices within the software world. The concept of Continuous Integration and Deployment don’t need to be limited to just software - they can be extended into the ECAD world as well. In this article we will address both concepts and how they can be leveraged in ECAD tools. Continuous Deployment Designers will frequently make changes to their code and check it into the
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Clearing Up Trace Impedance Calculators and Formulas
While it might not be obvious to the casual or to those who think the mathematics underlying PCB design is largely settled, there is plenty of disagreement regarding the right formula to calculate trace impedance. This disagreement extends to online trace impedance calculators, and designers should make themselves aware of the limitations of these tools. The Problem with a Trace Impedance Calculator If you use your favorite search engine to find
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Datasheet Reliability with Ben Jordan
In this OnTrack episode Judy Warner and Ben Jordan discuss about Datasheet Reliability. Can you trust them? And what does “Gilded” mean? This & more about verifying app notes. Watch the full episode.
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Design for Reliability with Yizhak Bot
Design for Reliability. In this episode learn from Yizhak Bot what derating is and how you can work on the schematic level with their simulation software to eliminate field failures. Watch it here.
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Draftsman: What’s New in Altium Designer 19
Draftsman
®
has been a valuable asset to designers since Altium Designer 16. Although some users may have found it to be incomplete due to their unique board requirements, Draftsman has helped many designs go to production. Since its introduction Draftsman has evolved more and more into what it is today: a robust, stable, and powerful PCB drawing editor, specifically made to help designers automate their fabrication and assembly drawing process
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Using an IPC-2152 Calculator: Designing to Standards
If you look at modern EDA programs, there are many calculators and simulators built into these applications. But one of the areas of simulation that has lagged behind everything else is thermal simulations. Thermal calculations are important particularly in power electronics, and in high-reliability electronics, even if these systems are running lower overall power. There are other instances where we can determine the potential need for an
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Using Altium's PDN Analyzer and Incorporating Simulation-Driven Workflow
If you’ve ever placed your hand near the vent on your computer, you can get a sense for the heat being created by the motherboard. Fans are designed to remove heat generated by the components on your motherboard, particularly by your CPU and GPU. The same effects occur in PCBs, even if they do not include components that consume a large amount of power. Power is consumed as it is delivered from the power source to the components, and power drops
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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
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With Software for Rigid-Flex Designing, You Can Define and Animate Your PCBs
Rigid-flex PCBs can open the door of possibilities wide open for complex form factors involving limited real-estate. If implemented correctly, you could effectively use each and every wall of any shaped chassis as a mounting surface for your PCB(s). Designing these rigid-flex boards in design software, such as Altium Designer, makes it easy to visually see how your components might interact with one another once actually in a flexed or folded
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