Technology

Browse our library of resources to learn more about new technology used in pcb design.

Advantages of Flexible Circuits for Space Applications Sometimes people ask my why space travel is important. The answer seems obvious to me every night when I go to sleep. My pillow is made out of memory foam, which was developed by NASA. Their research efforts for space exploration have led to a host of other important discoveries and gadgets that we all benefit from today. Another useful technology that was originally developed for the aerospace industry is a flex circuit. Rigid flex and fully Read Article

How FRAM Memory Simplifies Embedded System Data Logging I’ve always found it easier to make decisions when the options were clear cut. Choosing between black or white, right or wrong, you could make your decision and never regret it. However, decisions that involve picking black, white or one of many shades of gray really stress me out. I was happy abiding by my binary logic until Ferromagnetic Random Access Memory (FRAM) came on the commercial market and I was forced to embrace one of the shades of Read Article

How Do Ferrite Beads Work and How Do You Choose the Right One? Ferrite beads are generally used for high frequency EMI noise suppression Sometimes, I wish I could see electromagnetic waves. It would make detecting EMI much easier. Instead of having to mess around with complicated setups and signal analyzers, I could just look and see what all the fuss is about. While we may not be able to see EMI, we can sometimes hear it when it comes through audio circuits. One possible fix for that kind of interference is Read Article

Conducted Emissions Test Equipment and Reduction Guidelines One of my classes in college was so difficult that the professor would give us the test questions a week in advance. Even knowing exactly what to study for the exam, lots of students still failed. Conducted emissions analysis for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is similar. Devices need to be checked to see if they’re putting too much noise back into the grid through their power supply. Otherwise, the FCC will think you’re disrupting utility Read Article

How to Perform In-House Pre-Compliance Testing for Radiated Emissions Have you ever had a wonderful moment ruined by a smell? Once I went out on a date with a girl I’d been interested in for some time. Everything was going great, we got to the end of the date and I walked her to the door. I leaned in for a kiss and...got offered a breath mint and a goodnight hug. Sometimes you can feel like you’re putting out good vibes, but you’re really emitting something else. The same goes for wireless circuits. You go through Read Article

How to Prepare Your PCB for Outgassing in Ultra-High Vacuum Systems You’ve heard the phrase, “rain on your parade” right? When I was in high school I played saxophone in the marching band. Well, one night we had a competition and it ended up drizzling on us 2 miles into the 4-mile march. We had to run for cover. All that hard work ruined by a little rain. On Earth, condensation just makes us seek shelter, but in low pressure, it can spell doom for your experiments. You might not think about condensation in the Read Article

Intel Will Showcase Future Technology in Electronics and Communication at the Olympics Editorial credit: lazyllama / Shutterstock.com I love watching the Olympics. It’s exciting to see the best athletes from each country test their skills against one another. The Olympics are also a forum for host countries to showcase everything that they’re capable of. In the 2018 Olympics countries aren’t the only ones who will be showing off. Intel recently announced a partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that will let Read Article

How to Setup and Interface with WS2812B LEDs Are you in the mood for a good laugh? Well, I have a story for you. I’m a design engineer with decades of experience, but a LED project recently almost brought me to my knees in despair. I used to think that LEDs were as simple as getting the light emitting diode connected to a limiting resistor and a power supply. Aren’t they? That’s exactly what went through my mind as I worked on an architecture model lighting project a couple of years ago. On Read Article

How Parasitic Inductance Can Impact Your ESD Protection When I was a kid, I was certain I was going to be a biologist. I collected all kinds of lizards, tadpoles, and insects, and spent most of my allowance on aquariums for my various creatures to live in. However, one thing really held me back. I am super grossed out by parasites. I will let a mantis or snake crawl all over me, but even looking at a tapeworm gives me dry heaves. Eventually, I went into engineering, where nothing needs weekend Read Article

How to Choose a Solder Reflow Oven for Efficient PCB Assembly Whether you’re an electrical engineer, like me, or an electronics hobbyist, solder reflow ovens enable fast and convenient printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. If you have assembled dense PCBs with many small surface-mount components or used ball grid array (BGA) devices in your designs, you have undoubtedly come across solder reflow ovens. While the ambitious hobbyist may choose to build a toaster oven “reflow oven”, many businesses can save Read Article

How IBM’s 5 nm Transistors Will Enable Internet of Things Deep Learning and Other Technologies My great grandmother was born in a time when normal people still used horses and carriages to get around. By the end of her life, she had seen jet airplanes, computers, and spacecraft. Technology in the last century accelerated rapidly, and this century promises more of the same. Moore’s Law has been one measure of the pace of advancement. While many experts have predicted its doom, Moore’s Law stands today. The most recent proof of electronic Read Article

Meet the Baja Racing Team from New Jersey Institute of Technology Bob Burghart is a Sophomore who is studying Mechanical Engineering at NJIT, and is the leader of the sub-team responsible for electronics designs for their Baja racing car. In the car, there is a main dash system, a data acquisition board, a display board, and front and rear dongles that connect to 20 sensors. As a kid, Bob had the typical curious mind of a budding engineer--always enjoying taking things apart. By middle and high school he began Read Article

Advanced PCB Design Solutions Require Short and Long Term EDA Software My grandfather taught me to always use the right tool for the job. He told me that because I broke one of his screwdrivers while using it as a pry bar. Sorry, grandpa. You might not break something by using the wrong apparatus, but you are guaranteed to take too long to finish your work. The same principle applies to PCB design. As boards becoming increasingly complex, designers need more advanced tools to build them. You can try working with the Read Article

A Comparison of Active Cooling Techniques for Electronic Equipment Cooling your electronics is pretty important. I know this because part of my laptop’s motherboard melted once. I bought a new top of the line computer back in 2010 to try out a new graphics intensive video game. It came with an amazing graphics card, but an undersized thermal management system. I should have known there was a problem when the keyboard got too hot to touch when I started playing games. Soon afterward, my computer was on the fritz Read Article

Overview of Passive PCB Heat Dissipation Techniques Have you ever been so hot you thought you might melt like a popsicle? Summer down here in SoCal gets pretty toasty and makes me wish I had a few freeze pops. When I get home from work I love to blast the AC and pretend that I live in an igloo. However, the only thing worse than boiling in the heat is seeing all my money evaporate away in cooling bills. Other people take a different approach to cooling; they use geometric shapes or heat exchangers Read Article

How the Repeat SpaceX Dragon Capsule Launch to Space Station Will Change PCB Design Do you ever look up at the moon and wonder what mysteries lie beyond? Every once in a while, while I’m gawking at the moon, a moving star catches my eye. The International Space Station (ISS) is occasionally visible from Earth and is a constant reminder of humankind’s achievements in space. SpaceX recently added another accomplishment to the list, by resupplying the ISS with a previously used capsule. SpaceX’s advancements in reusable spacecraft Read Article

Why Increasing Design Complexity Requires the Best Professional PCB Design Software Didn’t everything seem so simple when you were a kid? No job to work at, no mortgage to pay, and no kids of your own to wrangle. My main occupation was to run around outside and try not to get too dirty while playing. Now life is certainly better, but also quite a bit more complicated. Similarly, the PCB industry is also growing up and become more convoluted. Gone are the days of large, simple boards. Now everything has to be small, sleek, and Read Article