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Read ArticleFirst Things First- Getting Your PCB Layout Off to a Good Start
We've all been there, or we will be someday. A new concept has emerged and, the team is given a chance to own that niche. To save time, we're going to leverage an existing design. Yep, the good old d
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Read ArticleHow To: HDMI
High Definition Media Interface is a beautiful thing. Back when 1080P meant something, the HDMI spec entered the scene as an upgrade on the legacy trio or quintet of RCA cables. The number of...
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Read ArticleFlex Circuit Cheat Sheet
So, you think you might want to do some Flexible Printed Circuit layouts? Pull up a chair; there's a lot to talk about. The first thing to know about FPCs is that they are almost entirely...
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Read ArticleSteering the PCB from Prototype to Production
Our last topic was about getting off to a good start and touched lightly on placement aspects. We're going to get a little bit of solder paste under our fingernails this time around. Move the scenario
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Read ArticleSo, You Want to be a CAD PCB Layout-er
Knowledge workers are of the variety that knows and does something that their manager probably doesn't. Even the schematic capture experts struggle with the layout software. It has always been a...
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Read ArticleManufacturing Matters
No two board designs are the same. We could run a thought experiment. Given a token complexity level of a generic board that mixes a bit of digital with a slice of analog, every PCB designer would...
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Read ArticleThermal Challenges for Industrial Machinery
A single failure of a machine due to heat can bring down an entire assembly line to halt. At the printed circuit board level, we designers need to provide the most robust solutions to keep the wheels
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Read ArticleNotes from the Board Room - On Concurrent PCB Design
You can't finish the board before the schematic, but you want it done pretty much right away, before marketing changes their minds again!
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Read ArticleMaking the Most of a Design Win
It is a wonderful time to be a maker of products. Find an underserved niche and give the world a tangible solution. Famous movie quote, “If you build it, they will come.” The hard part becomes finding
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Read ArticleMy Favorite Stackup
We shouldn't play favorites, the best stack for the job is the one we should be using. If a four-layer, through-hole board will cut it, that's the way to go. If the "mother of all devices" demands...
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Read FlipbookThe Hitchhiker's Guide to PCB Design
over 100 pages of real-world, actionable PCB design tips from experienced industry professionals including checklists, detailed graphics, best practices, and links to additional resources.
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Read ArticleDesign Reliability
The sun rises every day. It is reliable. In practical terms, it has always risen and will continue to do so. On a long enough timeline, however, our star will burn out. That's what the...
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Read ArticleNotes from the Board Room - on Checklists
Not just one, there should be a sanity check at every major step in the life of a layout. Some of us fondly remember the Apollo program on the grainy black-and-white TVs of the day. The whole...
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Read ArticleHow Do Manufacturing Tolerances Work?
In July 2017, a rollercoaster ride in Ohio failed dramatically, killing one person and injuring seven others. The cause of the accident? Corrosion. Roller coasters must operate and withstand...
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Read ArticleNotes from the Board Room - A day in the life of a Googler
In my quest to become a world famous PCB designer, (stop laughing!) I've taken to putting my own words on the screen and sharing them here. My job is to enable design wins, period. It's a cruel...
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Read ArticleDesign Strategies - WiFi 802.11
Of course, you know what WiFi is. You can get it wherever money changes hands. Being WiFi-enabled is a low-risk strategy when it comes to the number of hot-spots you're likely to pass through on a...
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Read ArticleHow (and Why) to Embrace Design Constraints
Design rules are nothing new. Our ability to create specific and concrete rules to govern the results should not be overlooked. From the first placement study to the final result, capturing a...
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Read ArticleWorking with Ball Grid Arrays or... Why I see Spots All the Time
The little four-pin FETs (that give everyone fits!) on up to the system on a chip, it is getting harder and harder to find a product without some BGAs on board. So let's jump in with both feet.
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Read Article3D Printing’s Impact in the Real World: Medicine, Food Production, and Automotive
Though 3D printing technology was introduced more than three decades ago, it’s only recently gained traction with a wider market. 3D printers were one of Amazon’s most popular holiday gifts for...
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Read ArticleNotes on Impedance - Part 2
If one is good, then two should be even better. That's not really the principle behind differential pairs, but it's a place to start. Each line has resistance/impedance, so two of them would have...
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