The Role and Considerations of Serpentine Traces in PCB Design
Any trace on a PCB that carries high-frequency signals can cause signal delay. The main purpose of serpentine traces is to compensate for parts of a group of related signals [...]
Why Your PCB Fails Despite Using the Manufacturer’s Schematic
You've followed the schematic provided by the chip manufacturer, but your PCB still has issues. It may be unstable, not hitting performance targets, or failing EMC tests. Is it human [...]
Understanding Dead Copper on PCBs: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
What is Dead Copper on a PCB? Dead copper refers to areas on a copper layer of a printed circuit board (PCB) that are unable to conduct electrical current. These [...]
PCB Design in the 5G World: Challenges and Solutions
PCB Design Requirements for 5G Applications In 5G applications, the key PCB design requirements include high-frequency, high-speed materials, high-density interconnects (HDI), impedance matching, layer stack-up planning, signal integrity for trace [...]
Key Considerations for LED Lighting PCB Design and Production
LEDs are increasingly used in areas like indicators and displays due to their long lifespan and low energy consumption. When replacing traditional lighting sources with LED technology, factors such as [...]
The 3W Rule in PCB Signal Routing
Importance of Sufficient Separation in High-Frequency Signal Routing Signal routing on a PCB, especially for high-frequency digital signals, requires sufficient separation to minimize crosstalk. When the center-to-center spacing between traces [...]
PCB etching process and chemical reaction formula
As the PCB industry develops, the demand for precise control over trace impedance has increased, necessitating stricter control over trace width. PCBs are becoming more reliable and widely used in [...]
PCB Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
Each PCB design should aim to minimize total costs and the potential for DFM issues (mostly a requirement from management, but whether engineers follow through varies by individual). Generally, this [...]
High-Speed USB Design on a Two-Layer PCB
In our previous article, "Experience Formulas in PCB Design" we introduced some practical formulas. Now, let’s dive into a real-world application by focusing on high-speed USB design on a [...]
PCB Power Layout
In electronic systems, the power supply is a critical module responsible for powering other functions. A well-designed PCB layout can optimize power efficiency, reduce heat dissipation issues, and minimize noise, [...]
Understanding Insertion Loss in High-Speed PCB Design
Can Signal Attenuation Occur Even in PCB Traces with Near-Zero Resistance? When designing high-speed PCBs, signal integrity is a key concern. Signal integrity refers to the ability of a [...]
Key PCB Design Rules
3W Rule To reduce crosstalk between traces, the spacing between them should be sufficiently large. When the center-to-center distance between traces is at least three times the trace width, approximately [...]