Rick Hartley talks PCB design, offering guidance on critical factors like ground balance, managing high-frequency noise, effective placement of components, and best practices for working with fabricators. This in-depth discussion covers everything from common design mistakes, like improper back-drilling and copper thieving, to advanced techniques in signal integrity and heat management.
Rick also emphasizes the importance of collaboration with PCB fabricators to optimize design outcomes, particularly in high-speed, RF, and high-current applications. Perfect for designers seeking expert insights on creating manufacturable, high-performance circuit boards.
0:10 - How do you manage ground bounce in PCBs with fast-switching SMPS circuits?
1:19 - Can you provide a few layout techniques on ground plane design for switching regulators?
2:12 - How can we ensure uniform impedance when connecting fine-pitch components and wider traces?
3:00 - What is the maximum acceptable trace length with impedance mismatches when routing fine-pitch components?
3:35 - Which transmission line or waveguide type is the best choice to suppress noise in RF PCBs?
4:17 - When designing a PCB with an onboard or external antenna, what strategies do you follow to avoid coupling between the antenna and a heat sink?
4:55 - Does copper pour influence the transmission line impedance? Can you provide some best design practices for a copper pour?
5:38 - What are the impedance challenges you face when designing a PCB with an LCD, and how do you manage them?
6:56 - How do you design appropriate return paths in a PCB with multiple high-frequency oscillators and analog components for EMC?
7:26 - How can you reduce the parasitic inductance and capacitance of vias in high-speed boards?
8:03 - How can we terminate signals without forming unwanted stubs?
8:36 - What should be the optimum distance between termination resistors and transmitter/receiver to achieve uniform impedance?
9:04 - What are the best practices a fab house should follow when manufacturing EMC PCBs?
9:54 - Is back drilling a good option to remove unwanted via stubs? Are there any specific DFM rules for back drilling?
10:58 - What are the DFM rules for heavy-copper PCBs, and how do they differ from standard designs?
11:46 - Is copper thieving an effective method for achieving balanced copper distribution? What are the key DFM rules for incorporating copper thieving?
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THE PCB DESIGNER'S CORNER
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