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The Anatomy of Your Schematic Netlist, Ports, and Net Names
Electronics schematics form the foundation of your design data, and the rest of your design documents will build off of your schematic. If you’ve ever worked through a design and made changes to the schematic, then you’re probably aware of the synchronization you need to maintain with the PCB layout. At the center of it all is an important set of data about your components: your schematic netlist. What’s important for designers is to know how the netlist defines connections between different components and schematics in a large project.
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How to Compare PCB Manufacturing Services for Your Board
There are plenty of PCB manufacturing services you can find online, and they can all start to blend together. If you’re searching for a new service provider, it can be hard to compare all of them and find the best manufacturer that meets your needs. While experienced designers can spot bogus manufacturers from afar, there is always a temptation to go with the lowest priced, supposedly fastest overseas company you can find. However, there is a lot more that should go into choosing a PCB manufacturing service than just price.
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Pi Filter Designs for Power Supplies
Pi Filters are a type of passive filter that gets its name from the arrangement of the three constituent components in the shape of the Greek letter Pi (π). Pi filters can be designed as either low pass or high pass filters, depending on the components used. The low-pass filter used for power supply filtering is formed from an inductor in series between the input and output with two capacitors, one across the input and the other across the output. Keep reading to learn more about their application in the PCB Design.
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How to Design a Hybrid PCB Stackup
The first question that should come up when selecting materials and planning a stackup is: what materials are needed and how many layers should be used? Assuming you’ve determined you need a low-loss laminate and you’ve determined your required layer count, it’s time to consider whether you should use a hybrid stackup. There are a few broad situations where you could consider using a hybrid stackup with low-loss laminates in your PCB
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Efficient Battery Power Supplies
Batteries offer a great power source for electrical devices that need to be mobile or located somewhere where connection to a mains electricity supply or other power source is impossible. The biggest problem with battery power is the expectation of users that the device will operate for significant periods with the need for recharging or replacing the batteries. This demand is placing the onus on the designer to improve efficiency and reduce power demand to meet this need.
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What Target Impedance Should You Use in Your PDN?
A number of us on this blog and in other publications often bring up the concept of target impedance when discussing power integrity in high-speed designs. Some designs will be simple enough that you can take a “set it and forget it” approach to design a functional prototype. For more advanced designs, or if you’re fine-tuning a new board that has existing power integrity problems, target impedance is a real consideration that should be considered in your design.
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An Overview of Dual Power Supply Design
Dual power supplies are circuits that generate two different output voltages from a single input source. The simplest method of generating dual output voltages is to use a transformer with two taps on the output winding. Bespoke transformers can have any voltage ratio depending on the number of windings in each part of the output side of the transformer.
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Overlapping Planes in Your Mixed-Signal PCB Layout
With digital boards that are nominally running at DC, splitting up a power plane or using multiple power planes is a necessity for routing large currents at standard core/logic levels to digital components. Once you start mixing analog and digital sections into your power layers with multiple nets, it can be difficult to implement clean power in a design if you’re not careful with your layout.
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ECAD MCAD Capabilities For Today’s Most Demanding Designs
Working between the Electronic and Mechanical design domains brings unique challenges. ECAD and MCAD tools have different design objectives and have evolved down different paths, and so have the way they store and manage their design and project data. To successfully design these products, the designers must fluidly pass design changes back and forth between the ECAD and MCAD domains beyond outdated file exchanges.
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Follow Mixed Signal PCB Design Guidelines With the Best CAD Tools
High-speed digital PCBs are challenging enough to design, but what about mixed-signal boards? Many modern systems contain elements that operate with both digital and analog signaling, and these systems must be designed to ensure signal integrity in both domains. Altium Designer has the layout and signal integrity tools you need to ensure your mixed-signal PCB design does not experience interference and obeys important design standards.
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Top 5 Hidden Challenges of Cable Harness Design in Electronic Products
Krishna Sundaram explores the hidden challenges of cable harness design, from routing complexity to mechanical constraints and manufacturability. Learn how to design a robust and efficient harness.
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Ultra HDI: It’s Not Just Buzzword
Ultra-HDI technology is transforming PCB design, enabling unprecedented miniaturization and performance. In this article, explore what sets Ultra-HDI apart from traditional HDI and how it’s shaping the future of electronics.
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Cloud PCB Design: 5 Cloud Security Myths Debunked
This article addresses common misconceptions about cloud security in PCB design. It explains how modern cloud platforms, such as Altium 365, often provide superior security compared to traditional on-premises solutions. Key features like advanced infrastructure, granular access controls, and compliance with stringent regulations ensure the protection of valuable design data.
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Renesas and Altium Announce Introduction of Renesas 365, Powered by Altium
Last week, Renesas Electronics and Altium proudly announced the introduction of Renesas 365, Powered by Altium—a first-of-its-kind industry solution designed to streamline electronic system development, from silicon selection to system lifecycle management. Renesas 365 will be demonstrated at Embedded World, Booth 5-371, from March 11-13 in Nuremberg, Germany.
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DFM/DFA Requirements in Systems Engineering
Learn how integrating DFM and DFA principles into systems engineering ensures manufacturable, cost-effective PCB designs by optimizing CAD, CAM, and requirements management in our new article by Javier Alcina.
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Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: Crosstalk Prevention for better EMI
Crosstalk control is essential for better EMI performance. Learn effective design techniques to reduce interference in the final installment of this series by Dario Fresu.
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Best Practices for Electronics Project Management - Part 2
Part 2 of this series covers essential project management techniques for electronics design teams. Rafał Stępień discusses effective data organization, revision control, and collaboration strategies to improve efficiency and minimize errors.
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Rigid-Flex PCBs: Understanding the Pros, Cons, and Fabrication Considerations
Read our new article which discusses the advantages of rigid-flex PCBs, such as space-saving designs and enhanced reliability, while also addressing potential challenges in their fabrication. It provides essential design and manufacturing tips to help engineers effectively implement this technology in various applications.
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The Role of Automation & Robotics in Wire Harness Assembly
Our new article highlights how automation and robotics are transforming wire harness assembly, improving efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. Technologies like robotic wire handling and AI-driven testing are paving the way for smarter production. However, challenges like custom designs and high costs still persist.
Blog
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Best Practices for Electronics Project Management - Part 1
Check out the first part of "Best Practices for Electronics Project Management" by Rafał Stępień. It offers valuable advice on enhancing team communication and documentation in hardware design projects.
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Wiring for the Final Frontier: A Guide to Space-Grade Harness Design
Wiring harnesses are mission-critical in space systems, requiring strict adherence to ECSS-Q-ST-70-61C and NASA-STD-8739.4A. In "Wiring for the Final Frontier: A Guide to Space-Grade Harness Design", Kamil Jasiński explores key design principles, material selection, and testing to ensure reliability in extreme environments.
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The Future of Wire Harnesses in the Electric Vehicle and Electronics Era
Discover how wire harnesses are evolving to meet the demands of electric vehicles and modern electronics. Our latest article explores key trends like higher voltages, lightweight designs, and smart harnesses, along with challenges such as cost and supply chain issues.
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Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design: Decoupling Strategies for PDN
Dario Fresu explores effective decoupling strategies for power distribution networks (PDNs) to minimize EMI in PCB designs. The article covers techniques like decoupling capacitors and power planes to ensure stable power delivery for integrated circuits.
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Building Your Own Android Device with a Raspberry Pi
Learn how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a custom Android device. This guide covers hardware selection, software setup, and troubleshooting common issues.
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How PCB Design Engineers Can Securely Share Design Files with External Teams
Learn how PCB design engineers can securely share design files with team members, clients, and manufacturers. Marek Orzeł explores best practices and tools to protect your intellectual property while ensuring efficient collaboration.
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OEMs and Harness Manufacturers: Building Strong Collaboration for Success
Strong partnerships between OEMs and harness manufacturers are key to efficient, high-quality product development. In this article, Krishna Sundaram shows how collaboration, clear communication, and the right design tools can streamline the harness manufacturing process and drive success.
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