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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.
On-Demand Webinar
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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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Get Ready for WiFi 7 under the 802.11be Standard
Just as WiFi 6 and 6E are starting to hit the market and new chipsets become available, WiFi 7 is in the works under the 802.11be standard. While this technology still has not hit the market, I would expect more inquiries for experimental systems, evaluation modules, and surface-mountable modules to come up once the first chipsets become available. Now is the time to start thinking about these systems, especially if you’re developing evaluation products to support WiFi 7.
Blog
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What Goes Into Rugged Electronics Design?
Rugged electronics need to take a punch mechanically, but there is more that goes into a rugged system than being able to survive a drop on the pavement. This is as much about enclosure design as it is about component selection and manufacturing choices. Mil-aero designers often use the term “harsh environment” to describe a number of scenarios where an electronic device’s reliability and lifetime will be put to the test. If you want to make your next product truly rugged, it helps to adopt some of their strategies in your PCB layout.
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PCB Testing 101: Important Methods and Metrics
There are many quality checks used to ensure a design will be manufacturable at scale and with high quality, but a lot of this can happen in the background without the designer realizing. No matter what level of testing and inspection you need to perform, it’s important to determine the basic test requirements your design must satisfy and communicate these to your manufacturer. If it’s your first time transitioning from prototyping to high-volume production, read our list of PCB testing requirements so that you’ll know what to expect.
On-Demand Webinar
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Getting Started with Design Rules and Constraints
Getting started with design rules can sometimes be a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. Altium Designer has added a new design rules user interface along with a new way to define rules, while not compromising past methods. Now, rules and constraints have a design-centric view rather than a rules-centric view which allows for easier visualization and is less prone to error. Watch this video to learn how you can best utilize the improved Rules 2.0 design rule interface.
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Using SDRAM vs. DDR RAM in Your PCB Design
Embedded computers, vision devices, DAQ modules, and much more will all need some memory, whether it’s a Flash chip or a RAM module. Normally, something like a Flash memory chip or a small eMMC module would not be used for temporary storage as the device requires constant rewrites. Instead, if you happen to need a volatile memory solution, you would go for static (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM). If you need to decide which type of memory to use in your board, keep reading to see some of the basic design guidelines for SDRAM vs. DDR memory modules.
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The Crucial Balance: Cost, Quality, and Availability In Electronic Component Selection
Balancing cost, quality, and availability is key when selecting electronic components. This article explores how to make informed choices that meet design goals while managing supply chain and sourcing challenges.
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Wire Harness Failures: The Hidden Costs and Real-World Recalls That Could Have Been Prevented
Wire harness failures can lead to significant financial losses, production delays, and safety hazards. This article delves into real-world examples of such failures across industries and illustrates how modern CAD tools can help prevent these costly issues.
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Part Selection Fundamentals: Creating Resilient Component Requirements
Learn how to ensure electronic components meet the demands of harsh environments. This article explores key standards, testing protocols, and design considerations for building resilient systems that perform reliably under extreme conditions.
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Printed Electronics: The Future of Flexible and Cost-Effective Circuit Design
This article explores the rise of printed electronics as a lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective alternative to traditional PCB design. It highlights key benefits like reduced manufacturing costs, sustainability, and new design possibilities—especially in wearables, medical devices, and automotive applications.
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How to Choose the Best Requirements Management Tool for Electronics Development
Many electronics teams still rely on documents and spreadsheets for requirements management—leading to gaps, errors, and delays. Alexsander Tamari explores better tools to improve traceability, collaboration, and project outcomes.
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New Routing Possibilities with Ultra HDI
Explore how Ultra HDI technology is redefining PCB design. This article breaks down the benefits and manufacturing considerations of Ultra HDI, and how it enables next-level routing density and miniaturization in advanced electronics.
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3D-MID in Focus: Principles, Processes, and Practical Use
This article introduces 3D-MID (Mechatronic Integrated Devices), a technology that integrates circuitry into 3D plastic structures to reduce size, weight, and complexity. It explains the production process, use cases, and benefits of 3D-MID in sectors like automotive, medical, and consumer electronics.
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Eliminate EMI and Signal Integrity Issues in Multi-Board PCB Designs
Ensure signal integrity and minimize EMI in complex electronics. Our new article explains how to address electromagnetic interference and signal integrity challenges in multi-board PCB designs, offering practical strategies and layout considerations for reliable system performance.
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How to Overcome Power Distribution and Connector Misalignment Challenges in Multi-Board PCB Systems
Connector misalignment can compromise the reliability of power delivery in multi-board systems. This article explores the causes, effects, and prevention strategies for connector misalignment in power distribution, helping you design more robust multi-board PCB systems.
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Mastering Component Templates in Altium Designer 25
Our new article by Dario Fresu explains how Component Templates in Altium Designer 25 Pro improve design consistency, reduce errors, and streamline collaboration. It highlights practical benefits like standardized naming, faster component creation, and scalability across projects. Includes examples of using templates with Altium 365™ to simplify complex component setup.
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Wire Harness Design Guide for Development and Manufacturing
Designing a wire harness goes far beyond just connecting components—it’s about ensuring manufacturability, reliability, and compliance. This article walks you through the entire process, from initial design to production, helping you streamline development and avoid common pitfalls.
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Preparing for Medical Device Cybersecurity Assessments
Explore the key considerations and best practices for conducting cybersecurity assessments in medical device development. This article outlines how to identify potential threats, evaluate risks, and ensure compliance with evolving industry standards.
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Harness Complexity, Design with Simplicity
Harness Design in Altium Designer simplifies managing PCB interconnections, ensuring reliable performance and streamlined manufacturing. With logical connectivity tools, harness layout drawing, and manufacturing-ready documentation, it keeps your designs efficient and organized—all within a unified design environment. Perfect for automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.
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Getting Started with NVMe and the Raspberry Pi 5
Our new article guides you through enhancing your Raspberry Pi 5's performance by setting up NVMe SSD storage using an expansion HAT. It covers the benefits over traditional MicroSD cards, including improved speed and reliability, and provides step-by-step instructions for installation and configuration.
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Why Human Error Is Electronics Design Cybersecurity's Biggest Weakness
Human error is a leading cause of cybersecurity breaches—even in electrical engineering. Our article explores how everyday design and collaboration habits can create vulnerabilities, and what engineers can do to build safer, more secure workflows.
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From Concept to Production: A Modern Approach to Wire Harness Engineering
Discover how modern wire harness engineering is evolving to meet the growing complexity of electrified systems. This whitepaper explores best practices, intelligent automation, and ECAD-MCAD collaboration to improve efficiency and reduce errors. Download now to stay ahead in an increasingly connected world.
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