PCB fixtures improve component measurements
Using PCBs as fixtures improves component characterization measurements over wires and connectors.
PCI Express 3.0 needs reliable timing design
Timing plays an essential role in determining the reliability of applications using PCI Express. With an understanding of the impact of the timing architecture on performance, developers can assure that systems will meet strict compliance requirements.
Substituting solid tantalum and tantalum polymer capacitors for surface-mount MLCCs
Examining key performance characteristics will help streamline the evaluation process of alternative capacitor technologies for the replacement of multilayer ceramic chip capacitors.
It’s a wire-wrapped board sabotage
An unexpected discovery leads one engineer to believe his project was sabotaged.
Solder-wick trick characterizes bypass caps
Verify capacitor performance with a simple “homemade” test fixture.
A lifetime designing PCBs: Changing roles
Stay or go, finding the best avenue to project and company contributions involves tough choices.
A lifetime designing PCBs: Improving autorouting & design software
These PCB CAD adventures feature punched-card autorouting and a widget ruler.
A lifetime designing PCBs: Merging design and fabrication
Have you ever wanted to take a sharp (or blunt) object to your CAD system?
A lifetime designing PCBs: From design to software
One foot in PCB design, the other in CAD software development. Something’s gotta give.
A lifetime designing PCBs: Switching to eCAD
Early PCB CAD systems prove to be an uphill battle, but things eventually work out.