PCB Design

What are Unintended Antennas? Unintended antennas refer to traces, planes, and other conductive elements in an electronics layout that can radiate electromagnetic emissions in an uncontrolled manner. These unplanned radiators act as parasitic antennas, converting conducted signals into unintended radiated emissions. This can lead to products failing regulatory emissions requirements or interfering with sensitive electronics….

Decoupling Capacitors: The Core Problem Decoupling capacitors act as local energy reservoirs that provide transient current to integrated circuits (ICs) when power demands fluctuate. However, all real-world capacitors have parasitic inductance and resistance associated with their packaging and connections to the printed circuit board (PCB). These unavoidable parasitics limit the high-frequency decoupling ability of capacitors,…

What are Plane Cuts and Split Planes? Plane cuts and split planes are strategically placed gaps inserted into the copper planes of a printed circuit board (PCB). They serve to divide areas of the planes to control current flow and electromagnetic interference (EMI). A plane cut is a thin gap cut into a single reference…

Visual Hierarchy Through Layout Strategic placement of components allows for a natural flow when reading the schematic. Related circuit sections should be grouped together into functional blocks, with space left between unrelated sections. This creates a visual hierarchy that guides the reader through the logic of the design. Strategic Component Placement for Natural Flow Components…