Does a Differential Pair Need a Return Plane?

A differential pair is any two transmission lines. When each transmission line has a return plane, its pretty clear how the differential impedance is related to the geometry. But what if there is no... [more]

The Mystery of Bypass Capacitors

How do you design a high-speed digital circuit with enough bypass caps in the right area to supply all the peak power demands? You can’t listen to all the expert advice because it seems they can’t... [more]

How to Fight Magnetic Noise Gremlins

Have you ever had a noise-sensitive circuit and tried to find the noise source? Even after you completely encased sensitive portions in all sorts of shielding, you still had noise? It’s very... [more]

PCB Design Techniques to Improve ESD Robustness

Raise the shields, Scotty! Starting with some simple definitions for ESD/EOS, this session describes the important differences in the energy involved and the type of damage that can result. The... [more]