Causes of Signal Degradation in PCB Transmission Lines

Signal degradation on PCB transmission lines manifests in many forms: undershoot, overshoot, ringing, pulse shape distortion, switching noise, attenuation, ground bounce, skew, etc. All these can be... [more]

The New SEMI SMT-ELS Standards Suite for SMT and PCBA Lines

With an estimated 80,000 SMTP lines in use standards are a lifeline for line operators and equipment and software developers worldwide. SEMI is developing a suite of standards for SMT and PCBA... [more]

The Case for Split Ground Planes

Some experts say you should never use a split ground plane. Others say you should use a split ground plane to control noise. When is the right time to split a ground plane? We will explore the... [more]

Reverse Engineering PCBs: How to Recreate a Lost Design

Maintaining a product is very difficult when: The source files aren’t available Only Gerber files and maintenance documents are available Making a revision to a company-owned product with no... [more]