PC Board Grounding to Control Noise, EMI and Signal Integrity
Speaker
Rick Hartley
RHartley Enterprises
Skill Level
Intermediate
When time-varying (AC) signals travel in the transmission lines of a board, state-changing electric and magnetic fields are present. These fields, when not controlled, are the source of noise and EMI. In recent years ICs with very fast rise time outputs have made problems common, even in circuits clocked at low frequencies. Knowing all the basics of proper grounding will help contain and control fields, making noise and EMI issues virtually nonexistent. This 3.5-hour course will focus on the issues PCB designers and engineers need to know to prevent noise, EMI and grounding problems in today’s circuits. We will discuss what is meant by “grounding,” where energy travels in the board, location of high- and low-frequency currents, keys to controlling common mode EMI, cables and other unintended radiators, effects of IC style and packaging on overall grounding, impact of connector pin-out, best locations for IO connectors, divided planes and plane islands in the PCB, routing to control noise, best board stack-ups and filtering of single-ended and differential I/O lines.