Latest PCBs Technical Articles

Categories

From VHDL Code to Real Hardware: Designing an 8-bit ALU

In this project we create an 8-bit arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in the VHDL language and run it on an Altera CPLD development board connected to a custom PCB with input switches and LED display.

October 22, 2023 by Kristijan Nelkovski

Assessing Conductor and Dielectric Losses in Transmission Lines

Understanding the causes of attenuation in a transmission line can help us choose the right solutions for our application. In this article, we’ll learn about attenuation caused by conductor loss and dielectric loss.

September 15, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Introduction to Dielectric Loss in Transmission Lines

Understanding the effect of dielectrics on transmission lines is an important aspect of many high frequency system designs. This article will introduce concepts like relative permittivity and loss tangent and describe how they affect the performance of transmission lines.

September 03, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

The Skin Effect in Cylindrical and Rectangular Conductors: Eddy Currents and Current Crowding

The distribution of AC currents in real conductors with finite dimensions and circular or rectangular cross-sections is non-uniform. This article will discuss Faraday's law and how AC currents create eddy currents and current crowding in real conductors.

August 27, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

The Challenge of Integrating an Antenna Into Small IoT Devices

Designing antennas for compact IoT devices is a tricky task, but an increasingly important one. Learn more about this challenge and how to meet it.

August 18, 2023 by Nthatisi Hlapisi

Lossy Transmission Lines: Introduction to the Skin Effect

This article introduces high-frequency conductor losses in transmission lines caused by a phenomenon known as the skin effect.

July 19, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Introduction to Lossy Transmission Lines

This article will help you understand losses in high-frequency transmission lines that include traces on PCBs. We will also investigate how these losses impact signal propagation and the quality of digital signals.

July 12, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

PCB Material Properties and Their Impact on Performance of High Frequency Boards

Understanding PCB material parameters such as relative permittivity and loss tangent allows us to discuss some important considerations for choosing the right material when designing a high-speed/high-frequency application.

July 05, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

RF Design Basics—Introduction to Transmission Lines

Learn about voltage waves and how they relate to an important basic concept of radio frequency (RF) circuit design: transmission lines.

January 13, 2023 by Dr. Steve Arar

Electronic Component Aging—the Aging Effects of Resistors and Op-amps

Learn about the aging behavior of resistors and amplifiers using temperature calculations and the Arrhenius equation to understand resistor drift, resistor stability, and op-amp drift.

August 28, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

The Basics of Electrical Engineering Standards

Get a high-level introduction to how standards play into the EE world.

June 24, 2022 by John Woodgate

PCB Layout Challenges—Improve Your Switched-mode Power Supply Designs

Switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) appear simple to route on your PCB, but are they? This article identifies two noise sources and simple fixes to improve your EMC performance.

June 02, 2022 by Adrian Gibbons

The Effect of Symmetry on the Fourier Coefficients

Learn about how symmetry in signals can simplify the calculation of the Fourier coefficients when used to find the steady-state response of a circuit.

May 22, 2022 by Dr. Steve Arar

Intro to 5G NR

Learn the basics of 5G NR (New Radio), including its frequency bands, applications, and what technologies make it possible.

October 15, 2021 by Dale Wilson

Learn How Integrated Solutions Can Increase the Accuracy of Resistive Current Sensing

In this article, we’ll discuss why a discrete implementation cannot provide a high accuracy in resistive current sensing.

August 15, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Using Single-Ended Amplifiers in Low-Side Current Sensing: Error Sources and Layout Tips

Learn how to use single-ended amplifiers in low-side current sensing, including PCB layout tips and considerations, as well as a layout example based on an op-amp in the SOT23 package.

August 10, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Resistive Current Sensing: Low-Side vs. High-Side Sensing

What's the difference between high-side and low-side resistive current sensing? This article explains the basics, as well as when each is the more appropriate design choice.

August 01, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Examining the Negative Resistance of a Quartz Crystal Oscillator

This article discusses how we can examine the oscillator circuit to make sure that it has sufficient “negative resistance” or “oscillation allowance”.

June 18, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Assessing the Effect of Load Capacitance on the Frequency of a Quartz Crystal

Learn how the load capacitance mismatch can “pull” the crystal to oscillate at a different frequency and how we can circumvent this problem.

June 16, 2021 by Dr. Steve Arar

Four Lessons an Adult Engineer Can Learn From Children’s Toys

Children’s toys aren’t just for children. Inside every toy, there are hundreds of hours of engineering experience just waiting to be discovered.

March 24, 2021 by Mark Hughes