Latest PCBs Technical Articles

Learn about the aging behavior of resistors and amplifiers using temperature calculations and the Arrhenius equation to…

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.

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

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

Switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) appear simple to route on your PCB, but are they? This article identifies two noise…

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.

Learn about how symmetry in signals can simplify the calculation of the Fourier coefficients when used to find the…

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.

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

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

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

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

Learn how to use single-ended amplifiers in low-side current sensing, including PCB layout tips and considerations, as…

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.

What's the difference between high-side and low-side resistive current sensing? This article explains the basics, as well…

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.

This article discusses how we can examine the oscillator circuit to make sure that it has sufficient “negative…

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

Learn how the load capacitance mismatch can “pull” the crystal to oscillate at a different frequency and how we can…

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

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

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

Summary

Summary

Smaller electronics call for more powerful inspection equipment. If you're building a collection of at-home lab…

Smaller electronics call for more powerful inspection equipment. If you're building a collection of at-home lab equipment, these visual tools may help you see where you're going on minuscule boards.

Learn how to reduce second harmonic distortion by following some guidelines for placing decoupling capacitors in your PCB layout.

Learn how to reduce second harmonic distortion by following some guidelines for placing decoupling capacitors in your PCB layout.

Need a low-distortion ADC interface? In this article, we'll discuss how to reduce 2nd harmonic distortion by using…

Need a low-distortion ADC interface? In this article, we'll discuss how to reduce 2nd harmonic distortion by using symmetric PCB layout.

In this article, we’ll discuss another group of thermal data, called thermal characterization parameters denoted by the…

In this article, we’ll discuss another group of thermal data, called thermal characterization parameters denoted by the Greek letter Psi (Ψ).

This article continues our discussion of design techniques that help us to improve the performance of transimpedance amplifiers.

This article continues our discussion of design techniques that help us to improve the performance of transimpedance amplifiers.

Learn about an important thermal metric for designing the interface between an IC package and a heat sink.

Learn about an important thermal metric for designing the interface between an IC package and a heat sink.

Junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (or θ_JA) should be measured under standardized testing conditions. Learn about…

Junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (or θ_JA) should be measured under standardized testing conditions. Learn about these details to use this thermal metric appropriately.