Latest Rigid-Flex Technical Articles

Why CAD Models are Failing Professional Electrical Engineers

In this article, Octopart's Director of Operations for Part Data Geof Lipman explores how traditional CAD modeling needs to change in order for electrical engineers to keep up with product design deadlines.

March 10, 2020 by Geof Lipman, Octopart

What Are Zero-Ohm Resistors and How Are They Used In Circuit Design?

In this F_EQ (Frequent Engineering Question), we'll take a look at the advantages of zero-ohm resistors and where they're most suitable in design.

March 06, 2020 by Robert Keim

A Comparison of Reflow Soldering and Wave Soldering

This article explores the differences between two primary forms of soldering — reflow and wave — by providing details around each type, including best uses for each method.

March 03, 2020 by Peter Swann, NeoDen

Advances in Temperature Measurement for Automotive Infotainment Systems

This article explores temperature monitoring in complex vehicle infotainment systems, focusing on design considerations around temperature accuracy and sensor placement in the car.

January 28, 2020 by Tristan Brillet de Cande

How Software Automation in PCBA Manufacturing Helps Quicken Innovation

Manufacturing still takes a large portion of time in the electrical engineering cycle. This article discusses how software-driven automation and the IIoT can help hasten the manufacturing process.

December 17, 2019 by Shashank Samala, Tempo Automation

Determining Copper Trace Thickness in PCB Design

This article discusses the issues surrounding trace-width calculation and provides a solid foundation for designing your next high-current net.

October 22, 2019 by Mark Hughes, Advanced Assembly

Via Configurations for Connecting Decoupling Capacitors

In this article, we’ll focus on the different via configurations that can be used to connect a decoupling capacitor to the PCB power and ground planes.

October 07, 2019 by Steve Arar

PCB Thermal Management Techniques

This article will discuss design practices that ensure better thermal management, including some common methods for removing excess heat from a PCB.

October 06, 2019 by Amos Kingatua

The Importance of Advanced ERC in Circuit Design

This article introduces and explores advanced ERC, highlighting its differences from traditional ERC and discussing how it can help create better circuit designs.

September 17, 2019 by Derong Yan, Mentor

Common PCB Stackups for a Four-Layer Board

This article looks at the common options for a four-layer board stackup.

September 04, 2019 by Steve Arar

Major Causes of High Temperatures on PCBs

This article discusses the major causes of high temperatures on PCBs that cause failure and damage to the board itself.

September 02, 2019 by Amos Kingatua

Special Topics in Schematic Capture

Learn about heterogeneous and homogenous buses, special IC packages, and more!

August 23, 2019 by Stephen Colley

Error Checking Schematics

This article presents tools and practices in reducing errors in your schematics.

August 22, 2019 by Stephen Colley

Mitigating Noise in Double-sided PCBs: Multipoint Grounding (Gridded Ground) in Two-layer PCB Design

Learn how to use the gridded ground technique to reduce noise in a double-sided PCB.

August 15, 2019 by Steve Arar

How a Ground Plane Reduces PCB Noise

How does a ground plane reduce noise in a PCB? Learn more in this technical article.

August 15, 2019 by Steve Arar

IC Design Resources Roundup: Mentor, Cadence, and Synopsys

The design of a modern IC is a truly monumental undertaking, and IC design tools make the job possible.

August 05, 2019 by Gary Elinoff

Understanding Schematics

If you're looking to get a better handle on how to read schematics, this helpful guide will give you a head start.

July 22, 2019 by Matthew Cook

Hardware Security Vulnerabilities that Engineers Should Know

Why should engineers care about hardware security? Because they can help prevent vulnerabilities through design!

July 12, 2019 by Mark Hughes

Tips and Techniques for DC-DC Buck Converter PCB Layout

Learn best layout practices for your DC-DC buck converter circuits.

July 03, 2019 by George Biner

Utilizing DC-DC Converters in Space-Critical Power System Applications

Power system designers are constantly under pressure because they are tasked with developing highly adaptive solutions that comply with today’s operating environments without interrupting design-to-manufacture cycles.

June 28, 2019 by MINMAX

What Does the Future Hold for SiC Semiconductors?

This article looks ahead to what needs to be next for SiC, where it might be applied, and how it could become the dominant force in power.

18 hours ago by Anup Bhalla, UnitedSiC

Wolfspeed 650V Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky Diode | New Product Brief

This New Product Brief (NPB) is part of a video series highlighting the features, applications, and technical specs of newly-released products.

19 hours ago by Wolfspeed

CCD Image Sensor Types: Full-Frame, Interline-Transfer, and Frame-Transfer CCDs

This article explains the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of three CCD (charge-coupled device) architectures.

one day ago by Robert Keim

Understanding Digital Oscilloscope Sample Rate and Analog Bandwidth Specs

In this article, we’ll examine two important specifications of a digital oscilloscope: analog bandwidth and sampling rate.

March 24, 2020 by Steve Arar

Prolonging the Battery Life of Wireless Security Cameras with Proper Power Management

This article explores how a power management voltage regulator’s efficiency and quiescent current play a critical role in wireless security camera battery life.

March 24, 2020 by Chinmay Honrao, Maxim Integrated

Understanding the Structure and Functionality of CCDs

This article will help you to understand what CCD sensors are and how they allow us to convert an optical scene into a digital image.

March 23, 2020 by Robert Keim

Introduction to Image Sensor Technology, from Photons to Electrons

This article, the first in a series, discusses light-sensitive electronic devices called photodiodes and compares CCD and CMOS sensors.

March 23, 2020 by Robert Keim

Resistors in Parallel: Circuit Analysis with Parallel Resistance

This article shows you how to calculate currents flowing through parallel resistance and explains the concept of equivalent resistance.

March 20, 2020 by Robert Keim

Introduction to Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology

Learn the basics of the ultra-wideband short-range wireless protocol, a technology that can be found in cutting-edge devices.

March 19, 2020 by Dr. Mustafa Bakr

Simulating SiC MOSFET Thermal and Switching Behavior in LTspice

In this article, we’ll set up a basic SiC switching circuit and perform some transient simulations.

March 17, 2020 by Robert Keim

How to Simulate Silicon Carbide Transistors with LTspice

This article reviews the silicon carbide scene and then explains how to get SiC SPICE models and incorporate them into a simulation circuit.

March 16, 2020 by Robert Keim

Resistors in Parallel: Understanding Current and Voltage in Parallel Networks

This article gives you the information you need to identify parallel resistors and understand their behavior in electric circuits.

March 12, 2020 by Robert Keim

What Is a Hardware Description Language (HDL)?

This F_EQ (or Frequent Engineering Question) covers the basics of a crucial topic: hardware description languages.

March 11, 2020 by Robert Keim

The Mapping Function and Circuit Implementation in Histogram Equalization

In this article, we'll look into greater details on a histogram equalization method, including use cases of the mapping function and circuit implementation.

March 10, 2020 by Steve Arar