Freedom CAD’s Expert PCB Design Tips, Part 1

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When you’re designing complex PCBs, knowledge truly is power. The more PCB design tips, tricks, and techniques you know, the better your cutting-edge designs will be. With that in mind, we’re bringing you a series of PCB design tips, courtesy of Freedom CAD Services.

Design Tip #1
Don’t make high-current traces too thin.

When a PCB trace carries more than the standard multi-hundred milliamps, it must have enough copper weight to handle the increased temperature. Use a trace width calculator to determine the proper value for your board.

Want to know more? Check out the entire library of I-Connect007 micro eBooks. Scott Miller, chief operations officer of Freedom CAD Services, is the author of the eBook The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Executing Complex PCBs. This book provides a set of guidelines for designing the most complex, high-speed PCBs right the first time, every time. This book is a must-read for anyone designing today's sophisticated printed circuit boards.

07/07/2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial Team

We asked for you to send in your questions for Happy Holden, and you took us up on it! The questions you've posed run the gamut, covering technology, the worldwide fab market, and everything in between. Enjoy.

07/01/2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial Team

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 3 of "The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to... Thermal Management With Insulated Metal Substrates," written by Ventec International Group’s Didier Mauve and Ian Mayoh. In this free eBook, the authors provide PCB designers with the essential information required to understand the thermal, electrical, and mechanical characteristics of insulated metal substrate laminates.

06/16/2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial Team

The following is an excerpt from the second half of Chapter 1 of "The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to... Thermal Management With Insulated Metal Substrates," written by Ventec International Group’s Didier Mauve and Ian Mayoh. In this free eBook, the authors provide PCB designers with the essential information required to understand the thermal, electrical, and mechanical characteristics of insulated metal substrate laminates.