Transceiver Link Design Guidelines for High-Gbps Data Rate Transmission - Altera

Altera AppNote AN672 was recently updated. This app note is perfect for anyone who is on the high speed learning curve.

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How to 'Exclude' parts in HyperLynx | Mentor Graphics Communities

How to 'Exclude' parts in HyperLynx | Mentor Graphics Communities:

An unanswered question.

There are resistors in this design that can be fitted or not fitted to determine the signal paths. 

To accurately simulate this design Hyperlynx would need to analyze the signal path and stub lengths based on which parts are installed and not fitted.

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The question is how would you remove the stubs and paths from within Hyperlynx to simulate the design as though the parts were not fitted (removing the stub paths).

Comments welcome and appreciated !

Via fence - Thumb Rules

Thumb rules:

Stitching Vias for RF should be spaced at lamba/20, where lamba equals the wavelength of the highest frequency of interest.

For striplines, "a rule of thumb is to place the fences at least four times the trace to ground plane distance away from the line being guarded"

Source: Via fence - Wikipedia:

Great Scott Gadgets - Home

Great Scott Gadgets - Home:

RF Projects

Michael Ossmann: Simple RF Circuit Design

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TIP #025: Try to use as big gap / clearance between signals as possible - YouTube

Source: Robert Feranec

TIP #025: Try to use as big gap / clearance between signals as possible - YouTube:


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Thermal Solutions

Thermal Vias – A Packaging Engineer's Best Friend

Source: Electronics Cooling

Thermal Conductivity of Metals

Aluminum (w/m K) > 200
Copper  (w/m K) > 386

Carbon Steel is a poor thermal conductor, (w/m K)  ~ 30 to 50.

For heat sinks copper and aluminum are obvious choices due to their superior thermal properties and cost. 

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EnzoTech

CNB-S1L

• Multiple push pin locations for universal mounting on various board assembly (hole to hole distance: 53mm to 59mm)
• Formed of pure copper to enhance thermal conductivity.
• Excellent surface flatness minimizes the interface between heat source and heat sink.

EnzoTech SLF-30(mm)

Digi-Key

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TTM's Thermal Management Solutions

TTM offers a wide range of Thermal Management types to include Via Farms, Heatsinks/Pallets, Heatsink Coins, Embedded Coins, E-Coin, Press Fit Coin (PFC), Metal In-lay and Solder or Adhesive attach.

Source:  TTM's Thermal Management Solutions

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Decoupling Capacitors - Layout Guidelines

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Source: TI SPMA036B–September 2011–Revised February 2013
Source: Effective Power /Ground Plane Decoupling for PCB - Dr. Bruce ArchambeaultMore Decoupling:Decoupling - Henry Ott