PCB Design Blogs

Reflections happen on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) whenever signals encounter an impedance discontinuity, so maintaining constant impedance along all interconnects is always desirable. But it’s not always possible to achieve this. In order to ...

Often organizations do not grant administrative privileges to users on their systems. Performing administrative tasks by standard users can be of greater risk than benefit as this could lead to serious virus and malware infections and catastrophic da...

All components on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout will have a footprint. A footprint is where your component gets soldered on the PCB. These footprints need to be extremely accurate so that your PCB can be properly assembled at the time of manufacturing. Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator can create the most accurate and industry compliant footprints you could want. Usually, you might need to create your own custom...

In the process of developing a PCB design, a multitude of experts are involved in the verification of the design. These experts and various other stakeholders can be from your own company or from your manufacturer and they will be interested in parti...

In standard PCB designs, various masks and surface finishes require verification of proper clearances and coverage. The rigid-flex designs not only have the same mask and surface finish requirements but also have additional geometries, such as bend a...

You will agree if I say that the right use of color gets attention, enhances clarity, differentiates items, facilitates the identification of issues, and hence improves productivity. In PCB design, colors are particularly important for the reasons just mentioned, and colors very aptly have...

For every PCB designer, adding correct footprints to the PCB is important. Also, sometimes when you are creating a new project, your client demands a new component to be added to the design for which you do not have a footprint.

Installing new software seems like a daunting task for most of us. You may feel burdened with concerns like how to install and what options to choose, and so on. So, in this post, I will unload your worries and share some best practices to make the i...

You must be using find utility day in and day out, but if you are unfamiliar with Find by Query in Allegro Layout Editors, read on. Layout editors retained the original Find by Name when developing a new utility to do what Find by Name cou...

This post is in continuation of  Extending Allegro Layout Capabilities with SKILL , where I described how SKILL code can make things faster and more efficient even without having to code from scratch. In this post, we’ll see sample implementations...

Why do I need SKILL? The difference between generic departmental store clothing and premium custom tailoring is what the effective use of SKILL scripts can bring to your PCB Layout design world.  While our layout applications come loaded with power-packed features...

With the current scenario of COVID-19, you cannot do without rules. You have to soak vegetables in brine for ten minutes, wash milk in plastic packaging with soap, sanitize metals with an alcoholic solution (70% and above), and whatnot. Well, you get...

Crosstalk is the transfer of unwanted signals from an “aggressor” net to a “victim” and is one of the major classes of signal integrity (SI) problems that can exist in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs. Reducing crosstalk as...

Installation of software applications depends upon certain factors such as system configuration, the number of files getting installed, and network speed.  Installation time is influenced by a change in any of these elements and hence individual...

Do you want to quickly view a schematic, layout, or IC package without installing the complete OrCAD product suite? Get read-only access to design data created in OrCAD Capture, PCB Editor, Allegro Package Designer Plus? With 17.4-2019 HotFix...

First, teardrops and fillets are interchangeable words in PCB design, and both terms are used here in this post. Second, I’m going to go over fixed fillets from start to finish so you can avoid the problem when you are ready for Fab...

One idea that completely revolutionized the concept of PCB making is adding layers to it. These layers are everywhere and used for everything in a PCB – whether you have to mount the components, provide insulation while keeping the mounting pads accessible, provide power and ground to your PCB, or you need something to carry the signal traces.

The Library Creator 17.4-2019 HotFix 007 update is now available. This time, the entire Templates dialog has got a facelift that will make it easier to locate and select a template. A bunch of changes has been made to the Properties window. Another noticeable change is that we added a few buttons to the Configuration dialog that allow you to quickly add new rules. Keep reading to find out more about the changes....

In this blog, I’m going to share some great news for our Japanese readers. Let's find out what it is…

Return path issues are common and difficult to diagnose in complex printed circuit board designs. In the worst case, a signal could have no DC return path, and your circuit will be open at the lowest frequencies. In other cases, a poor return path ca...

High-speed via structures combine vias, connect lines (clines) or traces, static shapes without voids, and route keep-outs. High-speed via structures comprise of differential pairs with return path vias and route keep-outs for custom voiding.

The HotFix 007 (QIR 1, indicated as 2020 in the application splash screens) update for OrCAD and Allegro is now available at Cadence Downloads. This release includes many improved product features and new enhancements, mostly resulting from...

Design rule checks are essential to ensure the functionality, reliability, and manufacturing yield for a design. You run DRCs several times during the design cycle to validate the design. If I say auditing design rules is an intense and time-c...

Just as social distancing minimizes human contact to prevent the spread of disease, PCB spacing constraints minimize coupling between traces to prevent crosstalk problems for drivers and receivers. In cases where a safe distance cannot be maintained,...

Read how you can easily create accurate footprints from a vendor-provided STEP Model using Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator.