<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fFI33f4TejM" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
Ken Burns has published 7 hardware projects on Kickstarter. He explains how it works.
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://tinycircuits.com/">Ken's company TinyCircuits</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

Can You Make Money on Kickstarter HW Projects?

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2oA4X3OTz0M" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
Interesting experiments and examples to help you to understand ground layout in PCB. Explained by Hans Rosenberg
    </div>


    <div class="blog-content-chapters">
        <div>
            Chapters:
        </div>
        <ul class="chapters-list">
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:00</span><span class="chapters-text">What is this video about</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:19</span><span class="chapters-text">Currents flow under track</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">03:10</span><span class="chapters-text">What happen when you are making a board</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">08:37</span><span class="chapters-text">Where currents flow</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">14:01</span><span class="chapters-text">Experiment: Cut under track</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">19:51</span><span class="chapters-text">Floating copper fill</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">23:15</span><span class="chapters-text">Grounded copper fill</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">27:04</span><span class="chapters-text">Experiment: Filter</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">35:05</span><span class="chapters-text">2 Layer vs. 4 Layer</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">44:00</span><span class="chapters-text">3 rules to prevent ground problems</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">46:05</span><span class="chapters-text">Example: Ground plane</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">49:52</span><span class="chapters-text">Example: 1 VIA per GND pin</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">54:46</span><span class="chapters-text">Example: Gap in GND plane</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">1:02:00</span><span class="chapters-text">Example: FPGA board redesign</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">1:05:16</span><span class="chapters-text">Star grounding</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">1:07:39</span><span class="chapters-text">Multiple ground planes</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">1:14:30</span><span class="chapters-text">Example: Digital and Analog on one board</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">1:16:40</span><span class="chapters-text">About Hans</span></li>
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HansRosenberg74">Hans´ YouTube</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://www.hans-rosenberg.com/">Hans´ website</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

Examples of BAD Ground in PCB Layout And How to Fix It

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X-qubBLJDD8" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
What will happen if you don't have enough GND pins on your connector?
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://www.colorado.edu/faculty/bogatin/">About Eric</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

Do You Design Connector Pinout Correctly? | Eric Bogatin

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jpk-hfsFaqA" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        This video explains how to setup xSignals and do length matching in Fly-by & T-Branch DDR3 memory layout. It also shows how to setup xSignals with passive components (e.g. series termination resistors or AC coupling capacitors) + adds some comments on how xSignals calculates the length and what is useful about them.
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-chapters">
        <div>
            Chapters:
        </div>
        <ul class="chapters-list">
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:50</span><span class="chapters-text">Lenght Matching Rules</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">24:01</span><span class="chapters-text">How To Create the X Signal Class</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">33:18</span><span class="chapters-text">Design Rules</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">34:33</span><span class="chapters-text">Interactive Length Tuning</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">35:11</span><span class="chapters-text">Interactive Line Tuning</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">41:22</span><span class="chapters-text">Standard Length</span>
            </li>
        </ul>
    </div> 
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/open-rex/">Download OpenRex</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/">iMX6Rex Altium projects</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>   
</div>


Altium – How to use xSignals ( in Fly-By, T-Branch + Other useful things )

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="blog-content">
        I have received following questions on our <a href="http://www.fedevel.com/designhelp/">FEDEVEL forum</a>:<br>
        <i>What are typical track width you use for signal and for power ?<br>
        What are typical clearance you use for track ?<br>
        What are typical via size you use for normal via and for micro via ?</i><br><br>

        It’s not so simple to answer, so I decided to make a post about it. Here we go …. 
    </div>


    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">You may want to use two kind of PCBs</h2>
        <b>Track / Clearance</b><br>
        – Normally I start routing the digital signals with: 0.1mm / 0.1mm (4mil / 4mil) track width / clearance. When the layout is completely finished I decrease the track width to achieve 50OHM impedance (your PCB stackup has to be designed the way, that 50OHM tracks have 0.1mm width or less). This means, by the end of design I select all 0.1mm tracks (all the signals which should be routed by 50 OHM impedance) and I will make the tracks thinner e.g. I change the track with to 0.075mm / 3mil. This way, also clearance will increase a little bit.<br><br>

        <b>Power Tracks</b><br>
        – Initially I set a rule for all power tracks to be at least 0.11mm (in our designs we set a rule for all the signals starting with “+” and for the “GND”). This is to be sure, there are no power tracks with 0.1mm (4mil) width (if there were, these tracks would be made thinner by the end of the design, see the previous point, and we do not really want to do that). To create high current connections, calculate the minimum track width (e.g. use <a href="https://www.saturnpcb.com/pcb_toolkit.htm">Saturn PCB toolkit</a>) to determine the minimum required track width for the maximum current flowing through the track. For standard power connections (e.g. decoupling capacitors) I usually use 0.2 or 0.3mm track width or I use the same track width as the pad is.<br><br>

        <b>Power Polygons</b><br>
        – Don’t forget, even for polygons you need to calculate the maximum allowed current in the thinnest place of the polygon. For clearance between polygons we often use a bigger gap e.g. 0.2mm (8mil)<br><br>

        <b>Power VIAs</b><br>
        In some designs we use bigger VIAs for powers, but most of the time we use multiple standard VIAs (see below)<br><br>

        <b>Standard VIAs</b><br>
        – VIA and Buried VIA size / drill: 0.45mm / 0.2mm (18mil / 8mil)<br>
        – uVIA size / drill: 0.27mm / 0.1mm (11mil / 4mil)<br><br>

        <b>Important!</b> The parameters above depends on your PCB stackup. For example, to be able to use 0.1 drill for uVIAs, you may need to keep dielectricum thickness up to 0.1mm. If you like, you may want to have a loook at some of our stackups here: <a href="https://fedevel.com/blog/download-pcb-stackups-free-for-your-projects/">Download PCB Stackups – Free for your Projects</a>
    </div>

    
    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">PCB2 – The cost effective one</h2>
        <b>Track</b><br>
        – Track width and Clearance depends on PCB manufacturer. Usually, these cheap PCB manufacturers have limits for minimum track around 0.15mm (6mil), but you may want to route your board by 0.2mm (8mils). Once you decide on track width, you need to design your stackup the way, that your selected track width will be 50OHM (so you need to choose material with proper dielectricum Er and dielectricum thickness).<br><br>

        <b>Clearance</b><br>
        – You may want to keep your minimum clearance at least as wide is the minimum track width. If it’s not possible and you need to use smaller clearance, go down to 0.1mm (4mils), but only in the critical places. Don’t forget to double check with your PCB manufacturer if they will be able to manufacture it.<br><br>

        <b>Power Polygons</b><br>
        – The same as for PCB Type 1, don’t forget to calculate the maximum allowed current in the thinnest place of the polygon and you may want to use a bigger gap between polygons (e.g. set the minimum clearance between polygons to 0.2mm (8mils))<br><br>

        <b>Power VIAs</b><br>
        In some designs we use bigger VIAs for powers, but most of the time we use multiple standard VIAs (see below)<br><br>

        <b>Standard VIAs</b><br>
        – VIA size / drill: 0.45mm / 0.2mm (18mil / 8mil)<br><br>

        If you are still not sure, have a look at our open source projects. You can download complete Altium files of <a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/">iMX6 Rex module</a> (a design with uVIAs and Buried VIAs) or OpenRex (a design with through hole VIAs only). Then, just open the files and measure everything you need 🙂
    </div>


    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.fedevel.com/designhelp/">FEDEVEL forum</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://www.saturnpcb.com/pcb_toolkit.htm">Saturn PCB toolkit</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/blog/download-pcb-stackups-free-for-your-projects/">Download PCB Stackups – Free for your Projects</a></li>

            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/">iMX6 Rex module</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/open-rex/">OpenRex</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>

</div>

PCB Layout – Typical Track & VIA geometry

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/po0C5CqseVE" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        It takes just 15 hours to completely design your own customized <a href="https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/uno-rev3">Arduino</a>.<br><br>

        This is Lesson 7 of <a href="https://fedevel.com/courses/learn-to-design-your-own-boards">Learn to Design Your Own Boards</a> Online Course. The course is step-by-step video which shows the complete Schematic Design & PCB Layout of <a href="https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/uno-rev3">Arduino</a> like board.
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/uno-rev3">Arduino</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses/learn-to-design-your-own-boards">Learn to Design Your Own Boards</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>   
</div>


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Examples of BAD Ground in PCB Layout And How to Fix It

Do You Design Connector Pinout Correctly? | Eric Bogatin

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