<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="blog-content">
        Visual version of the FEDEVEL Directory Template.<br>
        This directory template helps you organize your documentation. It also helps engineers to generate high standards and consistent outputs. <a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/FEDEVEL-Directory-Template-UPDATED-14-OCT-2013.zip">Download latest template here</a> and <a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/FEDEVEL-Academy-Directory-Template.pdf" target="_blank" >PDF Directory Template document here</a>.<br><br>

        Thank you to Guillermo for the idea of creating this visual diagram of the directory structure.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/ac85d-fedevel-directory-template-main.jpg" alt="FEDEVEL Directory Template - Main" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/09c34-fedevel-directory-template-design-files.jpg" alt="FEDEVEL Directory Template - Design Files" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/8e1c4-fedevel-directory-template-released-files.jpg" alt="FEDEVEL Directory Template - Released Files" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/c7d93-fedevel-directory-template-work.jpg" alt="FEDEVEL Directory Template - Work" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/FEDEVEL-Directory-Template-UPDATED-14-OCT-2013.zip">Download latest template here</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/FEDEVEL-Academy-Directory-Template.pdf" target="_blank" >PDF Directory Template document here</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
</div>

Hardware Design Directory Template

<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/LPeCKuz7tFs" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        This is a real video, from bringing up <a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/">iMX6 Rex</a> board to Life.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 1: Visual inspection</h2>
        What to look for:
        <ul class="content-list">
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">if all the the components for your VARIANT are correctly fitted,</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">if all the pin 1 are placed correctly,</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">if there are no visible short circuits between pads,</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">if pads are soldered with a good quality (QFN pads, connectors with a small pitch… )</span></li>
        </ul><br>

        <i>Tip: Print out Assembly drawing with all the components and testpoints</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 2: Measure impedance on power rails</h2>
        Go through all the power rails and measure impedance between 0R and a power rail. There must not be 0 OHM – that would be a short circuit.<br><br>

        <i>Tip: Some power rails may have very low impedance e.g. CPU core voltage, memories, …. 20OHMs, 40OHMs, 90OHMs … don’t be surprised.</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 3: Connect power supply for the very first time</h2>
        <ul class="content-list">
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">double check voltage output from your power supply (output level +5V, +12V, +24V, ….)</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">set your power supply current limit (always use power supply with limiting current e.g. 1A, 1.5A, …)</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">double check, if you have connected your board correctly (polarity + / -)</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">cover the board (in case something blow up e.g. if a capacitor is soldered the wrong way, it may very easily happen)</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">switch on the power</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">watch the maximum current, watch if current is changing or is stable (e.g. if it goes rappidly up, something may be wrong)</span></li>
            <li class="content-list-item"><span class="content-text">check component temperature with your finger (touch first all the integrated circuits, but try also passive components e.g. resistors, inductors and beads). Nothing should get very hot – if CPU goes very hot, use heatsink.</span></li>
        </ul><br>

        <i>Tip: Print out Assembly drawing with all the components and testpoints</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 4: Measure all the on board voltages</h2>
        In this step check all the power rails.<br><br>

        <i>Tip: Many times, you set output voltage through a resistor divider, so it’s very important you know you didnt make any mistake in calculation and all to powers are in tollerance.</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 5: Measure crystals and oscillators</h2>
        It’s very important you check all the crystals & oscillators. It may really happen, that some of the crystals may not start and board will not boot up.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 6: Upload firmware</h2>
        We used Freescale MfgTool. If everything is working ok, after you connect your i.MX6 board to your PC (via USB), you will see a new USB device: HID-compliant device (USB input). Press “Start” to upload firmware into your board (you may want to check, what profile is used and what firmware will be uploaded). Watch the information about board current consumption. If everything goes ok, once the board starts booting, you will see the current fluctuation.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 7: Check Serial TX signal</h2>
        Many times happen, that the RS232 cable that you use to connect your board with your PC is wrong (e.g. doesnt cross RX / TX signals correctly). It’s very good practise to measure TX activity directly on your CPU output. Connect an oscilloscope and when boards is booting, you will see some activity on the signal.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 8: Connect Console</h2>
        This is the moment of the truth. If everything is ok, you will see console output co<br><br>

        <i>Tip: Very often, the default console settings are Baud rate: 115200 / Data: 8b / Parity: None / Stop: 1b / Flow control: None</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Tip: Mark each board with a sticker and a number</h2>
        Use a sticker and write down board number, so you can easily identify the boards. Keep making notes about each board in a document or on a paper (e.g. if you see something unusual about the board – write it down, something doesn’t work – write it down, …).<br>
        Note: Some boards will come with a serial number sticker from production, so you don’t have to do this step.<br><br>

        For the very first testing, use the board which looks the best e.g. best soldered and everything looks ok.
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.imx6rex.com/">iMX6 Rex</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

8 Steps to Bring up your Board to Life

<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/FtWm8Mm6ZPY" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        This video shows complete layout process of a module based on iMX6 Freescale CPU.
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-chapters">
        <div>
            Chapters:
        </div>
        <ul class="chapters-list">
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:08</span><span class="chapters-text">Memory fanouts</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:11</span><span class="chapters-text">Processor fanouts, component placement under CPU</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:16</span><span class="chapters-text">Two data banks of DDR3 are routed</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:25</span><span class="chapters-text">Clocks, Command & Control signals of DDR3 are routed</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:29</span><span class="chapters-text">Other two data banks of DDR3 are routed</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:34</span><span class="chapters-text">CPU fanout, Ethernet fanout</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:39</span><span class="chapters-text">HDMI routing</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:41</span><span class="chapters-text">Connecting Ethernet and the top connector (UART, SD, USB, …)</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">00:54</span><span class="chapters-text">Connecting the bottom connector (LVDS, PCIE, SATA, …)</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">01:10</span><span class="chapters-text">Length matching</span>
            </li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item">
                <span class="chapters-time">01:25</span><span class="chapters-text">Creating Power planes</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/">iMX6 Rex - Download this PCB layout files in Altium Designer</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div> 
</div>

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