Download the premier issue of The PCB Design Magazine now!

Our first issue focuses on high-speed design challenges, with feature articles and columns by design industry veterans from all over the PCB design community This month, veteran author and instructor Lee Ritchey presents a tutorial on proper PCB stackup. Longtime HDI technologist Happy Holden traces the advancements in speed and density that he’s seen in his many years as a judge on Mentor Graphics’ Technology Leadership Awards program. And John Levreault of Orvelle Technologies provides a case study that focuses on two super-small, super-dense boards that he designed.

Is the Cloud the limit? In our Articles Department, Iain Wilson of Iron Atom explains the ins and outs of their new Cloud-based pre-CAM tool. And don’t miss the star columnists who you’ve come to know and trust in PCBDesign007 and the Inside Design newsletter: Barry Olney, Istvan Novak, Doug Brooks, Bert Simonovich, Paul Reid, and Tom Hausherr. And please extend a warm welcome to our newest columnist, Jack Olson, who goes in depth into the principles and fundamentals of PCB design in his own unique way. If you know Jack, you know what we’re talking about!

We can’t make all of your design challenges go away. But in each issue of The PCB Design Magazine, we’ll offer you the information you need to make your job simpler, if not easier.

Routing and Placement Edition

Download the December 2012 issue of The PCB Design Magazine now! Our sophomore issue focuses on routing and placement strategies and challenges, with feature articles and columns by the design industry veterans you’ve come to know and trust through PCBDesign007 and the Inside Design Newsletter.

Placement and routing is only getting tougher as real estate shrinks and densities increase. And there are as many routing techniques as there are designers. Some PCB designers would rather cut off their left arm than use an autorouter.

This month, Barry Olney of In-Circuit Design Pty Ltd lays out his top techniques for interactive placement and routing, including using cross-probing between the schematic and PCB. And Noah Fenley of ACD discusses DFA tips and tricks for avoiding footprint errors, cumulative pin-pitch mistakes, and other miscues that might trigger a late-night call from your EMS provider.

Our December issue also features our top columnists Doug Brooks, Jack Olson, Tom Hausherr and Abby Monaco. And help us welcome our newest columnist, Amit Bahl of Sierra Circuits. If you design complex, HDI boards, Amit’s column Design for Manufacturing is a must-read. In Amit’s inaugural column, he explains why it’s so important for PCB designers to turn off their iPods, step away from their CAD systems, and go visit a fabricator. When was the last time you saw the inside of a board shop?

The staff of The PCB Design Magazine wishes you a happy holiday season, and a great 2013!

Do you run simulation on your PCB designs? Circuit boards have grown increasingly faster and more complex, yet simulation is still not standard procedure, even with high-technology designs.

This month, our veteran contributors discuss a variety of simulation techniques that can help you save time and avoid costly re-spins. Mike Steinberger of SiSoft lays out the case for implementing automated checking of high-speed boards, something that's already being performed by IC layout designers. Yuriy Shlepnev of Simberian details the best technique for measuring correlation to 50 GHz and beyond. Barry Olney of In-Circuit Design Pty. Ltd. takes on the role of medical examiner and explores various methods of postmortem simulation. And Dr. Raul Camposano and Steven McKinney of Nimbic detail the applications that are the most likely, and unlikely, to benefit from moving to the cloud.

EMI & EMC

Radiated emissions can cause a variety of problems on your PCB – even if you’re designing boards with "mature" technologies. In this issue, our columnists and contributors tackle the challenges of achieving EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility), and discuss some proven methods for minimizing EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) transmissions from the ground up.

HDI: It's a Small World Afterall!

Let’s get small! Board densities continue to increase, and features are shrinking every day. In the May issue of The PCB Design Magazine, our contributors and columnists discuss how ever-advancing HDI technology affects the job of the PCB designer. Joe Fjelstad of Verdant Electronics traces the evolution of HDI, and looks at the pros and cons of some cutting-edge interconnection types available today. Chris Ryder of AT&S explains why HDI PCBs require extra attention to detail and communication between designer and fabricator. And columnist Amit Bahl dispels the myth that HDI is a costly endeavor; he shows how HDI processes can be economical by reducing layer counts.

As always, catch up on the latest columns from Abby Monaco, Barry Olney, Jack Olson,and much more.

All this, industry news highlights, and upcoming events can be found in this month’s issue of The PCB Design Magazine.