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HDI PCB Design

High density interconnect (HDI) designs push the limits of trace, via, and layer density. These boards have high layer counts with very small traces and vias. HDI PCBs also require different fabrication and assembly processes than typical circuit boards that use larger features. Browse our library of resources to learn more about implementation of HDI PCB design.

Design Basics for HDI Designing with HDI HDI PCB Design Software How to Setup HDI PCB Design Advanced HDI Design

Get the Most From Your Power Supply Design Software Power supplies can be difficult to design and layout as they require attention to safety and efficiency. Everything from isolation to thermal management needs to be considered in these systems, and designers need to have a complete set of design features to create reliable power supplies. In addition, power supplies tend to have mechanical constraints imposed by the enclosure, and these need to be considered when creating a PCB layout for a power Read Article

IPC Classes and Complying with IPC Standards for PCB Design Whether you work in electronics design, manufacturing, or even defense, the alphabet soup of standards organizations is extensive and may seem daunting. The IPC standards are among the most widely accepted and important standards for PCB design and manufacturing. IPC standards will influence how a designer creates their board and how they will prepare it for production in different industries. These standards are meant to ensure performance and Read Article

Power Electronics for Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries in Altium Designer Power electronics encompasses a massive list of systems that make modern life possible. From automotive systems to power distribution systems, power electronics are responsible for controlling and managing the flow of power throughout an electrical system. With alternative energy systems bound to become more popular in the future, engineers and designers need the right PCB design software for power electronics systems.Design software for power Read Article

Changing PCB Reference Planes During Routing in Multilayer Boards Routing through multiple PCB reference planes is not the best routing strategy, but there are some simple design tips that can help. Vias with annular rings for reaching an interior PCB layer If you’re a new designer and you take a look at some boards in common electronic products, you may not even realize they are multilayer boards unless you know exactly where to look. The fact is that more complex devices simply do not allow every single trace Read Article

Instantly Check Every Copper Connection With Rules-Driven PCB Design Tools It’s easy to find errors in most simple PCBs. Simply scan through your critical nets and trace each copper connection from source to load. Today’s printed circuit boards are not so easy to inspect and validate by eye. Even relatively simple low-speed boards can have hundreds of components packed into a small space, and it’s easy to get lost in a complex PCB layout. Today’s modern designs demand modern design tools. Altium Designer users have Read Article

How to Prepare Your Project for PCB Cart Manufacturing with Altium Designer The electronics industry is massive and there are plenty of PCB manufacturers to choose from for your next order. When you need to prepare your next board for fabrication and assembly, how can you quickly generate deliverables for manufacturers like PCB Cart? Instead of generating all manufacturing documentation manually, designers need an easy way to create deliverables for fabrication and assembly.If you plan to work with PCB Cart to produce Read Article

Design Your Small Circuit Board in Altium Designer Large circuit boards, small circuit boards, and anything in between might seem like they need separate sets of PCB layout features. In reality, your PCB design software shouldn’t delineate your PCB design based on size. Whether you need to design a large or small circuit board, a design application with high-quality CAD tools will help you get the job done quickly and prepare your board for production. Small circuit board designs are much easier Read Article

Circuit CAD Software for PCB Design Altium Designer is the complete circuit CAD software for PCB design. Altium Designer unifies capabilities from CAD software to help you complete challenging designs. Read Article

Altium Designer’s Board Layout Software Handling the ever-growing complexities of today’s routing demands requires board layout software that can keep up. When yesterday’s tools are no longer getting the job done, get back on the road of productive design today with the most powerful PCB design layout software. When you need powerful board layout software, you need to easily complete the following tasks: Visually and easily manage your PCB copper pours Peace of mind PCB layout with Read Article

Why Altium Designer Will Give You Better Results Over OrCAD A free download of software and a fancy demo can make PCB design tools seem very attractive. You owe it to yourself to do your research before you purchase so that you get the design features you need for success. Altium Designer delivers on its promise of an easy-to-learn, professional set of PCB design tools. When you switch to Altium Designer, you’ll have the same set of design features you’ll find in OrCAD and much more. You can also Read Article

The Altium Autorouter: The Best Automated PCB Routing Tool Routing traces on your printed circuit board is that critical step during layout that creates the connectivity and functionality your board needs. It can also be time consuming if your design software doesn’t contain the right routing tools. Your PCB design software should include high precision routing tools that are designed to automate many portions of the routing process. Advanced PCBs require the best PCB autorouter, and your automated Read Article

Easily Create Your PCB Solder Mask in Altium Designer You’ve just finished the electrical layout of your board and now you are working through the final steps to prepare for PCB manufacturing and assembly. What steps do you need to take to get your board ready for production? Aside from generating deliverables like Gerber files, a bill of materials, drill files, silk screen, and PCB assembly instructions, you’ll need to define the solder mask on the surface layers of your PCB. This important Read Article

Comparison of PCB Materials for High Speed and HDI Boards Any PCB uses a variety of materials to create a layer stackup, etch copper, apply solder mask, and print silkscreen. Each dielectric material you use to create your multilayer PCB stackup has different material properties, such as dielectric constant and thermal conductivity. When you’re designing for specialized applications, a thorough comparison of PCB materials can help you select the right base material for use in your next circuit board Read Article

Power Delivery Analysis: Getting Started with PDN Analyzer If you’ve ever been involved in RF design, high-speed design, high current design, or all these areas combined, you know the importance of power integrity in your PCB. If power delivery in your next PCB design is a critical performance factor, you need simulation and analysis tools that are accessible alongside your standard PCB design features. Here’s how the PDN Analyzer feature in Altium Designer can help you diagnose and correct your power Read Article

Advanced High Density PCB Design in Altium Designer HDI PCB design and manufacturing pushes electronics and circuit boards to their limits. As electronics become faster and more capable, they require greater functionality in a smaller package. From smartphones to smartwatches and other IoT devices, HDI design is slowly becoming the norm rather than the exception. Keeping up with new technology and design techniques means that designers need to rethink how they layout components, as well as design Read Article

Design Basics for HDI and Planning for the HDI Manufacturing Process As the world of technology has evolved, so has the need to pack more capabilities into smaller packages. PCBs designed using high-density interconnect (HDI) techniques tend to be smaller as more components are packed in a smaller space. An HDI PCB uses blind, buried, and micro vias, vias in pads, and very thin traces to pack more components into a smaller area. We’ll show you the design basics for HDI and how Altium Designer^® can help you create Read Article

The Best PCB Design Software Features A PCB Trace Impedance Calculator PCB trace, pad, and via features are some of the most important in your circuit board and need to be carefully designed. The right cross-sectional PCB trace area and distance to the nearest reference plane will ensure your PCB trace impedance is consistent throughout your board. It can also help suppress temperature rise if your board will operate at a high current. Choosing the right trace dimensions in your printed circuit board represents a Read Article