Questions tagged [routing]
Questions about the routing of printed circuit boards (PCBs) which involves the placement of tracks on the board. It may be performed manually, but many PCB CAD programs provide an autorouter to assist in the process.
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What is the best way to use 0 ohm resistors for a large number of signals?
I'm fairly new to PCB design, so maybe I start with a basic 0 ohm resistor like this:
I have both output pins (SLEEP & RESET) on the DAC chip. I want to have two options on my PCB, one with 3-pin ...
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Checking PCB Layout, Routing Tips and Improvements?
I've made some significant revisions to my old PCB design and wanted some advice on routing! This time I've tried to properly space the large current/voltage traces, kept traces short where possible, ...
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PCB design for Renesas' DA7212 audio codec
I'm designing my very first PCB. I managed to route all my components and I'm stuck at the last footprint - DA7212 from Renesas:
Those balls are both incredibly tiny and packed dense. I'd need a ...
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PCB layout, any improvements to make on the routing?
I have designed the PCB below and would like some advice on good practice for my PCB routing / board schematic. Are there any design considerations that I should be paying attention to for the design?
...
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Altium PCB Layout Track Issue
My question is about the weird track figure in the Altium Layout. I attached a screenshot of this issue in the following. Can you help me, how to fix or remove this mark from Altium PCB page?
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Importance of copper balance when dealing with small components (0402, 0201)
I usually work with big components (0805, 0603.) Now I'm trying to make a board that would use much smaller packages such as 0402 and 0201.
I know that balancing copper is relatively important to ...
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What are the most effective techniques for reducing the negative effects on differential pairs routed on top of two different ground planes?
I have an FMC Card with analog circuitry containing channels. I've separated the ground for these analog channels into two distinct planes: AGND and PGND.
PGND serves as the ground for the power ...
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Can I place vias under components if they're not on the pads?
There are several posts on this site (and elsewhere) discussing why, in general, vias on pads need to be avoided.
Understood. Can I place vias under components if they're not under the pad?
If so: Is ...
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Routing High Current Trace to 0.5mm Pitch QFN IC
I'm designing a PCB which uses TI's DRV8411ARTER 4 Half Bridge motor driver. However, I've run into a routing issue which I'm not sure what the best plan of action is.
The driver will be outputting ...
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OctoSPI HyperRAM PCB Routing
I am attempting to route a HyperRAM BGA chip with a HyperBus OctoSPI interface to an STM32 MCU. This is on a 2 layer board. After much consideration, I have determined that the best placement of the ...
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Have I designed and routed my USB-C port correctly because when I connect my 3D printer I measure voltage on vcc
I have designed my usb-c connection as in the attached pictures, however whenever I connect my Ender-3 to it I measure between 1-2V on different parts of the circuit including the data pins on the ...
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Weird pinout of USB ESD protection
The USB ESD protection component USBLC6-2SC6 seems to be very popular (?). However, its pinout seems not ideal:
The USB differential pair should be routed close to each other, but the pinout of ...
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Current Routing to Many Connectors
I have a board that is meant for power distribution. It takes in +24V through a 6x2 Wire-to-Board connector rated for 23A per contact and routes it to 22 other 2x2 SMD Wire-to-Board connectors which ...
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Why does Backside Power Distribution work for high speed CPUs?
Several upcoming or future CMOS process nodes are said to offer some kind of backside power delivery for Silicon CMOS transistors, so the precious area in the lower metal layers is freed up for signal ...
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Direct Ethernet link between Raspberry CM4 and Jetson Orin Nano
I need to have high speed communication between Raspberry CM4 and Jetson Orin Nano modules on the same PCB.
My question is: can I route them through Ethernet directly without the need for an isolator ...
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Routing on stripboard/prototyping PCB
I'm regularly tasked with doing "quick and dirty" prototypes on stripboard and other prototyping PCBs (holes only, patterns like the solder-less breadboards, etc.).
Those are usually very ...
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Net GND's unconnected alert remains off in Altium
I have my Altium Designer project where I have a net called GND. That's the ground. While routing, I can see these little white lines that alert me about which pad I need to connect to each other, and ...
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Is it a bad practice to route to a pad from its corner?
I am new to PCB design, I wonder if there are any bad effects by routing it through the corner of a pad. (Top right)
Any input is appreciated.
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10/100 Ethernet Routing Review
I know it is a big favor to ask, but this is my first ethernet design, so could you provide input on the routing from connector to mag and from mag to PHY? Is it fine or how can I improve it?
Really ...
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Electrical service discharge path through body
If someone were to accidentally make contact with live service conductors, while touching another person, would I get shocked or would the current travel through me and into the other party without my ...
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What means the jumper field in a footprint pad properties in Altium?
I have copied a footprint to a new .PcbLib file. After doing that the field called "jumper" in the properties window for each pad has been set to 0 (for two pads) and to 1 (in six pads). I ...
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Having a keep-out area around a crystal - benefits?
I was reading the hardware design manual of the WF200 WiFi processor.
On one page they say:
If possible, use an isolating ground metal between the crystal and VDD traces to avoid any detuning effects ...
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Is it right to route AC L/N on different layers on a PCB?
I'm working on a PCB for a trailing-edge dimmer. Is it OK to route the AC live and neutral in opposite layers?
In the image, you can't see the AC neutral (blue), behind the AC_L, but it is there.
This ...
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How does a phone detect charge on its USB port if there is already 5 V on it?
I am trying to design a device that charges a battery through a USB port and can communicate through it and give power through the same port. I didn't find any solution on how to detect when it is ...
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Split plane under FTDI pads USB 2.0
I want to ask you if its a critical issue
Differential signals from usb 2.0 (DP,DN _ 90ohm) routed to FTDI device FT4232HL
the pads of FTDI IC(1.58mm) goes under a split plane (the marker signals are ...
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Power Supply and Routing Query
I'm using this USB2514B USB Hub device.
I have a couple of questions regarding the power supply decoupling and routing.
Regarding the decoupling capacitors close to the power supply pins: I have ...
user220456
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Suggestions for breadboard routing of hard switch full-bridge circuit
I need to do some test on a hard switch full-bridge PWM circuit, but I don't have any experience on how to route it.
I'm worried that the terrible routing may influence the normal signal, such as the ...
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Isolation distance between tracks with focus on ESD
I am working on a product which has to meet:
8kV IEC 61000-4-2 contact discharge
4kV IEC 61000-4-4 transients
1.2kV/500Ohm IEC 61000-4-5 Surges
The schematic:
simulate this circuit – ...
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Move FPGA SOM to opposite side of 4-layer PCB
Recently I have started working on a project where want to use a (Zynq Ulteascale+ FPGA) SoM.
The device is equipped with fine-pitch mezzanine connectors, over which I want to use the USB3, Ethernet ...
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Buck converter feedback pin routing
I have a question regarding the connection/ routing of the feedback (FB) pin in the buck converters. Consider the following placement example from the AP64501 DS:
In case of a 2 layer board this is ...
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What is the best way to route a two-layer MCU based PCB?
Considering we're designing a two-layer PCB with a 100-pin MCU, what's the best way to routing? As you can see in the image, many pins of this MCU are used (almost all.)
When designing a two-layer ...
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KiCad unconnected while connected by footprint?
I have a footprint which provides VDD in two places on the board.
Specifically, it's a CR2032 battery retainer:
I then bring that VDD to the top with vias and I have a big pouring of that VDD.
...
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Minimum trace distance when using a via fence in a waveguide
I am trying to route several high speed JESD204B signals (up to 12GHz) to a connector and there is very small area for them. The manufacturer design note (p.113) recommends to route those signals on ...
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Altium Error: "Multiple Path found from location: (XXmm, YYmm) when defining board shape"
I have a small PCB created in Altium. It has flex and rigid parts.
My problem is when I try to change the board shape ("Design-> Board Shape-> Define board shape from selected objects")...
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Altium: routing at 30, 120, 210 and 300 degrees
On my board, I need to route a certain area with standard 45° and 90° angles and another area with 30° and 120° angles.
How can I achieve this? (Any angle mode is not satisfying.)
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Backfeeding boost converter
I'm designing a circuit that can be powered by either USB or a single NiMH cell. The NiMH will be boosted to 3.3V, and then an LDO will reduce both that and the USB 5V to 3.1V. I've attached a quick ...
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Connecting pads with the same functionality belonging to one chip
I have a question about routing style of pads with the same functionality belonging to one chip. I draw a picture in Paint (fictional IC; let it be the SOIC8 footprint). GND is only as example (it can ...
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Pad power does not correlate with each other in altium
I'm working on a project in Altium. When I want to route the PCB, I have a problem that the ground pad are not showing the lines in order to connect it. Also pad +3V have the same problem.
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eMMC data lines swapping
I'm routing an eMMC 5.1 device to a iMX6 microprocessor. When routing the DDR RAM, I've swapped several data lines to ease routing, following widely available documentation on the subject.
There isn't ...
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Splitting and rejoining a trace to reduce resistance
I'm teaching an embedded systems class and a question came up I've never considered. We were discussing the idea of "necking down" a trace to get through a tight spot and someone asked if ...
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When and why is it important to route with polygons vs. traces?
I'm (still) a relative beginner in PCB layout. I'm trying to understand in what scenarios it's important to route with polygon areas instead of traces, and in those scenarios, just how important it ...
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Assistance routing a footprint
I'm attempting to learn PCB design. Mostly super basic stuff to replace the rats nest of wires between my Arduino modules.
Anyway I'm using the following component in a project and can't quite figure ...
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Is it perilous to route symmetrical circuits on different layers or with different trace lengths?
Given a common PCB size of 100mm x 100mm, sub-RF frequencies (<20 kHz) and non-sensitive signals (as opposed to as measurement H-bridge) is there a real problem in routing traces of a symmetrical ...
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Is there a maximum differential skew in Ethernet communication?
I am working on a device that runs 100 Base-T.
When routing the differential pairs I was wondering if there is a maximum differential skew specified somewhere and if so, what is it? Is there a formula,...
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Reference plane in small PCB
I have a small PCB, 6mm by 16mm with 6 layers. There are LVDS SPI signals (4 pairs) on this PCB, but due to the density and size of this board, it was difficult to have a reference plane under the SPI ...
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Ground planing H-bridge and drivers
I'm currently routing a DC/DC converter using a controller that need an external H-Bridge. As I wanted to reduce the noise at the controller level (to preserve the measures it makes clean), I started ...
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Power Plane arrangement on multi-voltage PCB
I am designing a PCB with 4 different voltages other than GND: PV+, 5V0, 12V0, VSYS
I am trying to get out with a 4-layers PCB design. I have no particular high-frequency signals on the board (a ...
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Routing USB signal on RP2040
I'm designing a makeshift mouse clicker using an RP2040 microcontroller. To keep this small and concise, I'm using a USB Type-A Male connector on the PCB to connect to the PC directly. From what I ...
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Signal return has a complex path, is there a remedy?
In picture:
I have three different PCB that has connected as in picture above:
Power supply: +12V
Power amifier
Signal generator.
Note OpAmps negative rails are grounded.
The power amp internal ...
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Altium designer routing blocked by old board shape
I am trying to re-route my board, so I changed the board size using the "board planning mode".
Now, I'm routing, and some tracks are "blocked" by something looking very much like ...
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