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52 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2022 Article by Pete Starkey I-CONNECT007 Believing that I knew a bit about signal integ- rity and controlled impedance, I was pleased to take the opportunity to connect with an edu- cational webinar that I hoped would extend my knowledge. In the event I was surprised at how little I actually knew, and the webinar was an excellent learning opportunity. Jointly organised by NCAB Group, Polar Instruments and Phoenix Contact, it brought together three expert speakers who shared their knowledge on the theoretical basis of sig- nal integrity, the customer technical and engi- neering support provided by a global PCB sup- plier, and the design and optimization of high- speed data connectors. e webinar was introduced and expertly moderated by Anna Brockman, team leader campaigns and media management at Phoenix Contact in Germany. Hermann Reischer, managing director of Polar Instruments in Austria, gave the clearest first-principles explanation of signal integrity and controlled impedance that I have experi- enced in many years. He made the topic intel- ligible and understandable by breaking it into its most basic elements and explaining each in plain language with meaningful illustrations. Against a background of high-speed require- ments such as 77 GHz analogue frequencies in automotive radar applications, and ever-rising A Textbook Look: Signal Integrity and Impedance