Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1496727
38 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 Keysight EDA has been in the RF and micro- wave design industry issues for decades. We asked How-Siang Yap, product manager for Keysight EDA's RF and microwave soware tools, to share his thoughts on RF design tips and techniques, and how designing boards at RF speeds compares with designing PCBs at slower speeds. As he explains, much of RF design involves battling interference and loss. How does designing PCBs for wireless communications differ from designing a traditional PCB? e major differences in designing PCBs for wireless communications are: • Layout of traces, vias, interconnects, and packaging must consider the electromag- netic behavior of these physical structures on wireless communication performance. • Layout must be optimized for RF (radio frequency) sensitivity to prevent inter- ference and noise coupling from non- wireless and digital sections by shielding, absorption, or isolation. • Layout must consider impedance match- ing between components and to anten- nas for optimal power transfer and low noise performance. is means that trace ground reference, shape, widths, and interconnecting transitions are not arbi- trary, and they must obey RF signal propa- gation and radiation geometries. RF and Wireless Design Means Fighting Interference, Loss