Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1496727
APRIL 2023 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 We start off with a conversation with IPC design instructor Kris Moyer, who discusses some of the many critical decisions that RF designers must consider. Columnist John Watson focuses on some of the many unique details that a designer faces in the wireless realm. Cadence's Cody Stetzel provides a vari- ety of tips for RF layout and antenna design. Columnist Barry Olney discusses best prac- tices for controlling electromagnetic fields in wireless applications, as well as the the- ory behind it all. Keysight's How-Siang Yap explains a variety of methods to defeat two of the biggest villains in RF: interference and signal loss. And columnist John Coonrod explains how to take your thermal manage- ment skills to the next level when designing PCBs for wireless products. We also have columns from our regular con- tributors Matt Stevenson and Joe Fjelstad, as well as another installment of Anaya Vardya's DFM101 series. And this month, we begin with Part I of a three-part series on DFM for flex and rigid-flex authored by Mark Gallant of DownStream Technologies. We'll see you next month…and that's the truth. DESIGN007 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 23 years. To read past columns, click here. which will interfere with each other if design- ers are not careful. Even a simple trace on an RF board isn't so simple. Designers oen find themselves adding extra vias to create "via shielding" to cut down on crosstalk on RF transmission lines. ese vias resemble fences that surround the entire length of the RF trace. Another handy via trick is "via stitching," which involves linking together large areas of copper on multiple lay- ers, which helps designers avoid long return loops and impedance issues. Material selection is a huge part of RF PCB design. ermal conductivity is a real concern, and designers must choose a high-frequency material that meets design requirements, and hopefully without overconstraining the board and driving costs sky-high. Some of you are thinking, "I'm not an RF designer. Do I really need to care about this?" You bet your sweet bippy! Even if you're not working with RF yet, you're likely design- ing high-speed PCBs. Chances are that you're encountering the same challenges that your RF brethren have been dealing with for years. If you're lucky, you might learn a few things from their (expensive) mistakes. In this issue, our expert contributors will discuss the best practices for designing RF PCBs for wireless communications, and the many trade-offs involved, from material selec- tion to board-level design techniques, and much more.