74 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2024
Most designers rely on the trace widths suggested
in IPC-2152, the "bible" for calculating high-current
trace widths. IPC-2152 is the best, most thoroughly
researched study of trace currents and tempera-
tures available. But it does have some weak-
nesses. One weakness is that it (by necessity)
studies 6-inch-long traces in isolation. But traces
are not all 6 inches long nor in isolation.
Every year, thousands of printed board design
engineers spend countless hours completing and
perfecting their designs. IPC is inviting these
designers to put their skills to the test and compete
to become the IPC Design Champion of 2024.
Ground impedance is at the root of virtu-
ally all signal and power integrity problems;
low ground impedance is mandatory for
both. This is readily achieved with a continu-
ous ground reference plane but becomes
increasingly difficult with the addition of
more and more plane layers on a multilayer
PCB. A ground plane
serves well as a sig-
nal return, provided
the ground is con-
tinuous under the
signal path.
At the PCB Carolina
show in Raleigh, North
Carolina, I had the
opportunity to speak to
several engineering stu-
dents. I sat down for an
interview with Cayden
Longwell, a member
of the class of '27 in the Electrical and Com-
puter Engineering department at NC State.
Even as a freshman, Cayden already has a
basic roadmap for his career in electronics.
Check it out.
TOP TEN
Register Now for the IPC Design
Competition 2024
Beyond Design: Return Path
Optimization
Your Thermal Designs Are Inefficient
EDITOR'S
PICKS
Engineering Their Future
at PCB Carolina
Cayden Longwell
