Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520701
MAY 2024 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 Andy Shaughnessy is man- aging editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 23 years. To read past columns, click here. What does this mean to PCB designers and design engineers who work in the high- speed world? If loss is a big enough issue for your design, even the most improved FR-4 won't work for you. But some of these materials boast low enough Dk and Df rat- ings that the high-speed folks would be remiss not to consider them. What is the cut-off point for using these new FR-4 types? Who should make the decision to consider a more traditional material vs. a specialty type? is month, our experts share their thoughts on how designers can avoid over- constraining their high-speed PCBs, and they explore the electrical properties of this new version of an old laminate. We start with an interview with Kris Moyer and Ed Kelley, who take a deep dive into these improved traditional materials and when they can be utilized for high- speed and high-frequency designs. We also chatted just with Ed, former CTO of Isola, to focus more on the materials themselves. Filbert Arzola discusses using improved FR-4 at high speeds and why you might want to let fabricators or materials experts pick your materials. Barry Olney pro- vides a dielectric material selection guide, and Steph Chavez shares a primer on set- ting design constraints. Martyn Gaudion explains why "communication-driven con- straint" is so critical now. We also have an article by Anaya Vardya, a column by Matt Stevenson, and, sadly, Tim Haag's final column. Tim has been writing for us for 10 years, and I know his fan base will miss his PCB design tips and "Iron Man" references. Good luck, Tim! See you all next month. DESIGN007 Future connected vehicles will offer future driv- ers a safer, smoother, and more convenient driving experience. Not only will drivers get access to more navigation and entertainment options, but they will also gain access to safety technologies that will potentially reduce accidents, improve congestion, and reduce emissions globally by allowing vehicle safety systems to communicate with each other and with city traffic infrastructure. This is thanks to the future connected vehicle's use of dedicated "V2X" safety communication chan- nels. V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) uses either Wi-Fi or cellular-based technology to facilitate communi- cation with other vehicles and traffic infrastructure. If regulation or safety standards mandate this technol- ogy, then V2X is set to become the "digital seatbelt" of the future. The two most popular technologies for V2X, DSRC, and C-V2X, both require different hardware. DSRC is based on Wi-Fi protocols, and C-V2X is based on 4G or 5G protocols. IDTechEx is forecast- ing a significant market shift towards C-V2X technol- ogy, with over 90% of the market forecasted to be using 5G-based C-V2X technology by 2034. The biggest contribution to this shift is regulation—the two largest vehicle markets in the world, the US and China, both have governmental organizations actively pushing for C-V2X adoption. India, Korea, and Japan are all likely to follow international trends set by the US and China. (Source: IDTechEx) Low-loss Materials: The Enabler of Future Connected Vehicles?