Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
66 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 ere are many considerations when plan- ning and designing a board layout, and fac- tors that include signal integrity, electromag- netic interference, and power integrity must be considered. Newer board designers oen forget one factor crucial to a PCB's perfor- mance and reliability, namely board parasitics, which usually refers to an unintended electri- cal effect in electronic components and inter- connections. This can oen lead to significant changes in the physical characteristics of the layout of the PCB. Typ- ically, in board design, parasitics look simi- lar to the length of a trace or a wire. Each trace is slightly resis- tive, slightly inductive, and slightly capacitive. These are commonly k n o w n a s p a r a s i t i c capacitance, parasitic inductance, and para- sitic resistance. The Impact of Managing Parasitics Managing parasitics in board design can have a significant impact on the physical char- acteristics of board performance and reliabil- ity. Typically, signal integrity, power integrity, frequency response, timing, and delay, as well as EMI/EMC considerations, rely on parasitic management for certain design traits. A simu- The Impact of Parasitics on PCB Design lation without parasitics can compromise the design and ultimately cause it not to perform as intended. e impact of parasitics on signal integrity, and parasitic elements such as capacitance and inductance, can lead to signal degradation, additional undesirable noise, and those poten- tial unwanted errors in data transmission. High-frequency signals are particularly sus- ceptible to the effects of parasitics on signal integrity. Parasitics can also influence the distribu- tion and integrity of power through a PCB, potentially causing loss of power and instabil- ity in power-sensitive applications, as well as inefficient energ y transference through- out the board. Parasitic elements can significantly impact the designs of frequency responses in radio fre- quency and microwave circuit applications, as well as alter the impedance characteristics of components and trace lines, which inevitably affect the resonant frequencies of the circuits. With timing and circuit delays, parasitic elements can contribute to signal propaga- tion delays. High-speed digital circuits rely on proper timing and synchronization for a The New Chapter by Hannah Grace, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS