Design007 Magazine

Design007-Nov2024

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NOVEMBER 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. • For fast edge rates and high-reliability products • When you need to simulate the BER of DDR4 memory or, even better, DDR5 memory, serial link buses • If traces are very high-speed, currents are large, and interfaces are mission- critical, especially when simulations or other evaluation aren't being done. If the rule of thumb seems border- line, it's worth a closer look. Trust your gut. Speaking of which, I've heard "Trust your gut" quite a few times while working on this issue. at's a good rule of thumb in itself, because some rules of thumb have outlived their usefulness. is month, we delve into rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided, and when it's time to "do the science." We have a feature inter- view with IPC's Kris Moyer and colum- nist Kelly Dack, and another interview with Chris Young of Moog Space and Defense Group. We also have articles by Scott Miller of Freedom CAD and Patrick Davis of Cadence Design Systems. And Barry Olney, Joe Fjelstad, and John Wat- son contribute feature columns. We also have an article by ASC Sun- stone CEO Anaya Vardya and an inter- view with Jon Smith, a former student in John Watson's Palomar College PCB design class. It's show time, and I'll be heading to PCB Carolina in a few weeks. Hope to see you there. DESIGN007 by Michael Marshall, NCAB PCBs are the backbone of modern electronics and the copper layers within these boards serve as the primary pathways for electrical signals. When design- ing and manufacturing PCBs, copper thickness is one of the most critical factors and significantly affects the board's performance and durability. The IPC-6012F specification, the industry standard for the perfor- mance and qualification of rigid PCBs, sets clear guidelines on copper thickness to ensure reliability in different environments and applications. Let's delve into why copper thickness is critical on PCBs and how IPC-6012F plays a vital role in defining these require- ments. One of the primary reasons for the precise speci- fication of copper thickness is its direct relationship to electrical conductivity. Thicker copper layers can handle higher currents without causing excessive heat. If the copper layer is too thin, the traces may overheat when carrying large amounts of current, which could lead to board failure because of burnt- out traces or degraded components. IPC-6012F outlines minimum copper thickness requirements depending on the type of PCB (Class 1, 2, or 3) and its intended application. This ensures that the board can handle the electrical load safely, avoid- ing failures that could occur if the copper is under- specified. Keep reading... Fresh PCB Concepts: The Critical Nature of Copper Thickness on PCBs

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