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50 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2025 The principal objectives to be established during the planning stage are to define the interrelation- ship between all component elements and confirm that there is sufficient surface area for placement, the space needed to ensure efficient circuit inter- connect, and to accommodate adequate power and ground distribution. Although most of the compo- nents selected for the electronic product will be sur- face-mount variations, it is not uncommon to include non-surface-mount devices, which do not have a surface-mount equivalent, such as connectors designed for through-hole termination or large com- ponents designed to manage power distribution. Capacitors are the primary components for man- aging power and ground. Along with resistors and inductors, capacitors are one of the three basic electrical components that form the foundation of an electrical circuit. The capacitor functions as a storage device, retaining the electrical charge when voltage is applied across it and releasing the charge back into the circuit when needed. Common capacitor functions include: • Smoothing: DC signals are moderated using high capacitance to absorb ripple voltage • Bypassing: Using capacitance in a filtering circuit allows unwanted signals to be directed away to bypass any system-generated frequency noise • Coupling: Coupling between neighboring cir- cuits can stop DC current and pass AC current. Capacitor elements are also used to reduce elec- tromagnetic interference (EMI) or other equipment- generated signal noise, to enable a more stable operating system. Surface Distribution for Power and Ground For the less complex single and two-sided circuit structures, power and ground can be integrated within signal interconnects. The conductors assigned to distribute power and ground are the first stage of the interconnect planning process, furnishing a sig- D ES I G N E RS N OT E B O O K by Vern S olb erg, C onsultant Power and Ground Distribution Basics