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Trace Currents and Temperature, Part 4: Via Heat
Part 1 this series discussed the role of resistance and then formulated a basic model for analysis. Part 2 explored various results that were empirically obtained. Part 3 explored how to use the melting temperature of a trace to our advantage. In this fourth and final part of the series, I examine a way to deal with vias.
Recall the model developed in Part 1. I hypothesized that trace heating was a function of the i2R power dissipated in the trace, and trace cooling was a function of surface area. Perhaps these same fundamental principles can be applied to vias when looking at their current-carrying capacities.Read the full article here.This column originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of The PCB Design Magazine.
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