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Mentor and Lamsim: 2018 DesignCon Best Paper Available Now
March 20, 2019 | Mentor, a Siemens businessEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
High-speed PCB designs are getting faster and faster. However, as the rate of GB/s increases, so too does the need to pay attention to material properties. Copper roughness, the area where the copper adheres to the laminate, is one of those properties. This 2018 DesignCon Best Paper award-winner describes a technique for increasing simulation accuracy through proper modeling of copper roughness.
This paper was written by Vladimir Dmitriev-Zdorov and Igor Kochikov of Mentor, a Siemens business, and Bert Simonovich of Lamsim Enterprises. To download this paper, click here.
Suggested Items
Designers Notebook: Addressing Future Challenges for Designers
02/06/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookThe printed circuit board is and will probably continue to be the base platform for most electronics. With the proliferation of new generations of high I/O, fine-pitch surface mount semiconductor package variations, circuit interconnect is an insignificant factor. Circuit board designers continually face challenges such as component quantity and complexity, limited surface area, and meeting the circuit board’s cost target. The printed circuit design engineer’s prominent position demands the development of efficiently manufacturable products that perform without compromise.
DesignCon 2025, Day 2: It’s All About AI
01/30/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007It’s hard to get away from the topic of artificial intelligence, but why would you? It’s everywhere and in everything, and my time attending presentations about AI at DesignCon 2025 was well worth it. The conference’s agenda featured engaging presentations and discussions focused on the technological advancements in AI, big data centers, and memory innovations, emphasizing the critical relationship between processors and circuit boards.
Beyond Design: Electro-optical Circuit Boards
01/22/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignPredicting the role of PCB designers in 10 years is a challenge. If only I had a crystal ball. However, we know that as technology progresses, the limitations of copper PCBs are increasingly apparent, particularly regarding speed, bandwidth, and signal integrity. Innovations such as optical interconnects and photonic integrated circuits are setting the stage for the next generation of PCBs, delivering higher performance and efficiency. The future of PCB design will probably incorporate these new technologies to address the challenges of traditional copper-based designs.
Designers Notebook: Impact of Advanced Semiconductor Packaging on PCB Stackup
01/07/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookTo accommodate new generations of high I/O semiconductor packaging, printed circuit board fabrication technology has had to undergo significant changes in both the process methods and the criteria for base material selection and construction sequence (stackup). Many of the new high-function multi-core semiconductor package families require more terminals than their predecessors, requiring a significantly narrower terminal pitch. Interconnecting these very fine-pitch, high I/O semiconductors to the PCB is made possible by an intermediate element referred to as an interposer.
BOOK EXCERPT: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, Chapter 4
01/02/2025 | I-Connect007In Chapter 4, Michael Gay discusses the two main types of copper foil used for PCB boards today: electrodeposited (ED) foil and rolled annealed (RA) foil. He also explains the pros and cons of each, and provides an update of the latest innovations in copper foil technology.