-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssuePartial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
Cost Drivers
In this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, our expert contributors explain the impact of cost drivers on PCB designs and the need to consider a design budget. They discuss the myriad design cycle cost adders—hidden and not so hidden—and ways to add value.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Your Thermal Designs Are Inefficient
December 7, 2023 | Douglas Brooks, Consultant, and Johannes Adam, ADAM ResearchEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
Your thermal designs are (probably) inefficient. The inefficiencies are unnecessarily taking up board area and blocking routing channels. This is likely true in at least three areas:
1. Your high-current-carrying traces are probably too wide.
2. You probably use too many vias in your high-current-carrying traces.
3. Any thermal vias you use are (almost) worthless.
Trace Width
Most designers rely on the trace widths suggested in IPC-2152, the “bible” for calculating high-current trace widths (unless you have read our book). IPC-2152 is the best, most thoroughly researched study of trace currents and temperatures available. But it does have some weaknesses. One weakness is that it (by necessity) studies 6-inch-long traces in isolation. But traces are not all 6 inches long nor in isolation. There are nearby design and material parameters that impact trace temperatures, most of them in a downward direction. Perhaps the most important parameter lowering trace temperature is the presence of a plane underlying the trace. Most boards nowadays have such a plane.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the November 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Understanding Cleaning Challenges for Automated Solder Paste Dispensing
09/18/2024 | Debbie Carboni, KYZENIn today’s rapidly evolving electronics manufacturing landscape, staying abreast of innovative technologies is crucial. As solder paste and substrate materials continually evolve and become more complex, optimizing production methods with the latest technology ensures performance and quality while reducing operational costs.
Moving from Surviving to Thriving
08/19/2024 | Mark Wolfe, IPCA few months ago, I shared some thoughts regarding the implications of the survival mode that most of us have lived in, at least for the past several years, within the electronics supply chain. In this article, I would like to share some additional thoughts about how companies can move away from merely surviving and work toward thriving across their supply chain. At a high level, here is what I believe the foundation of thriving looks like.
Market Spotlight on India
07/31/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIndia has long fascinated me. Aside from the fact that I love the cuisine, I have been fortunate to have some close Indian friends who were very generous in sharing their culture, celebrations, and homes. Growing up in the Bay Area (Silicon Valley), my exposure to talented Indian engineers started in the 1990s.
Sustainability and Workforce Topics Dominate Day 2 of SEMICON West
07/16/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineSustainability and the workforce were prolific themes for the second day of SEMICON West on July 10 in San Francisco. Sustainability kicked off with keynote speaker Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president and arguably America’s most passionate environmental advocate for nearly 50 years. He once again outlined the serious environmental issues and timelines we are facing and emphasized the importance of the industry’s commitment to sustainability initiatives.
Webinar Review: Women Reshaping the Engineering Landscape
06/26/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIPC celebrated International Women in Engineering Day with “Bold Breakthroughs: Women Reshaping the Engineering Landscape,” a webinar moderated by Teresa Rowe, IPC senior director of assembly and standards technology. The event featured a panel of eight innovative engineers representing eight different countries, and each with varied backgrounds and in various stages of their respective careers.