-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssuePower Integrity
Current power demands are increasing, especially with AI, 5G, and EV chips. This month, our experts share “watt’s up” with power integrity, from planning and layout through measurement and manufacturing.
Signal Integrity
If you don’t have signal integrity problems now, you will eventually. This month, our expert contributors share a variety of SI techniques that can help designers avoid ground bounce, crosstalk, parasitic issues, and much more.
Proper Floor Planning
Floor planning decisions can make or break performance, manufacturability, and timelines. This month’s contributors weigh in with their best practices for proper floor planning and specific strategies to get it right.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Talking with Tamara: Floor Planning Policies
September 4, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Tamara Jovanovic is an electrical engineer with Masimo, a medical equipment manufacturer. She’s been designing PCBs for seven years and earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 2022. I asked Tamara to share her thoughts on floor planning—the challenges, techniques, and advice for designers setting up floor planning strategies.
Andy Shaughnessy: What is the objective of floor planning during PCB design?
Tamara Jovanovic: For any new circuit board design, the floor planning step typically occurs when the schematic is finalized (or nearly finalized) and before layout and routing begin. The objective of floor planning is to ensure that what you're designing is most optimized from the signal integrity perspective—ESD/EMI, as well as mechanical and thermal.
The idea is to place large components on the circuit board first, especially those that interact with mechanical features of the design and to isolate noise sensitivity on the board. This process is typically carried out by the PCB design engineer in collaboration with a mechanical engineer, using design tools to place components and align/mate them with mechanical elements, as well as to make sure there is enough separation for sensitive signals that need proper isolation/grounding.
Shaughnessy: What factors figure into the floor planning process?
Jovanovic: First and foremost, designers need to make sure that they're choosing components that will fit in the final product's mechanical enclosure and on the board shape previously agreed upon. It's also important to have an early plan for the board's layer stackup, or how many layers the board shall have and what each layer will be designated for (i.e., signal or power/ground).
Most of the time, the first components that are placed on the board are main design elements such as main processors and power ICs, which often require special design considerations and proper thermal management. Next, we have components that carry sensitive signals, such as clocks, crystals and RF parts. Those usually require careful handling when it comes to grounding and impedance, so it's always good practice to plan their placement early and ensure they are properly isolated.
To continue reading this interview, which originally appeared in the August 2025 edition of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
SEMICON Japan 2025 to Spotlight Sustainability in AI and Semiconductor Innovation
10/22/2025 | SEMISEMICON Japan 2025, the largest gathering of leaders from the microelectronics manufacturing supply chain in Japan, will bring together more than 1,200 exhibitors showcasing semiconductor solutions from December 17-19 at Tokyo Big Sight.
Zuken Announces ZIW Americas 2026 in Dallas
10/21/2025 | ZukenZuken USA, Inc., a global leader in electrical and electronic design automation, announced Zuken Innovation World (ZIW) Americas 2026, the company’s premier global conference dedicated to advancing the future of electrical and electronic product design. ZIW 2026 will be held June 9-11 in Dallas, Texas.
Keysight Completes Acquisition of Synopsys’ Optical Solutions Group and Ansys’ PowerArtist
10/17/2025 | Keysight Technologies, Inc.Keysight Technologies, Inc., announced the completion of its acquisitions of the Optical Solutions Group from Synopsys, Inc., and PowerArtist from Ansys, Inc.
RT-Labs Joins STMicroelectronics Partner Program to Accelerate Industrial Communication
10/16/2025 | RT-LabsRT-Labs, a leading provider of real-time software solutions for industrial automation, announces that it has joined the STMicroelectronics Partner Program to integrate its Ethernet-based industrial communication stacks into ST’s development environments and microcontroller platforms.
ASC Sunstone Circuits Adds New Options to OneQuote While Maintaining Real-Time Pricing on Core PCB Features
10/16/2025 | ASC Sunstone CircuitsASC Sunstone Circuits, a leading U.S. PCB manufacturer, today announced a significant expansion of its OneQuote online quoting tool, giving design engineers more control over complex PCB configurations — making it easier for the quote team to quickly clarify and verify specifications, reducing delays from manual quote reviews.