The Antenna Company announced a family of ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas to enable high precision positioning and angle-of-arrival applications for low-power sensors, anchors, and tags. The antennas support worldwide operation on UWB channel 5 (6.5 GHz) and channel 9 (8 GHz). UWB technology enables a location accuracy of 10-cm for real-time location services such as access […]
PCB design
PCB design tool integrated utilities for search and place symbols, footprints, and 3D models
ExpressPCB is excited to announce the release of its new Plus PCB Design Suite (ExpressSCH Plus and ExpressPCB Plus version 3.0). Highlights of the newly added features include an integrated search and download for components using SnapEDA, a schematic link between ExpressSCH Plus and ExpressPCB Plus, as well as netlist validation between the printed circuit […]
High-current true 0-Ω SMT jumpers
A new series of “true” 0=-Ω high-current SMT jumpers designed to replace “Zero” ohm resistors are the latest connectivity devices available from Keystone Electronics Corp. Quick and easy set-up, these Jumpers are uniquely suited as true zero-ohm resistor replacements without the need to change board designs or layouts. Four resistor chip sizes are offered to […]
The basics of FR-4 Printed Circuit Boards
Part 1 of this FAQ provided context and background on the PC board, and discussed its first widespread appearance as a phenolic-based board. Part 2 looks at some board issues and the widely used FR-4 PC board substrate. Q: I see the term “solder mask” — what is that? A: Solder mask (also called a […]
Step-by-step PCB soldering tips for newbies
The traditional, older type of solder is a mixture of lead (Pb) and tin (Sn). This type of (60/40 – Pb/Sn) solder melts at 200°C and is typically made up of 60 percent tin and 40 percent lead. However, lead-free solder is desirable today, in terms of avoiding a toxic environment. Lead-free solder is a […]
Matching service optimizes GSM-900, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS/GNSS, ZigBee, 4G/LTE antenna placement
Würth Elektronik now offers developers wanting to use WE-MCA series chip antennas a free matching service. WE-MCA are compact SMT-mountable multilayer ceramic chip antennas available in numerous single and dual-band versions. The antennas, therefore, provide a space-saving solution for GSM-900, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS/GNSS, ZigBee or 4G/LTE enabled devices and facilitate compact designs for IoT and smart […]
Ultra-low loss prepreg delivers stable performance over a broad frequency range
Rogers Corporation is pleased to introduce SpeedWave 300P Ultra-Low Loss Prepreg. With the increasing need for stackup flexibility in high layer count designs for 5G mmWave, high resolution 77 GHz automotive radar, aerospace & defense and high speed digital designs, SpeedWave 300P prepreg offers a broad range of competitively priced high performance options for the […]
Simulation too simplifies component selection, evaluation and verification for new designs
Texas Instruments announced a new custom version of the PSpice simulator from Cadence Design Systems Inc. that enables engineers to simulate complex analog circuits with unlimited analysis of TI power and signal-chain products. PSpice for TI offers full-featured circuit simulation with a growing library of more than 5,700 TI analog integrated circuit (IC) models, making […]
Glass-reinforced thermoset now available in multiple thicknesses
Wireless circuit designers can now enjoy a true breakthrough with Rogers Corporation’s RO4450T bondply. This product offers designers a spread glass reinforced bonding material in seven thickness options ranging between 0.0025” (0.064mm) and 0.006” (0.152mm), greatly improving flexibility for high multilayer board count designs. RO4450T glass reinforced thermoset bondplies were developed for wireless circuit designers […]
PCB CAD software includes signal integrity, power integrity, IBIS-AMI simulation capabilities
Zuken announces the availability of eCADSTAR release 2020. With the new release, available configurations of Zuken’s new internet connected PCB design platform, eCADSTAR, have been extended to include new modules for signal integrity, power integrity and IBIS-AMI simulation. The new modules eCADSTAR Signal Integrity, eCADSTAR Signal Integrity Advanced, eCADSTAR Power Integrity and eCADSTAR IBIS-AMI complement […]