hybridfree/eevblog-posts huggingface dataset:
Tracks vs signal planes for high power LED PCB - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 03:10:30 pm
content: Hello,I am designing a PCB for high power LEDs. I have been looking at some commercial modules and have seen that many of them use signal planes instead of tracks for current transmission. is this recommendable instead of using tracks? In the case where the LEDs have an additional thermal pad in addition to the anode and cathode, will it also be advisable to use signal planes for current transmission, or just use the flat for the thermal pad?Example of signal plane based PCB attached.Thanks in advance!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 03:15:37 pm
content: The big pads are for thermal management purposes. White LEDs (even the tiny ones) can run quite hot and their housing offers no cooling so the only way to get heat away from the LED is through the pins into a large copper area.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 08:54:23 pm
content: Yes its recommended.With a thermal pad you'd usually have that as your main copper plane.You can read more here:https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/optimizing-pcb-thermal-performance-for-cree-xlamp-leds

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2023, 09:21:11 pm
content: Crosslink for reference:https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/685844/tracks-vs-signal-planes-for-high-power-led-pcbIt's not clear what you're asking there, so there haven't been any answers yet. If you could explain more about what you're doing, or what you want explained about it, that would be helpful.Here, that doesn't really matter, but you're very likely to get thread drift for the same reason (lack of focus/direction).I can think of reasons you might still use traces, though most LED applications will eke that little bit of thermal resistance out, hence the pours. It is not a signal thing.Tim

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2023, 08:04:37 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 19, 2023, 09:21:11 pmSorry if I wasn't clear enough.As I said, my aim is to design a PCB for the use of UVA high power LEDs. As it is widely known, this type of LED are very susceptible to its lifetime degraded by temperature. So I was asking for recommended design techniques to reduce this critical effect.In my view, the aim of the post was quite clear, as most of the replies have sense with the question I was asking about. However, I will try to be way more clear next time.Thanks a lot!
DC MOTOR LOW BATTERY LED PROBLEM - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2023, 09:41:38 am
content: Hello everyone,I have designed a circuit which is powered by a 3.7V LIPO battery. This supply voltage passes through a LDO (IC1 in the schematic) which regulates the voltage to 3V to feed a small DC motor (+3V_MOTOR).In addition, it integrates a low battery detection circuit based on the TL431 (IC2), which activates a low battery LED (D1-LOW_BATT signal) when the battery voltage reaches 3V.For activation of the DC motor, a button has to be pressed which causes the battery voltage to reach the LDO (BAT+_PULS signal) and then the motor. Therefore, only when this button is pressed, the battery voltage is measured and the LED is activated if necessary.The general operation of the motor activation is correct. However, in the voltage range where the low battery LED should not activate I see a small flashing of the LED mainly when pressing and releasing.I have thought that this effect could be due to the flyback effect during the shutdown of our dc motor. But as I mentioned before, this effect also occurs on activation.Another idea that has occurred to me is that the battery has peak drops when this current is required to power the motor and that is when the low battery circuit detects these drops and activates the red LED for a few ms.I'm attaching the schematic of the PCB.

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2023, 06:59:39 am
content: Could anyone give any clue about the issue?I will really appreciate it.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 11, 2023, 02:25:26 pm
content: The low battery voltage detection seems to be connected to the battery only when the button is pressed.So I guess it will flash the LED every time it is connected and disconnected from the battery.
EPickNPlace or SmtAssistant with Altium - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: luky315
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2023, 05:28:15 pm
content: Is anyone successfully usingEPickNPlace (https://www.eigerdesign.com/epicknplace.html)or the "original"SmtAssistant (https://www.alciom.com/en/smtassistant/)and has found out how to configure Altium to export a pick&Place file which is directly usable with these tools for manual placement?I got a lot of errors and had no success :-(There is a problem With the PKP file: 0001: X cannot be parsed to an float value ()

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2023, 06:04:39 pm
content: I've used SMTassistant with P&P from Altium. I've attached screen caps from the outjobs dialog, and the specific assembly output configuration.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 07:48:29 am
content: Are you aware of "Interactive HTML Bom"? It is a similar program, and it may be worth looking into. It is designed around KiCad, but KiCad's importer for altium files has also gotten quite good.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 08:45:57 am
content: Thanks for reminding us of that, Doctorandus_P. There is in fact a port to Altium which runs as an addon:https://boastools.com/

author: luky315
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 09:44:23 am
content: I knew "Interactive HTML Bom" but Boastools are new for me - they look really great, no need for EPickNPlace or SmtAssistant anymore! Thanks!!!
LTspice FET parameters - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Faringdon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2023, 01:08:09 pm
content: Hi,Does the LTspice simulate the way a FET junction capacitances change with voltage?Or do they just give one capacitance.Eg, what is Coss for Si4848DY FET in LTspice?eg the Si4848DY is as shown in LTspiceSi4848DY datasheet:https://www.vishay.com/doc?71356

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2023, 01:14:41 am
content: LTSpice appears to use BSIM4 models (which would be pretty much the norm with any modern Spice-based simulator), described here:http://bsim.berkeley.edu/models/bsim4/Yes, the parasitic capacitances are simulated based on the operating point.You'll actually find your answer (at least as much as it can be answered) here:https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/303729/how-do-i-determine-mosfet-capacitances-cgs-cds-cgd-in-ltspice
Via aspect ratio in PCB  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2023, 08:02:26 am
content: The aspect ratio of the via is the ratio of dielectric height to via hole.Is that true 10:1 has smaller via hole compared to 6:1 ? in 60 mil thick PCBIf yes than manufacturing 10:1 via is more expansive and difficult then 6:1 via, correct ?

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2023, 09:28:49 am
content: Smaller drills wear out faster. But you shouldn't really be concerned with this, today drilling a hole is a free step, and they automatically replace the drills after certain number of holes. You only need to make sure you follow the design guides, and that you don't end up unnecessarily with an HDI board.

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2023, 09:44:28 am
content: What is an HDI board. I guess this is something related to number of pins in connector or in BGA package per square inch, right ?

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2023, 09:53:40 am
content: It's a loosely defined term, meaning High Density Interconnect. Usually it's for boards that have smaller than 0.3mm size vias, less than 0.15mm wide tracks and clearances, blind or buried vias, more than 8 layers. Any of these would place you in the HDI category, which makes the board more expensive.If you are worried about your vias, just make them larger than 0.3mm hole, and 0.75mm pad, less than a few hundred vias, and most PCB houses will make the board without extra charge.
Transmission line rule  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 05:29:22 pm
content: A general rule of thumb regarding transmission line in FR4 is, if the length of a conductor is more than 1/10 of the wavelength, then we consider it a transmission line. I have calculated some numbers. Kindly let me know if they are correct.Clock frequency: 500 MHzDielectric constant: 4Wavelength: 300 mmTurn in to transmission line: If the trace length is more then 30 mmClock frequency: 1000 MHzDielectric constant: 4Wavelength: 150 mmTurn in to transmission line: If the trace length is more then 15 mmClock frequency: 2000 MHzDielectric constant: 4Wavelength: 75 mmTurn in to transmission line: If the trace length is more then 7.5 mm
Isola 370HR vs Megtron6_R-5775 ???  (PCB Material Selection) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: luudee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2023, 09:34:00 am
content: Hello,we have designed a PCB using Megtron6_R-5775. We have some PCIe 3.0 and DDR4 (2100) signals.To reduce cost, we are considering switching to Isola 370HR.(Yeah I understand that all impedance calculations have to be redone, etc ...).Has anybody used both materials and can offer some advice ?Will Isola 370HR be as good as Megtron6_R-5775 ?Are we being silly ?Anything we should watch out for ?Many Thanks,rudi
LTSpice with FRA - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Mark
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2023, 05:50:13 pm
content: Just a heads-up that a beta version has been released with a new frequency response analyzer componenthttps://groups.io/g/LTspice/message/140962https://LTspice.analog.com/download/17.1.4/LTspice64.msiThis link also works, although I haven't installed this install yet:https://LTspice.analog.com/download/17.1.5/LTspice64.msi

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2023, 09:14:06 pm
content: That's nice, if only they could fix the waveform viewer bugs first before adding new features though.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 31, 2023, 10:33:41 am
content: LTspice 17.1.6 is out of beta!https://www.eevblog.com/forum/eda/ltspice-from-29th-jan-2023/

author: robint
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2023, 12:19:41 pm
content: HiQuote from: Ian.M on January 31, 2023, 10:33:41 amI hope Im not breaking rules here, but as a noob to this poard, i think ive posted my topic in the wrong thread. i am hoping a MOD will pick up on this and direct to the proper threadheregoeshttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/ltspice-polarise-resistor-shock/msg4712984/#msg4712984its all about polarised resistors

author: Anthem
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 07:45:37 am
content: I've reverted to using LTspice XVII ver 17.0.37.0 and abandoned the newer library system in the 17.1 version. The older version works fine i.m.o. and I can get my own created components from my libraries and 3rd party libraries I have inserted into my own user library file and sub-directories by just typing the first couple of letters into the component name search window and it go right into the sub-directories to reveal the options.. In the 17.1 version it will not reveal sub-directories in the menu and one has to explicitly place them in the control panel and when searching for them you have to explicitly open the drop-down list in the library one has added where you added the component.While I appreciate the free LTSpice from Linear very much, the newer version/s is not nearly as versatile as the older one.The frequency response analyzer sounds interesting but its native FFT analyser and its trace expression editor is pretty good for me with its two line cursor info that it supplies, by double clicking on the variable name in the plot curves.
What is meant by daisy chain routing topology  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2023, 07:06:05 pm
content: Hi, I am wondering what is meant by daisy chain routing topology. For example if there are four DRAM and one Memory Controller like an FPGA then how do we place and route all four DRAMs in daisy chain routing topology ?
Microcap 12 on Wine - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2023, 12:13:36 am
content: Just a note about Microcap 12 on Wine. I just tested it (Wine 8.15 here) and it appears to work fine. The only minor issue I've encountered is some display artefacts on the schematic view *after* running a simulation.There are big purple blocks on the schematic, which after some tests seem to be linked to the display of the small purple boxes with the DC operation point values inside.Zooming in and out updates the view and makes the big blocks disappear.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2023, 07:59:22 am
content: Seen similar issues when using SATSAGEN from WINE. At some point the scaling problems were happening in LTspice, too (LTspice also working from WINE). The fix waas to set the DPI as in WinXP, at 96dpi.Try from a terminalwinecfg, then in the tab 'Graphics' make sure the default 96 DPI is set. Otherwise, from what I've tried, wine runs almost anything thrown at it, including games.Apart from Microcap, LTspice and QucsStudio are also working from wine (QucsStudio has live sliders to play with, in Linux it needs some minor tuning in picking which dll wine should use, details inhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/eda/qucs-qucs-s-and-qucsstudio-simulators-are-not-the-same-thing/msg3765593/#msg3765593).

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2023, 03:27:19 am
content: It looks like a rendering bug not related to scaling. I have Wine set with 96 dpi (which looks tiny on my setup.)The reason I have stuck with 96dpi is that I use Saturn PCB Toolkit, and if you set anything other than 96 dpi, the app just crashes when starting up. Those using Wine can try and see if they get the same result.
EasyEDA Help - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Steve1010
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 10, 2023, 10:07:58 am
content: Hi I am a block head on EasyEDA it's really new to me can some kind person help me please. I have a load of latching tactile switches 6 pin 5.8mm x 5.8mm and want to make a matrix out of them 20 switches by 20 switches with a gap of 1.5 mm around each one. I'm sure that it is a matter of copy and paste but I lack the confidence and experience to do this. I know just what I want and have all the details but don't know how.
Freecad new release 0.21 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 07:22:48 am
content: Just noticed that Freecad 0.21 was released this August 2023. I was expecting a new version since previous ones seemed to have lots of bugs.Still using an old version of Solidworks but would be happy to switch.Anyone tried it?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 03:00:14 pm
content: I've been using it for my small stuff. Not a significant difference from the previous versions, just minor improvements.They have also started work on fixing topological naming problem, which makes manipulating operations stack basically not work at all. But this release only contains prep work for that, so the actual behavior is still the same.

author: HwAoRrDk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 03:41:04 pm
content: I hope they fix whatever bug caused me a lot of frustration a few weeks ago. I was simply trying to mirror an extruded shape across a plane and it just refused to do it, just giving me some inscrutable error message. I have no idea what the problem was, there was nothing complicated about the shape. I gave up in the end; my 3D PCB rendering will just have to go without one particular part.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 04:16:28 pm
content: There are a lot of cases where it throws random errors in the log. I would not expect fixes for that soon. I think there is some activity to clean it all up, but it will take a lot of time.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 05:26:12 pm
content: I didn;t notice a behavioral changes.FreeCAD as usual. For non critical things FreeCAD is just Excellent. I really enjoy it. But... It can really bring someone to the edges. I wouldn;t want to designing a complicated time critical part and at 80+% to discover that fillet operation inexplicably fail.Alexander.

author: Anthem
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 07:52:38 am
content: The joy of FreeCAD is that one can install multiple versions if it and so if you've got trouble with a newer version, one can always revert back to opening the dysfunctional part to see if one can resolve it with an older version. Sometimes the methodology of an older version has changed in the new but the results are the same.I have got 4 versions of FreeCAD in my computer. Each works independently and does not conflict with the other.

author: Warhawk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 06:23:05 pm
content: Quote from: Anthem on September 30, 2023, 07:52:38 amWe all have kinks. What you describe as a joy is my nightmare.
ESP32 Restarting - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 07:21:39 am
content: Hello everyone,We see that there are problems with our microcontroller, an ESP323-S3, power supply. The module starts correctly from 4.2V to 3.3V. However, when the voltage drops from this value, the microcontroller gives a "brownout" error which indicates that the supply current is not sufficient.The input voltage goes first through a BOOST (https://www.mouser.es/datasheet/2/277/MP3120-2945726.pdf) to 5V and then through a LDO (https://www.mouser.es/datasheet/2/389/ld1117-1849389.pdf) to 3.3V as you can see in the attached image.We believe that this problem could be due to the start of some bluetooth process of the microcontroller which requires a higher current peak than normal. Although in principle this should not create any problem since both the BOOST and the LDO are capable of supplying values above 300 mA.

author: Shonky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 07:30:31 am
content: Is that the real schematic used to create a PCB design? There are a number issues with it as drawn.What is ESP_BUS supplied from?Got a scope? Put the supply rail on the scope.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 08:11:36 am
content: Those radios can be very power hungry. If you do a search for peak current for ESP32, then you find suggestions that it may be over 700mA. So I suggest you start by actually measuring what your peak currents are.

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 09:59:22 am
content: Hi Shonky, thanks for your reply.This is just a small part of a series of schematic sheets. ESP_BUS is powered from a USB connection, passed through the MP3120 and regulated by the LDO.Secondly, we have already measured the voltages on the ESP32 power pin. We saw 3.3 V are regulated correctly over a 4 ms time period from 0 V.

author: amintegia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2023, 10:02:19 am
content: Quote from: Doctorandus_P on September 15, 2023, 08:11:36 amHello Doctorandus, thank you for your answer.Probably that is the origin of the problem, we will try to measure that current and I will comment you the results.
Clock signals: short ? or match the propagation delay with other signals? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Creedonics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 06:49:03 pm
content: Hello everyone,so i'm making a fairly large pcb design which has many clock signals, sometimes the IC manufacturer would have documentation and would mention that the Clock signal needs to be matched to the other signals, or that it needs to be s short as possible meaning shorter than the other signals, but sometimes the manufacturer doesn't say anything at all about said clock signals.i've been watching some videos from phil's lab and i just remarked that many of his designs have the clock signal as short as it can be, now it could be that he just found from the manufacturer that they need to be that way or it is some kind of rule that i don't know about ?what do you guys think ? and what do you generally do about Clock signals ?thanks everyone.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 09:01:02 pm
content: You need to be more specific, what is the part, what is the frequency of the clock signal.If its something like low speed I2C or SPI its going to be quite forgiving.https://www.reddit.com/r/PrintedCircuitBoard/comments/etjxyd/what_are_some_big_dos_and_donots_for_routing/

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 09:22:45 pm
content: The Olympics don't have different clocks for men's and women's races. A clock is just that. If you have delays, deal with them. Don't mess with the clock. Of course, there is an obvious difference between synchronization and clocking.

author: Creedonics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 10:07:14 pm
content: the clocks i'm dealing with are for eMMC and QSPI & DDR3 although the DDR3 one has some good guidelines but the rest don't

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2023, 10:36:24 pm
content: eMMC and QSPI can be up to 100-200MHz. If you follow basic layout best practices it shouldn't be an issue.You can find layout guidelines for some emmc parts:https://www.infineon.com/dgdl/Infineon-AN98491_Recommended_PCB_Routing_Guidelines_for_a_Infineon_e.MMC_Memory_Device-ApplicationNotes-v05_00-EN.pdf?fileId=8ac78c8c7d718a49017d71baea97084d&utm_source=cypress&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=202110_globe_en_all_integration-fileshttps://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/327335/quad-spi-pcb-layout
BOM IGNORE in Orcad 17.2, how to ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: chipeater
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 02:20:45 pm
content: Hello, I'm using an older version of orcad 17.2 ( company policy ) but I don't have any support for it.I'm trying to declare unconnected components in the schematic.I'm told to use the BOM_IGNORE feature in the component properties but the component is still counted in the BOM.I can't find the answer to my question.Does anyone know the correct way to declare an unconnected component in the schematic so that the BOM is generated correctly?Thank you very much

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 03:04:12 pm
content: The BoM always includes every component that's on the schematic, regardless of whether it has any electrical connections, or represents a real, physical part as opposed to a PCB feature like a test point.I always just delete them manually. It only takes a moment to remove the lines for TP* and MT*.BoM generation has always been a weak point of OrCad, intentionally so. If you don't like it, buy CIS.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 06:12:20 pm
content: Who buys Orcad without CIS?With CIS you can create variants where the unplaced components don't end up in the BOM.A more down to earth solution is to add a 'remark' of 'DNP' field to a component, set that field as a key during BOM generation. That way you should get a BOM in which the unplaced components end up on seperate lines. So at least the assembler knows which components to skip.I use both methods. It just depends on what is more suitable for the design.

author: Eternauta
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 06, 2023, 01:47:08 pm
content: If in property editor add a property named BOM_IGNORE with value TRUE that component is not included in BOM.Always used with Orcad 17.2 and 17.4.Add a red text string "D.N.F." or "D.N.P" on that component as mnemonic
Pads Pro question about silkscreen passing from sch to pcb - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2023, 01:34:33 pm
content: Is there a way to attach a property to a component in designer that becomes a silkscreen text attached to that component?Simply put, a test point on the pcb that has an identifier on the silkscreen besides the refdes. Right now, it's a manual process and I can't believe that's the best we can do in 2023, or even 1983.Maybe just a hint what to look for in the help?Thanks!

author: pienari
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 08, 2023, 06:54:02 pm
content: Hi.I found same issue when i tryed to make an order from JLCPCB.I updated my PADS standard to 2.8 but still same problem.

author: Zoli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 04:58:43 am
content: Quick test in Kicad: +5V is the extra text added to the property sheet.

author: pienari
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2023, 09:53:57 pm
content: So .. i got maybe 100 shemas and layout what i have made for PADS.I have to start looking new desingn software, is there any other software what would accept PADS files?.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2023, 11:56:24 am
content: @ pienari:altium has apparently quite a lot of importers, but I do not like that company very much, and can't afford their software anyway.It could be an option to get a free evaluation version of altium, import, and then import the altium projects in KiCad again.KiCad does not directly import altium projects, but it does import altium schematics and altium PCB's.KiCad can also import a set of Gerber files and convert them to a PCB, but as much info is missing in the gerber files the process requires a fair bit of additional manual work.It is also quite possible there are online services that do this for a fee, but I never looked into that.Also, your software is likely to be able to produce output of the schematic in some "universal" format, such as .pdf, .png and/or .svg, and when a project gets archived I tend to add such output to the archive, and also a set of Gerbers, because that is a pretty universal format too. With that information, any project can be re-created later. This is a quite labor intensive process, but it is relatively simple (and boring) data entry and that is much quicker then a complete re design. From some of my old projects (30+ years ago) a schematic in .png format is all that I still have left. But in the end it does not matter much. because, well, they are old projects. You may want to consider how much effort you want to put in converting your old projects. Maybe only 10 or so out of the 100 are important enough to convert and the rest can be archived and converted later only if the need to do so ever arrives. And who knows, someone may write a direct importer for pads to KiCad at some future date...

author: pienari
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2023, 12:30:13 pm
content: Thank you for the reply.I try to test and hope il find something new and exciting.
Best circuit simulator that can model this - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bonyz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 08:14:00 pm
content: What is the best circuit simulator that can model this and produce output given all the resistor and capacitor values and input? Can you please try entering it in your favorite circuit simulator? Thank you.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 09:00:42 pm
content: https://gotroot.ca/spectrum/www.spectrum-soft.com/download/ug12.pdfGo to the section "How parameter stepping works"No one is going to do this for you.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2023, 10:39:06 pm
content: That looks a lot like a Sallen-Key filter, but with amplification and capacitor "C" connected wrongly.Any decent simulator should be able to handle this, and there are both theory, tables and tools for determining part values for filters.Is this a homework assignment?

author: bonyz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2023, 12:14:30 am
content: I just want to simulate this in a circuit simulator as it is so hard to manually compute. Definitely not a homework assignment. How to connect the capacitor "C" right?

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2023, 12:52:43 am
content: If you just want to simulate it, you can use:- ltspice (maybe some infohere)- microcap- falstadAll free to use.Falstad is easiest to use but I don't think the plotting is very useful.

author: srb1954
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2023, 02:46:04 am
content: Quote from: bonyz on August 10, 2023, 12:14:30 amI wouldn't rely too much on this text for filter designs. The connection of the left-most capacitor to common in the second drawing is definitely wrong - it should connect from the positive input of the op amp to ground as shown in the first diagram.The style of the drawing is very poor too. Where there are 4 lines coming to a common junction it is not clear whether these lines connect or not. There should be a prominent dot indicating a connection otherwise these lines would normally be assumed to cross without connecting. Better still, 4-way junctions should be avoided altogether in schematic diagrams to prevent potential confusion.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2023, 06:28:31 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on August 10, 2023, 12:52:43 amKiCad also has a built in simulator: ngSpice.It's not only Free (as in "beer") but there is a philosophy behind it's freedom.It's unfortunately not the easiest to use. Main problem is that hardly any spice models are attached to KiCad schematic symbols due to copyright and encryption issues with those models.

author: Messtechniker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2023, 09:19:28 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on August 09, 2023, 09:00:42 pmOr go straight to the Microcap Fliter Designer - see pic
What is Batch simulation in Hyperlynx  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 02, 2023, 10:45:49 am
content: Hi, I am wondering what is the Batch simulation in Hyperlynx SI/PI tool of Mentor Graphics. I have found that in DC Drop simulation where there is an option to run Batch simulation and also in DRC there is an option to run Batch DRC check. What is the term Batch.
How to curl the wires in altiium  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ahmettt
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 31, 2023, 07:01:09 pm
content: In schematic library i want to when the two wire is passing in one point one of the wires get curved like in the picture how can i do ?

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2023, 07:11:35 pm
content: I don't think you can? That style hasn't been recommended for decades AFAIK. The standard style is to just cross wires. Indicate junctions with a dot, but don't make 4-way junctions, instead offset one of the wires to make a pair of 3-way junctions.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2023, 07:56:55 pm
content: "Display cross-overs" in Schematic -> General settingshttps://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/schematic-general-preferences?version=19.0

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 01, 2023, 07:42:16 am
content: Just don't cross wires. use more ports
Simulation in Hyperlynx PI  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2023, 08:34:22 am
content: Hi, I am working with Mentor Graphics Xpeditaion PCB design software. In Hyperlynx PI, I am trying to simulation dc drop simulation on power nets. The dc drop simulation does not include plane switching noise and the effect of decoupling capacitors. It only performs dc drop simulation on a power plane.There are two options to perform the dc drop simulation in Hyperlynx PI.Option 1: without reference net:In this option we only perform dc drop simulation on power nets without including reference nets. The power nets of the voltage source is assigned a voltage reference, called VRM and the power nets of all the ICs are assigned DC sink model. I can run this simulation.The problem is if I include reference net than I don't know which model to assign to which net.Option 2:In this option we include reference reference net which is ground net. Now there are power nets on voltage source and power nets on all the ICs. Do I assign them as VRM and DC sink respectively ?In addition to that, there are ground nets on voltage source and ground nets on all the ICs. Do I assign them as VRM and DC sink respectively ? or DC sink and DC sink respectively ?
Qucs Studio - Status? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Uky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2023, 09:48:31 am
content: Visited the web page for Qucs Studio to see if there was any newsand went on to the forum section.Just a whole lot of spam/faked accounts.Anyone know if the development has ended?

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2023, 10:05:24 am
content: I'm using QucsStudio from Linux, through WineHQ, and it works just fine.I like QucsStudio because it can attach sliders to components, and visualize the results live, while dragging the sliders' values with the mouse (this feature is called "Tune"). Other than that, I prefer LTspice, which is free to use for non-commercial and is maintained by a company (QucsStudio has only one developer).

author: Uky
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2023, 04:03:20 pm
content: Yes - I use it too. The version that is listed on the the home page.The reason why I asked is because the webmaster obviously does not visit his own home page.No-one would allow all that c--p be posted in the forum section for more than a few days.One spam entry is dated 5 weeks ago.At least to me, it seems that the project has been abandoned.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2023, 06:15:04 pm
content: Maybe the project is abandoned, but it's a finished product that still works. Why updating if it works.It is a one man show software, free to use, and not open source. So, unless the developer will need extra features, and be kind enough to publish them, most probably the current version is the most we'll get.I think QUCS, which is not the same as QucsStudio, is still developed. Has about the same appearance, maybe some extra tools, except last time I've checked QUCS didn't have sliders (the tune feature).

author: shridmaster
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2023, 08:46:50 pm
content: Qucs is abandoned, QucsStudio is still updated regularly, there's also Qucs-S which is updated even more regularly.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2023, 07:25:09 am
content: My brief conclusion in 2021, after trying them was that QucsStudio was the easiest/nicest to install and use:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/eda/qucs-qucs-s-and-qucsstudio-simulators-are-not-the-same-thing/

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2023, 01:38:02 pm
content: QUCS-S is the most actively developed version at the moment. I receive replies to the GitHub email list several times a week by Vadim Kusnetsov and there are many interesting conversations to follow. QUCSSTUDIO is also useful, but its forum is a mess and needs moderation. QUCS itself doesn't seem to be active very much. I follow their mailing list, but it's very quiet.
Dielectric and surface finish  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2023, 11:39:31 am
content: Hi, I have read that "The speed of the propagating EM wave is inversely proportional to the dielectric constant. Hence, a low Dk PCB material will have the following advantages: High-speed signals propagate with lower losses. Reduced crosstalk between closely spaced traces and vias."Which dielectric should be used in the application include high speed ADC design up to 2.5 GSPS connected to ZYNQ Ultrascale+ on a custom develop board having 2 GByte LPDDR4 RAM. The custom board also contains peripherals like 10GigE, USB 3.0, PCIe, and SD-Card. This is a complex deign. That's why I am wondering if FR4 is still an option or a stackup with lower dielectric constant material should be considered ?What is the difference between these surface finishes: ENIG｜HAL｜HAL lead free｜OSP｜Immersion Sn｜Immersion silver｜Plating hard gold｜Plating silver
free routing has just become a wet lettuce - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 01:59:11 pm
content: I've used freerouting for a long time but lately it seems to struggle with the simplest of tasks, or rather it will route the board to a point leaving things that are next to each other or in a clear line of sight unrouted.Has something changed? I am launching it from kicad, does that apply particular settings?

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 09:44:35 pm
content: I haven't used freerouting in years and I thought it was dead. I have an old version of it (the last one the original author released before stopping, I think he had troubles with Zuken or something regarding IP.)Anyway, just saw that it's still being maintained (didn't know):https://github.com/freerouting/freeroutingI don't know what version you use with KiCad. But if it's a recent version/if it updates from github, then definitely there are commits that date back to 1 month ago.If you can reproduce the issue with a "minimal" design, maybe you can open a ticket on their github.

author: julian1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 04:16:36 am
content: The work done in freerouting to support multi-threading was a good performance improvement. There could be a debate about how comparable the output results are with that produced from older code forks.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 08:18:50 am
content: Well I ran the same board in the same freerouting but without launching it via the kicad plugin and it worked just fine. I looks like the kicad plugin may be passing some setting that causes an issue.
Exporting Projects from CircuitMaker for Altium Designer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: worstbread
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 06:31:05 pm
content: Hello,I've been using CircuitMaker 2.0 for my designs, but I've recently decided to shift to Altium Designer. I'm encountering some difficulties though, as CircuitMaker doesn't seem to offer a straightforward export option for this transition.Does anyone know of a workaround for exporting projects from CircuitMaker for use in Altium Designer? Any help, tips, or guidance from those who've faced this situation before would be greatly appreciated.In the help page from Altium the links they provide don't work anymore:https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/how-to-import-circuitmaker-files-into-altiumThanks in advance for your assistance!
LTspice .asc File Format help wanted - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: benbradley
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2023, 11:27:54 pm
content: Does anyone have any info on the LTspice .asc file format? I'm wanting to do some reverse-engineering on it (so I can programmatically alter files). I've got what I need for right now, I'm just changing a bunch of R and C values and it's pretty obvious how to do this, but I'm wondering if anyone has a more nearly complete file format for it. There's info on general spice, but that's not helpful here, I want stuff LTspice specific.
PCB traces and transmission line - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 08:18:14 am
content: Hi,I have heard that at some point when the signal clock frequency or bandwidth is increased beyond a certain value than the PCB traces turn into a transmission line. What does that mean ?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 11:13:17 am
content: Quote from: joniengr081 on June 29, 2023, 08:18:14 amThat is the wrong question. When a conductor (any kind of conductor) is longer than 1/10th of the wavelength (as a rule of thumb), you should consider it a transmission line. So what you want to learn is transmission theory. Yes, 50Hz/60Hz mains grid distribution means dealing with transmission lines.

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 01:27:27 pm
content: I use Saturn tool to calculate the maximum length of conductor in FR4. I just put clock frequency 1000 MHz and 1/10 wavelength divide factor, I get 1.18 inches. How much this value is realistic. How about if I need to route 2 inches a digital signal with clock frequency of 1 GHz in FR4.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 03:31:50 pm
content: It is realistic, but it does not mean it is impossible to have longer traces. All you need is impedance match your traces and follow the guidelines for transmission line routing (no stubs, avoid vias, have solid ground planes). And any devices that can generate or receive 1 GHz would specify the impedance values, your goal is to match them to avoid reflections.
RS components API - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: abeckers
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 24, 2021, 01:45:28 pm
content: Hi all,Does anyone know how if RS components has some sort of API that allows you to retrieve component information based on for instance the part number? I'm writing a simple BOM parser which automatically completes my BOM with pricing information, datasheet and availability based on the part number. Farnell for instance has a nice API for this (https://partner.element14.com/docs/Product_Search_API_REST__Description) but RS seems to be lacking one and their helpdesk is unresponsive.Thank you for helping me out in advance.

author: BenMB
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 21, 2023, 02:39:29 pm
content: Hi abeckers,Today I had the same questions as you.Did you find the answer?I assume it is no, as I didn't find API info on the RS Components website.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2023, 04:10:46 pm
content: may be you could use the octopart API, that can read in the RS inventory ?
Permanently marking PCBs - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 02:46:19 pm
content: I often have a need to write on PCBs, typically to record a serial number or mod level. But all the markers I've tried (includes Sharpie, Lumocolor, and pens rated for glass) seem to convert into dry-wipe when they encounter solder resist.Has anyone found a reliable marker that will resist fingers, alcohol etc. ?Is there a surface treatment (such as silkscreen ink) that will make an area more resistant to cleaning than solder resist ?

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 03:15:21 pm
content: Tungsten scribe

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 03:27:52 pm
content: lol. Good permanence but low contrast.Also - I didn't put this in the original requirements but polythene is another material that I have difficulty marking permanently, and although tungsten will indeed work it degrades the material badly.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 03:28:22 pm
content: I find permanent markers fine on resist - I use Staedler Lumocolor fine markers, but pretty much any permanent marker I've used is fine.The only issue I see is finding a marker that's impervious to solvents when cleaning/reworking.Also I always put a white silkscreen block for marking

author: artag
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 03:39:17 pm
content: It may be that colour is also an issue. I've tried various black ones for marking channel number on some radio transmitters. They get a lot of handling and it eventually (ie too quickly) rubs off.I remember that when we used to make PCBs with hand-applied etch resist many years ago, lumocolor red was recommended and, further, was not useful in the USA because they used a different ink formulation there. So it could be that some pigments are tougher.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 07:01:42 pm
content: Some label thermal printers can "print on" (more like burn into) a plastic tape which should be resistant to chemicals. Have you tried something like that?

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 06, 2023, 07:59:19 pm
content: Permanent marker then paint some clear electronics lacquer / conformal coating over the top of it.
Lower dielectric constant in PCB layout  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: joniengr081
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 08:27:01 am
content: Hi,What are the advantages of using lower dielectric constant in PCB layout. Is that true that having lower dielectric constant in the stack up will have lower cross talk ? And for PCB involving high speed signals, lower dielectric constant is better ? What are the limitations of FR4 ?

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 09:27:36 pm
content: https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/pcb-substrates-knowing-dielectric-materials-properties/https://www.raypcb.com/pcb-dielectric-constant/FR4 can be down to 3.8, but a typical cheap board house might use 4.3-4.6.https://www.pcbway.com/pcb_prototype/PCB_material_classification.html

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2023, 09:43:43 pm
content: All other things being equal (i.e., dimensions) a lower dielectric constant in the insulation between conductor and ground in a microstrip (or other transmission line geometry), gives less capacitance per unit length (inductance remains the same), and that gives a higher characteristic impedance and faster speed. The actual equations are not as simple as for a coaxial line.An introduction:https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/mt-094.pdf