EETimes Columns by Lee Ritchey:

February 2004 "IC packaging can make or break pc boards"

March 2004 "TTL:Too dated for speedy design"

April 2004 "App notes not a necessary evil"

May 2004 "Not all fabricators are equal"

June 2004 "DAC lack: no talk on package defects"

July 2004 "Mentor tools links FPGA, pcb design"

August 2004 "Fixing FPGA package problems"

September 2004 "Let's get it right with parts info"

October 2004 "The cost of FPGA packaging defects"

November 2004 "Readers weigh in on package woes"

December 2004 "Memory interface package woes"

Go straight to Current Source Newsletter summaries.

Other Articles by Lee Ritchey	Author	Date
Intelligent Design	Ritchey	4/07
On The Problem of Jitter and Skew in Gigabit and Faster Signals Caused by Laminate Weaves	Ritchey	2/07
Bridging the Gap: A Challange to Laminate Manufacturers–Circuitree Magazine	Ritchey	1/06
Selecting PCB Suppliers	Ritchey	Revised 2/03
Test Structure Needed for Multilayer PCBs	Ritchey	10/05
Third in a Continuing Series of Test Lab Reports-Effects of Vias	Ritchey	4/00
VCC and Ground Bounce in Planes and IC Packages -Presentation	Ritchey	2/03
Anatomy of a Plated Through Hole	Ritchey	8/01
Testlab Article-Plane Splits and Effects of Soldermasks- PCB Design Magazine	Ritchey	1/01
A Tutorial on PCB Materials	Ritchey	11/99
Differential Signalling Doesn't Require Differential Impedance	Ritchey	3/99
IPC Controlled Impedance	Ritchey	3/03
Power Plane Thermal Tie Design	Ritchey	2/01

List of Reference Papers and Articles in Lee Ritchey's Archive
(some copes are available on request)

Articles by Other Authors	Author	Date
When bad packages kill good pc boards	Richard Goering	12/04
Comparison of X2Y vs 0402 Capacitors for Decoupling	John Zazio	6/03
What You Lose From a Lossy Line	Dr. Eric Bogatin	3/03
What is Characteristic Impedance?	Dr. Eric Bogatin	1/00
What Really is Inductance?	Dr. Eric Bogatin	3/00
Partitioning and Layout of a Mixed Signal PCB, PC Design	Henry Ott	6/01
High End Digital Systems Give a Thumbs Down to Rules of Thumb	Michael C. Grimes	6/00
Power Distribution System Design Methodology and Capacitor Selection for Modern CMOS Technology, IEEE Press.	Smith et al
High Speed Digital System Design	Hall, Hall, McCall, Wiley	2000
High-Speed Design's Ratchet Man	Goering	12/98
The Ultimate Board, A Study of Laser Vias vs. Build Up	Smedley et al	5/98
Understanding Surface Finishes	Prasad	5/98
Electrical Characteristics of HS TLs with Various Diel	Montgomery	4/98
Take the Mystery out of AC Termination	Nemek	9/97
Incorporating BGAs into High Volume Operations	Partridge	8/97
Primer on High Performance Laminates with Cost and Property	Neusch	6/97
High Performance Connectors - Gnr to Signal Problems	Modinger et al	2/97
High Performance Connectors - The Weak Link	Modinger et al	2/97
Permittivity/Dielectric Constant: Do the Math	Neves	11/96
Controlling Impedance and the TDR	Neves	9/96
Selecting the Appropriate Test Pattern for Fab Defect	Rhodes	9/96
Test Your Spread Spectrum Products	Schwarts	8/96
Table of PCB Tolerances	Multek	1/95
Effects of 20H Rule and Shielding Vias on Electromagnetic Radiation on Printed Circuit Boards	Chen and Fang
90 Degree Corners, the Final Turn	Brooks	1/98
Base Materials for High Speed, High Frequency PC Boards	Rick Hartley	3/02

Current Source Articles-Order Now!

Newsletter Volume 1 Issue No. 1

What a Difference a Signal Makes ‘ A detailed treatment of differential signaling
Material Evidence ‘ A discussion of how to select the correct PCB material for each application
Frequently Asked Question- Where Should Decoupling Capacitors be Placed and How Many are Needed?
Frequently Asked Question ‘ Should Nonfunctional Pads be Removed From PCB Artwork?
Frequently Asked Question ‘ How Many Thermal Ties Are Needed to Connect a Power Pin to a Power Plane?

Newsletter Volume 1 Issue No. 2

Test Structures Needed for Multilayer PCBs
Considerations When Designing a Stack up for a Multilayer PCB
Frequently Asked Question – What Size Capacaitor Packages Should I Choose for My Design?
Frequently Asked Question – Should Low Loss or High Loss Capacitors be Used?
Frequently Asked Question – What Type of Insulating Material Should I Use for My Ceramic Decoupling capacitors?

Newsletter Volume 1 Issue No. 3

What is EMI, Where Does It Come From and How Can It Be Controlled?
Pad Stack Design and Power Plane Design
Frequently Asked Question – Do Vias Act as Stubs?
Frequently Asked Question – What is Back Drilling and When Should It Be Done?

Newsletter Volume 1 Issue No. 4

Comparison of X2Y vs. 0402 Capacitors for Decoupling
How do return Currents Find Their Way From Plane to Plane When a Signal Changes Layers?
PCB Surface Finishes
Frequently Asked Question – Why Do Ferrite Beads Show Up in Applications Notes?

Newsletter Volume 2 Issue No. 1 – coming soon!

Should IC Outputs Be Tested With Capacitive Loads or How Do IC Data Sheets Need to Change?
How Should Test Points Be Connected to High Speed Nets?
Frequently Asked Question- How is Parasitic Inductance of a DC-Dc Converter or Capacitor Measured?
Frequently Asked Question- How Can an Oscillloscope Probe be Grounded to an All Surface Mount PCB?

List of Reference Papers and Articles in Lee Ritchey's Archive
(some copes are available on request)

Related Articles

EETimes Columns by Lee Ritchey: