OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

Better thermal efficiency, how to do better power efficiency, how to reduce losses, how to help people handle those thermal losses? This episode is a real treat.

Our guest Steven Schnier, Systems Engineer for Power Management at Texas Instruments generously shares the different strategies for designing better thermal and power efficient PCB.

Watch through the end, this episode is sure have great tips and strategies that you don’t want to miss.

Watch this episode here.

Show Highlights:

• Introduction to Steven Schnier, Systems Engineer for Power Management at Texas Instruments
• Steven shares that Texas Instrument is currently focusing on better thermal efficiency, how to do better power efficiency, how to reduce losses, how to help people handle those thermal losses
• What is the best strategy in regulating the LDO?
• Eliminating the LDO to lower the noise, but keep in mind that LDO does not solve all the noise issues
• Steven briefly explains the difference between low noise, ripple, and EMI
• Using a ferrite bead filter is one of most common ways to suppress noise and switching frequency
• Steven dives in the details on the appropriate use of ferrites and shares about Texas Instrument’s integrated ferrite bead filter
• Where would you add damping in that pie circuit that you might be putting on the output of that buck converter?
• Steven shares a tip on how to reduce output voltage ripple
• Ferrite beads help with EMI concerns, crosstalk concerns, and transmission line effects, but ultimately to kill the noise and the output ripple
• Steven generously shares different strategies for designing for better thermal and power efficiency
• Various ADC (analogue-to-digital converter) products at Texas Instruments
• When does a multi-phase converter applicable to use?
• Steven talks about the Texas Instruments’ TPS series module equivalents
• BGA vs QFN, when to use what?
• Texas Instruments is going with higher power density, so expect more progress on that

Links and Resources:

• Read Power Integrity related articles
• Read: The Beginner's Guide to PCB Power Integrity: From Board to Package
• Watch related videos:
  • Ferrites in Power Delivery Networks - Part One
  • Ferrites in Power Delivery Networks - Part Two
  • LDOs Vs. Switching Regulators - Power Regulation in PCB Design: Part One
  • LDO Deep Dive - Power Regulation in PCB Design: Part Two
• Connect with Steven Schnier via Linkedin
• Visit Texas Instrument Website