OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

Signal integrity expert, Dr. Eric Bogatin, joins us in this episode to talk about the upcoming DesignCon conference and expo that will be held in Santa Clara, CA January 28th through January 30th. Dr. Bogatin shares information about the presentations he’ll be giving; this includes a 2-part S-Parameter master class, speed training about understanding TDR measurements, and a session tackling tricks the experts use to get more out of their oscilloscopes, just to name a few. Listen in or watch the full episode!

Check out the show highlights below for some excellent free online design resources on the SI academy website and all the sessions from this year’s AltiumLive.

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Watch the video, click here.

Show Highlights:

• Eric explains ‘Rule #9’.
• To add more value while on the expo floor at DesignCon, ‘speed training’ will be available to everyone. These are short, fun, and informal presentations covering one topic or demo. All speed training sessions at DesignCon are free.
• Four of the world’s experts in signal and power integrity—with 150 to 200 years of collective years of expertise between them—will be on stage together in the ‘Stump the Experts’ panel: Steve Sandler, Istvan Novak, Vladimir Dmitriev-Zdorov, and Larry Smith. Be sure to bring your questions and problems to this discussion. 
• Every six months there is a printed version of the Signal Integrity Journal. The latest edition will be distributed at DesignCon 2020. The cover article, ‘The Myth of Three Capacitor Values’, reveals the origins of this design rule for decoupling capacitors, and why it no longer applies.
• On Thursday, Jan 30, an expert panel will untangle the countless digital communication standards. This panel discussion will be of great value to those working with high-speed serial links. 
• Also on Thursday: the Career Zone Session will be an excellent opportunity for young engineers to obtain guidance on the fundamentals of starting out in this industry, followed by networking and individual coaching sessions.
• Eric will also do other speed sessions/demonstrations to increase your understanding of TDR (time-domain reflectometer), and S-Parameter measurement for differentials without a return path. 
• Those unable to attend DesignCon, please take advantage of the Signal Integrity Academy hosted by Teledyne LeCroy. It features a vast collection of free best design practices for signal and power integrity, plus best measurement practices, illustrating four essential principles, including Rule #9.   
• You will also find a series of webinars on the Signal Integrity Academy about the correct usage of a TDR, plus a series on their new network analyzer.
• Eric has a new book on transmission lines in the works, which will be available soon from Artech.
• Teledyne has a new high-performance, low-end scope that is also very low-cost. Look out for his presentation, ‘SI/PI on a Budget: Five Tricks to Get More out of Your Oscilloscope’ at DesignCon (also coming to various other venues in the coming months).
• Be sure to watch the video recordings of Eric’s talks at AltiumLive 2019: ‘Mastering the TDR in 45 Minutes’ and ‘Breaking Bad: A Downside of Open Source Designs.’ 
• Remember to like, subscribe, and tell us what you want to learn about!          

Links and Resources:

Signal Integrity Academy 
DesignCon 2020 
Signal Integrity Journal 
Sign up for Print Version of Signal Integrity Journal & Free Newsletter
Career Zone Session: What’s Next? How to Jumpstart Your Career
New this year, the DesignCon Career Zone
Mastering the TDR in 45 Minutes, Eric Bogatin at AltiumLive 2019
Breaking Bad: A Downside of Open Source Designs, Eric Bogatin AltiumLive 2019
Artech House Publishers (technical book publisher that will publish Eric’s book soon)
Teledyne LeCroy’s TDR and S-Parameter Equipment

See What's New in Altium Designer