Leading the way for over 40 years
At the heart of complex devices where the PCB needs to be robust and reliable, lie high speed PCB design. Essentially, high speed printed circuit board design involves the process of balancing circuit board requirements, fabrication material, methodology and more, to create a PCB where signal integrity isn’t compromised. High Speed PCB design lends itself to miniaturization of devices as well as the increased rates of data transfer.
Characteristics of High-Speed PCB
The main characteristics with which you can identify a high speed PCB design include:
- Use of HDMI, Ethernet, SATA, PCI Express, USB, Thunderbolt, or other high speed interfaces for quick data transfer.
- Presence of multiple sub circuits that are connected through high speed interfaces.
- Digital frequency of 50MHz or more.
- Trace length which is 1/15 the wavelength of the signal.
- Small size of PCB.
High speed design involves paying due attention to a number of aspects so as to prevent noise generation, signal reflection, cross-talk and more. This includes:
- Evenly distribute power to reduce noise.
- Use the recommended routing techniques.
- Match impedance.
- Terminate signal and transmission lines so that signal reflection is diminished.
- Reduce cross-talk between arallel traces.
- Ensure the effects of ground bounce are reduced.
Similarly, the process of routing a board with high-speed signals involves looking out for:
- Properties and dimensions of board materials.
- The mechanical dimensions of the routes that can ensure controlled impedance.
- Quantity and arrangement of layers.
- Return path of high-speed signals.
- Configuration of vias.
- Controlling the route lengths.
High Speed PCB Guideline for Routing
- Focus on smaller trace length
- Focus on space between traces
- Proper use of length equalization
- Avoid use of large number of vias
Challenges While Designing High-speed PCB
There are a number of challenges when it comes to high speed PCB design. These include:
- Having tight tolerances with respect to board stackup, capacitance, length and width of marks, and more.
- Availability of high speed material to support signal speed, such as FR-4, Polyamide, PTFE
- Selecting the correct layer stack up, when it comes to multilayer boards.
- Board to board interconnections, and more.
It is imperative, therefore, that your high speed PCB design layout partner is equipped with the right tools and has enough experience to take care of these aspects. At Mer-Mar Electronics, we have robust experience in designing high speed PCBs. Right from the schematic to final Gerber files, you can count on us to meet your exact requirements. Rest assured that we can cater to high complexity designs with reduced design time. Our experts take into account aspects such as:
- PCB Material
- Size and stack up
- Placement of components
- Decoupling & Bypassing
- Routing topology
- Motherboard-daughterboard configuration
- Connectors
- Grounding, and more, during the transition from the schematic to the PCB and system level.
Besides we also work with clients to review specifications, support testing, review and troubleshoot new and existing designs.
Certifications
Mer-Mar Electronics, the go-to place for
High Speed PCB Design
Competent Team –
You can rely on our experienced team of high-speed board design engineers who are equipped with industry best practices. What you get in turn, are PCB designs that focus on manufacturability and performance.
Superior Expertise –
Our expertise in PCB Layout spans complex multi-processor, MIL-STD-compliant, multi-layer boards. We also cater to highly dense and complex small footprint PCBs with our proven design methodologies and processes.
Quick turnaround time –
With our quick turnaround time, you can ensure that go-to-market isthat much quicker, offering you a big source of competitive advantage.
Cost-effective designs –
Count on us to use the latest peripherals & processors to deliver cost-effective designs that render your project competitive.
What Our Customer Says
High Speed PCB Design Service
Schematic Capture
Count on us to create schematics from specifications, diagrams and verbal discussions. You could give us the schematics in any format and we can convert that into CAD format. We also validate BOM. It is imperative to start with a schematic capture for the high speed PCB design and layout.
PCB Reverse Engineering
We are competent to be able to create a new PCB design along with all the supporting documentation from an existing board or existing design files and drawings. Additionally, we can also review an existing design and offer cost optimization methods. PCB reverse engineering can help to redesign a PCB for primary needs. We are also equipped to offer re-engineering services to correct any design flaws or to optimize PCB designs that lead to improved efficiency as well as lowering of costs, thereby rendering your project competitive.
Signal Integrity
Count on us to achieve a given set of signal integrity specifications. Mainly, the signal integrity problems in high-speed digital system consist of reflection, crosstalk, delay, calling, impedance matching and more. We ensure that the right PCB material is used to do it. In addition, we take care of controlled impedance as well as crosstalk requirements.
Design Analysis
Our design analysis services include the following aspects:
- Library management
- PCB layout & analysis
- Power integrity analysis
- Signal integrity analysis
- Structural analysis
- Thermal analysis
Catering to all types of boards
Our professional high speed PCB design services cater to all types of boards. Whether your requirement is for rigid, flex, rigid-flex, single-sided, double-sided or multilayered boards, we have you covered. We also provide high frequency PCBs, SMT, through hole circuit boards, Rogers PCB, RoHS compliant circuit boards and more.
PCB Design Testing
You can bank upon us to undertake electrical and functional testing services of the designed PCB to ensure accuracy in operation and weeding out of flaws, if any.
High Speed PCB Design Process
The broad procedure of high speed PCB design involves the following steps:
- Block diagram
- Design specification
- Library components review
- Schematic design
- Schematic review FW engineer
- Components placement
- Layer stack calculation
- Pre-layout analysis
- PCB routing
- PCB layout review
- Post-layout analysis
- Design documentation development
At Mer-Mar Electronics, we ensure that the highest quality standards are adhered to, at each stage. In addition, we ensure that irrespective of the level of complexity, we work towards reducing design time as well as costs.
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High Speed PCB Design Capabilities
Our high-speed PCB design capabilities span the following aspects:
- Schematic captures, Manual Routing
- Multi-layer Boards designing
- Digital, Analog, Mixed Signal, Power and RF Designs
- High-speed design rules and cross talk management
- Blind and Buried via Designs
- EMI / EMC design guidelines
- BGA, Fine Line BGA & Micro-BGA Designs
- DUT/LOAD card design and Burn-in board designs
- RoHS Compliant Layout Design and fabrication
- Split POWER/ GROUND Planes
- Number of Layers: Up to 24
- Bus Speeds: 1.4 GHz with 32bit width
- Controlled Impedance for Signals as well as Power Planes
- Different Bus Topologies
- Daisy Chain, Star and length Matched
- Memory Interface Types: DDR, RD RAM, SSRAM, SDRAM, Serial/Parallel Flash and Flash Cards
- High Speed I/O Interfaces: Multi Giga bit Serial Interface, High speed Ethernet, PCI Express, Optical Fiber, VME Interface, RF Designs of 2.8 GHz
- Different Form Factors: PCI and PCI Express, PCI- Mezzanine, PCMCIA, PC103, Euro, Extended Euro
- Components Packages: Micro- BGA, BGB VME Connectors etc.
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Application of High Speed PCB Design:
High Speed PCBs designs find a wide application including but not limited to:
- Computational devices such as computers, smartphones and more
- Communication devices
- Medical
- Aerospace
- IoT
- Electronics
High Speed PCB Design FAQs
Are you looking for high speed PCB design, custom circuit board design, PCB layout or any other PCB design service from Mer-Mar Electronics? Send us inquiry to Get High Speed PCB Design Quote based on your custom requirements.
If you have any queries regarding to our PCB design service or need an urgent assistance, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team of skilled personnel. Send us an email with your queries at sales@mermarinc.com or call us at (760) 244-6149. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
