Target Condition: The 5 Ws of PCB Design Constraints
Fresh PCB Concepts: More Than Compliance—A Human-centered Sustainability Approach
Elementary Mr. Watson: Closing the Gap Between Design and Manufacturing
Material Selection and RF Design
April 21, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Innovation rarely sleeps in this industry, and the RF laminate segment offers a perfect example. RF materials have continued to evolve, providing PCB designers much more than an either/or choice. I asked materials expert Alun Morgan, technology ambassador for the Ventec International Group, to walk us through the available RF material sets and how smart material selection can ease the burden on RF designers and design engineers.
Andy Shaughnessy: Alun, just give us a quick refresher: How are RF materials different from traditional PCB laminates?
Alun Morgan: RF covers a broad range of frequencies, often defined as the spectrum from 3 KHz to 300 GHz. At the low end, traditional materials are fine; however, the influence of the material becomes much more critical as frequency increases.
Shaughnessy: How does RF differ from HSD (high-speed digital)?
Morgan: They are two different worlds, with very different design requirements. RF is primarily concerned with the propagation of analog waveforms, whereas HSD is primarily concerned with the transmission of binary digital bitstreams. Each has its particular benefits and drawbacks. The good news is that materials designed for high-speed digital applications are also generally suitable for high-frequency analog circuits.
Shaughnessy: What do PCB designers moving into the RF space need to understand about material selection?
Morgan: There are some very specific electrical properties that are important when selecting materials for RF or HSD applications. The first is the dielectric constant (Dk) of the material. The Dk is the ability of the substrate to store electric energy in an electrical field. It is a dimensionless property and is quoted as a value relative to a vacuum, which has a Dk of 1. Why does it matter? It matters because it determines transmission speed and must be accounted for when calculating the timing and synchronization of high-speed signals; it is also crucial for impedance matching and control. The Dk is very much a design consideration, and specific designs may require higher or lower values.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the April 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Creating a Design Constraint Strategy
07/24/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamMost designers learn how to set their design constraints through trial and error. EDA vendors’ guidelines explain how to use their particular tools’ constraints, and IPC standards offer a roadmap, but PCB designers usually develop their own unique styles for setting constraints. Is there a set of best practices for setting constraints? That’s what I asked Global Electronics Association design instructor Kris Moyer, who covers design constraints in his classes.
Meet the Author: Beth Turner Explores Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics
07/28/2025 | I-Connect007In a special Meet the Author edition of On the Line with…, host Nolan Johnson welcomes Beth Turner, senior technical manager at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. Beth is the author of The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Encapsulating Sustainability for Electronics.
The Pulse: Design Constraints for the Next Generation
07/17/2025 | Martyn Gaudion -- Column: The PulseIn Europe, where engineering careers were once seen as unpopular and lacking street credibility, we have been witnessing a turnaround in the past few years. The industry is now welcoming a new cohort of designers and engineers as people are showing a newfound interest in the profession.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
07/15/2025 | Global Electronics Association Advocacy and Government Relations TeamThe copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50% tariff on imported copper effective Aug. 1. Recent news reports, including from the New York Times, sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13% in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.
Symposium Review: Qnity, DuPont, and Insulectro Forge Ahead with Advanced Materials
07/02/2025 | Barb Hockaday, I-Connect007In a dynamic and informative Innovation Symposium hosted live and on Zoom on June 25, 2025, representatives from Qnity (DuPont's electronics business), DuPont, and Insulectro discussed the evolving landscape of flexible circuit materials. From strategic corporate changes to cutting-edge polymer films, the session offered deep insight into design challenges, reliability, and next-gen solutions shaping the electronics industry.