Polar Brings New Book 'The PCB Designers Guide to... More Secrets of High Speed PCBs' to EIPC Edinburgh
May 27, 2025 | Polar InstrumentsEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Polar Instruments' latest book, The PCB Designer's Guide to... More Secrets of High Speed PCBs, will see its European Launch at the EIPC conference in Edinburgh, June 3-4, 2025. More Secrets unveils more of the knowledge that is often missed from theoretical text books to help both new and experienced designers realize the PCBs they “thought” they had designed. The traps of extended supply chains, the ever expanding variety of base materials that need to be handled and the challenges of communication of ever more complex multilayer stackups.
With guidance for setting expectations of production tolerances – and an answer to the question “Where is the PCB-making machine?” – the new book gives a useful back story to the life of a PCB to designers who are immersed in electrical specifications. For non-electronics specialists and procurement engineers the information contained perhaps gives a glimpse of the challenges faced by designers too.
With a guest chapter from Bert Simonovich, "Demystifying the modeling of vias and offering an alternative to full 3D via modeling," the book adds to the picture painted by its predecessor The PCB Designer's Guide to... Secrets of High Speed PCBs.
“The PCB Designer's Guide to... More Secrets of High Speed PCBs successfully distracts young engineers from their phones at coffee breaks,” remarks Neil Chamberlain, Signal integrity Product Manager.
Discover how to elevate your PCB design and fabrication process. Learn more and download your copy here.
Suggested Items
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?
Beyond Design: The Metamorphosis of the PCB Router
06/18/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignThe traditional PCB design process is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Routing a complex PCB layout can consume up to 30% of a designer’s time, and addressing this issue is not straightforward. We have all encountered this scenario: You spend hours setting the constraints and finally hit the Go button, only to be surprised by the lack of visual appeal and the obvious flaws in the result.
Zuken Autorouters Embrace Collaborative AI
06/12/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineMaybe you’ve never liked autorouters; if so, you’re not alone. As Andy Buja, Zuken’s technical account manager for PCB Solutions, admits, autorouters are not perfect. But today’s autorouters allow designers a greater level of control than ever before, especially routers that incorporate collaborative AI.
The Shaughnessy Report: Planning Your Best Route
06/10/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportDesigners don’t like autorouters, period. In my 26 years of covering PCB design and EDA tools, I’ve met about 25 designers who admit to using autorouters regularly. Two of these, Barry Olney and Stephen Chavez, have articles in this issue. If experts like these use routers, why haven’t you tried one?