<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lqc1jmbSxnE" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
Why is the thickness of PCB layers important? Explained.
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

How to choose PCB?

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OG2Ci_xr0pM" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
If you would like to watch a full step-by-step tutorial about how to design your own custom keyboard, let me know in comments. Thx for watching.
    </div>


    <div class="blog-content-chapters">
        <div>
            Chapters:
        </div>
        <ul class="chapters-list">
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:00</span><span class="chapters-text">Overview</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:20</span><span class="chapters-text">Keyboard parts</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:54</span><span class="chapters-text">Keyboard PCB design</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">02:35</span><span class="chapters-text">Small version</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">03:53</span><span class="chapters-text">Keyboard case</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">05:11</span><span class="chapters-text">Switches and encoders</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">06:10</span><span class="chapters-text">Keycaps</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">06:56</span><span class="chapters-text">Firmware QMK</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">07:52</span><span class="chapters-text">VIA app to set shortcuts</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">08:28</span><span class="chapters-text">Finished keyboard</span></li>
    </div>
    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

I Built This Custom Keyboard from Scratch

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3Ny3j5nH0U" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
Close look at BGA soldering, chip soldering, hand soldering and more
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content-chapters">
        <div>
            Chapters:
        </div>
        <ul class="chapters-list">
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:00</span><span class="chapters-text">What is this video about</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">00:09</span><span class="chapters-text">Soldering BGA</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">01:18</span><span class="chapters-text">Soldering TSSOP</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">03:05</span><span class="chapters-text">Soldering QFN</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">06:02</span><span class="chapters-text">Hand soldering</span></li>
            <li class="chapters-list-item"><span class="chapters-time">08:35</span><span class="chapters-text">Multilayer PCB under a microscope</span></li>
    </div>

    
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://www.keyence.eu/yt-kib-vhx-0924">Microscope Keyence VHX-7000N</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://fedevel.com/courses">FEDEVEL Online courses</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>  
</div>

Have you ever seen soldering THIS close?

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B8wQVrPKTSw" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        When you are doing layout, sometimes you may want to use a special rule in a specific area. For example if you have a BGA with a very small pitch, which requires a special clearance rule to fanout the tracks.<br><br>

        The simplest way how to do it in Altium Designer, is to set a minimum clearance rule under the problematic footprint. 
    </div>
</div>


Altium Tutorial – Smaller clearance under BGA or Footprint

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="blog-content">
        Do you need a special PCB stackup for your project? The following steps will help you to get the stackup you want.
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 1 – Suggest a stackup</h2>
        Easiest way is to modify/adjust an existing stackup. If you need to start from a scratch, try to use standard materials. Here are some examples of materials which you can use:<br><br>

        <i>Screenshot of standard materials used during PCB manufacturing</i>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/2cf59-pcb-materials.png" alt="pcb materials" />
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-text">
        This screenshot was taken from <a href="http://www.sqpinternational.com/">SQP International</a> website. <a href="http://www.sqpinternational.com/base_materials.php">Here you can find there more information.</a><br><br>

        If you would like to see how PCB is manufactured, have a look at this video which I made some time ago: <a href="http://www.fedevel.com/blog/how-does-a-multilayer-pcb-is-made/">How is a multilayer PCB made</a>. That may help you to understand how the PCB material is put together.<br><br>

        <i>TIP: Ideally, you want to keep the thickness of dielectricum, which is placed between reference GND and signal layer, to minimum. This will help you to minimize crosstalk between tracks.</i>
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 2 – Calculate track geometry</h2>
        I often use <a href="http://www.saturnpcb.com/">Saturn PCB</a> software to calculate track geometry (e.g. to calculate track width for all the digital signals, which need to be 50 or 55OHM). The software is free, easy to use and it gives you quite accurate numbers. You can download it from here: <a href="http://saturnpcb.com/pcb_toolkit.htm">Saturn PCB Toolkit</a><br><br>

        <i>Screenshot from <a href="http://saturnpcb.com/pcb_toolkit.htm">Saturn PCB Toolkit</a></i>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/c6f05-saturn-pcb-screenshot.png" alt="Saturn PCB screenshot" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 3 – Iterate</h2>
        If after your calculation the track width is not as you would expect (e.g. too wide tracks or too thin tracks), go back to the Step 1, adjust the stackup and then recalculate track geometry in the Step 2. Be aware of the minimum track, which your PCB manufacturer can actually manufacture.
    </div>
  
    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 4 – Check with your PCB manufacturer</h2>
        Very often, the real stackup and track geometry will be a little bit different from the theoretical values which you calculated. You need to check the stackup and geometry with your PCB manufacturer. For this, we created following document: <a href="http://www.fedevel.com/welldoneblog/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PCB-Stackup-and-Track-Geometry-Suggestion.xlsx">PCB Stackup and Track Geometry Suggestion.xlsx</a>. Feel free to use it as a template. Fill it up with your requirements and send it to your PCB manufacturer.<br><br>

        <i>Screenshot from <a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/PCB-Stackup-and-Track-Geometry-Suggestion.xlsx">PCB Stackup and Track Geometry Suggestion.xlsx</a></i>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/9fb51-pcb-stackup-and-track-geometry-suggestion.png" alt="PCB Stackup and Track Geometry Suggestion" />
    </div>

    <div class="blog-content">
        <h2 class="blog-content-heading">Step 5 – Confirm or Recalculate</h2>
        From your PCB manufacturer, you will receive a stackup back. If you are happy, you can use it in your design. Often, you may need to go back to Step 1, adjust the stackup, recalculate and double check with your PCB manufacturer again.<br><br>

        <i>Screenshot from the final PCB stackup, received from our PCB manufacturer</i>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-img-wrapper">
        <img src="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/2019/10/d6527-stackup-from-pcb-manufacturer.png" alt="Stackup from PCB manufacturer" />
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content-text">
        Some PCB manufacturers are very good and will send you the correct stackup almost imeddiatelly, with some PCB manufacturers you may need to be very patient, as it may sometimes take weeks to agree on the final stackup.
    </div>
 
    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.sqpinternational.com/">SQP International</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.sqpinternational.com/base_materials.php">SQP International - base materials</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.fedevel.com/blog/how-does-a-multilayer-pcb-is-made/">How is a multilayer PCB made</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.saturnpcb.com/">Saturn PCB</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://saturnpcb.com/pcb_toolkit.htm">Saturn PCB Toolkit</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="https://assets.fedevel.com/blog/downloads/PCB-Stackup-and-Track-Geometry-Suggestion.xlsx">PCB Stackup and Track Geometry Suggestion.xlsx</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
</div>

5 Steps to define a Custom PCB Stackup

<div class="entry-content">
    <div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CvMfb95YBgc" class="youtube-player" width="740" height="416.418" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span>
    </div>
    <div class="blog-content">
        <a href="http://www.altium.com/">Altium</a> and <a href="http://www.element14.com/">Element 14</a> released a new software called <a href="http://www.circuitstudio.com/">CircuitStudio</a>. I was curious how it looks. I made this video, so you can see the menu & options of CircuitStudio and compare it with Altium Designer.
    </div>


    <div class="blog-content-links">
        <div>
            Links:
        </div>
        <ul class="links-list">
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.altium.com/">Altium</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.element14.com/">Element 14</a></li>
            <li class="links-list-item"><a href="http://www.circuitstudio.com/">CircuitStudio</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
</div>


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