Advanced PCB Engineering (APE) [Spring 2025]
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Lecture: 8-10PM TuTh, Cory 125
Enrollment
Week | Topic | Helpful Links | Lab | Lab Checkoff Due | Project Checkpoint |
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1 9/12 |
Intro to Altium Intro to the class, Altium, and key tools and plugins required for the class content. |
Altium Access Instructions Introduction to Altium |
Project Logistics
BOM Template |
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2 9/19 |
Part Selection, Intro to Advanced Schematics - Filters and Basic Analog Design
Covering considerations for part selection beyond the base electrical rules. Exploration of analog design fundamentals within schematic creation. |
Continue Introduction to Altium | |||
3 9/26 |
Advanced Schematics, Digital Design, Data Buses and Protocols
Exploring information is encoded, translated, and transported at high speeds and the key issues of high-speed transmissions. |
Digital Communication and Signal Integrity | Introduction to Altium | ||
4 10/3 |
Advanced Schematics, High Power Circuit Design
Understanding key principles to develop systems designed to accomodate high power draws. |
Continue Digital Communication and Signal Integrity |
Project Groups Due (2 people minimum) |
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5 10/10 |
Advanced Schematic to Layout: High Power design and Thermal Management Designing layouts optimized for high-voltage and high-current applications. Develop understanding of thermal implications of high-power designs and best practices to mitigate them. |
High Power Design and Thermal Management | Digital Communication and Signal Integrity | Project Proposal Due | |
6 10/17 |
Advanced Layout Digital Layout: and Via Management How to route high-speed signals, differential pairs, and implications of vias, board parasitics, and other physical factors on signal integrity. |
Continue High Power Design and Thermal Management | Proposal Review | ||
7 10/24 |
Advanced Layout + RF Design
1 Introduction to transmission line theory, differential pairs, impedance matching and other key topics. |
EMI Considerations and RF Design |
High Power Design and Thermal Management | Project BOM & Schematic Due [TBD] | |
8 10/31 |
Advanced Layout + RF Design 2 Exploration of practical RF design. |
Continue EMI Considerations and RF Design | Project Work Session | ||
9 11/7 |
Design Reviews
In-class review of APE student projects. |
Project Design Review in Class Design Review Requirements {} |
EMI Considerations and RF Design | Layout Due [TBD] | |
10 11/14 |
Advanced Mechanical Design and Integration Exploring PCB design in constrained environments and PCBs as mechanical and structural elements. |
Project Worksession | FINAL PCB files due 11/14 (Thursday) | ||
11 11/21 |
Fun Topics Exploring other advanced design topics, such as Altium AutoRoute, Ethernet, RS485, PCB Antenna Design, DDR Memory, Flex PCB Design, and kW Power Designs |
Constraint-Based Mechanical Design |
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12 12/5 |
Guest Lecture TBA |
Constraint-Based Mechanical Design | Project Assembly | ||
13 12/12 |
Project Presentations |