Advanced PCB Engineering (APE) – Spring 2026

Instructor: Aidan Rickert    Lecture: 8-10PM Tu, Cory 125

Week Topic Helpful Links Lab Lab Checkoff Due Project Checkpoint
1
1/27 		Intro to Altium

Intro to the class, logistics, and overview of Altium. 		Lab 1: Intro to Altium Schematics

Keybind Cheatsheet
2
2/3 		PCB Parasitics and Noise

PCB parasitics, trace and via sizing, EMI, ground planes, crosstalk, reflections, switching noise 		Lab 1: Intro to Altium Schematics
3
2/10 		Intro to Analog Design

Passive and active filters, selecting op-amps based on their characterisitcs, voltage references, charge pumps 		Lab 3: Simulating Analog Filters Lab 2: Introduction to Altium Layout
4
2/17 		Analog/Digital Interface and Intro to Power

Understanding key principles to develop systems designed to accomodate high power draws. 		Lab 4: Power Electronics Lab 3 checkoff due 2/17
5
2/24 		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. 		Continue Power Regulator Circuitry Design and Simulation
6
3/3 		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
3/10 		Advanced Layout + RF Design 1

Introduction to transmission line theory, differential pairs, impedance matching and other key topics. 		High Power Design and Thermal Management Project BOM & Schematic Due [TBD]
8
3/17 		Advanced Layout + RF Design 2

Exploration of practical RF design. 		Project Work Session
9
3/24 		Project Work Session

Project Design Review in Class
 Layout Due 11/4
10
3/31 		Design Reviews

In class review of APE student projects

FINAL PCB files due [11/4] (Tuesday)
11
4/7 		TBD
12
4/14 		TBD

Exploring other advanced design topics, such as maybe Altium AutoRoute, Ethernet, RS485, PCB Antenna Design, DDR Memory, Flex PCB Design, and kW Power Designs

Project Assembly
13
4/21 		Project Presentations