PCB Grounding Mistakes Your Datasheet Taught You
Summary
Dan Beke, a retired NXP technical director, discusses the industry’s costly reliance on outdated circuit theory and "kitchen sink" EMC fixes. He advocates for a field-based, 3D energy perspective to achieve first-time design success, criticizing data sheets that mislead engineers with evaluation board artifacts like isolated grounds. Beke highlights the need for updated university curricula and shares his upcoming PCB West sessions on electromagnetic field theory, effective board design, and HDI via stack optimization.
Topics discussed
The 'kitchen sink' approach to PCB design
Introduction to Dan Becker and System Solution Specialists
Dan's background and transition to EMC expertise
Learning field physics from Ralph Morrison
Applying field-based design to NXP products
The 'All About That Base' mnemonic for energy flow
Evolution of design guidelines and the cost of failure
The financial impact of design failures in automotive
Blindly following datasheets and reference designs
Why engineers avoid training and career risk
Establishing centers of excellence and self-sufficiency
The 'Flatlander' perspective vs. 3D energy flow
University curricula and the gap in field-based education
Challenges in publishing and presenting field physics
Barriers to adopting new design knowledge in teams
The prevalence of ferrites and 'magic' fixes
Simplifying design fixes through energy management
Creating guidelines for first-time compliance
Understanding transmission lines and field behavior
Responsibility of datasheet authors and design advice
Differences in expert perspectives and dialectics
Missing critical information in semiconductor datasheets
Ground pin labeling and design pitfalls
Upcoming PCB West sessions and training opportunities
Closing remarks and webinar announcement
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