PCB ROUTING TECHNIQUES

1. Component Placement

• Strategic Placement:
a. Plan placement based on signal flow.
b. Group components by function (analog, digital, power) to minimize
interference.
• Minimize Trace Lengths:
a. Place components to shorten trace lengths.
• Sensitive Components:
a. Keep sensitive components away from high-frequency and high-power traces.
• Thermal Considerations:
a. Place heat-generating components to optimize thermal management.
• Accessibility:
a. Ensure critical components are accessible for testing and debugging.
• Power Supply Proximity:
a. Place power supply components close to the load to reduce voltage drop.
• Signal Path Optimization:
a. Arrange components to maintain a direct and clear signal path.
• Grounding:
a. Place grounding components close to related parts to minimize noise.
2. Trace Length

• Keep Traces Short:

a. Minimize trace lengths to reduce signal delay and interference.
• Consistent Lengths:
a. Maintain consistent lengths for parallel high-speed signals to ensure timing
integrity.
• Direct Paths:
a. Use direct routing paths to minimize overall trace length.
• Avoid Loops:
a. Avoid unnecessary loops in trace routing to reduce inductance and noise.
• Length Matching:
a. Match lengths of differential pair traces (e.g., USB, HDMI) to maintain signal
quality.
3. Trace Width and Clearance

• Appropriate Widths:
a. Choose trace widths based on current carrying capacity and impedance
requirements.
• Clearance:
a. Maintain adequate spacing between traces to prevent crosstalk and shorts.
• High Current Traces:
a. Use wider traces for high-current paths to minimize resistance and heating.
• High-Frequency Signals:
a. Ensure consistent trace width for high-frequency signals to maintain impedance.
• Manufacturing Tolerances:
a. Adhere to manufacturer’s specifications for minimum trace width and
clearance.
• Safety Standards:
a. Follow safety standards for spacing between high-voltage traces and other
components.
4. Signal Integrity

• Uniform Trace Widths:

a. Use consistent trace widths to maintain controlled impedance.
• Avoid Sharp Bends:
a. Use smooth, gradual bends instead of sharp angles to prevent signal reflection.
• Differential Pair Routing:
a. Route differential pairs (e.g., LVDS, USB) with consistent spacing and
parallelism.
• Minimize Via Usage:
a. Reduce the number of vias to avoid impedance discontinuities and signal
degradation.
• Controlled Impedance:
a. Design traces with controlled impedance, especially for high-frequency signals.
• Proper Grounding:
a. Use continuous ground planes to provide a stable reference and reduce noise.
• Isolate High-Speed Traces:
a. Keep high-speed signal traces away from noisy components and power lines.
• Match Trace Lengths:
a. Ensure matched trace lengths for critical high-speed signals to maintain timing
integrity.
5. Layer Management

• Separate Signal Types:

a. Use different layers for different signal types (e.g., analog, digital, power).
• Dedicated Power and Ground Planes:
a. Allocate entire layers for power and ground to ensure low impedance and stable
reference.
• Signal Layer Arrangement:
a. Organize signal layers to minimize crosstalk and interference (e.g., high-speed
signals between ground planes).
• Stack-Up Planning:
a. Plan the layer stack-up to balance signal integrity, thermal performance, and
manufacturability.
• Minimize Layer Switching:
a. Reduce the number of layer changes for critical signals to maintain signal
integrity.
• Adjacent Ground Planes:
a. Place ground planes adjacent to signal layers to provide consistent return paths.
• Isolation of Noisy Signals:
a. Isolate noisy signals on separate layers to prevent interference with sensitive
signals.
• Thermal Management:
a. Use thermal vias and planes to manage heat dissipation across layers.
6. Via Placement

• Minimize Via Use:

a. Reduce the number of vias to avoid impedance discontinuities and signal
integrity issues.
• Avoid Critical Paths:
a. Place vias away from high-frequency and high-speed signal paths to prevent
signal degradation.
• Thermal Management:
a. Use thermal vias to help dissipate heat from high-power components.
• Ground and Power Connections:
a. Ensure robust connections with multiple vias for ground and power planes.
• Via-in-Pad Design:
a. Use via-in-pad for high-density designs but ensure proper filling and capping to
avoid solder issues.
• Strategic Placement:
a. Place vias strategically to optimize routing efficiency and reduce trace length.
• Staggered Vias:
a. Use staggered vias for differential pairs to maintain trace length matching.
• Manufacturing Constraints:
a. Follow manufacturer guidelines for via sizes, aspect ratios, and annular ring
requirements.
7. Power and Ground Distribution

• Dedicated Planes:
a. Use entire layers dedicated to power and ground to ensure low impedance and
stable voltage distribution.
• Wide Traces:
a. Use wide traces for power and ground connections to minimize voltage drop
and resistance.
• Short and Direct Paths:
a. Keep power and ground paths as short and direct as possible to reduce
inductance and noise.
• Multiple Vias:
a. Use multiple vias to connect power and ground planes, improving current
handling and thermal performance.
• Decoupling Capacitors:
a. Place decoupling capacitors close to IC power pins to filter noise and stabilize
the power supply.
• Star Routing:
a. Implement star routing for power distribution to prevent ground loops and
ensure even power distribution.
• Ground Plane Continuity:
a. Ensure continuity of ground planes across layers to provide a solid reference
and reduce EMI.
• Avoid Ground Loops:
a. Design the layout to avoid ground loops, which can introduce noise and interfere
with signal integrity.
8. Crosstalk and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

• Adequate Spacing:
a. Maintain sufficient spacing between high-speed or high-current traces to reduce
crosstalk.
• Shielding:
a. Use ground planes or guard traces to shield sensitive signals from noisy ones.
• Proper Trace Routing:
a. Route high-speed signals on internal layers between ground planes to reduce
EMI.
• Differential Pairs:
a. Route differential pairs together with consistent spacing to cancel out noise.
• Perpendicular Routing:
a. Route adjacent signal layers perpendicularly to minimize coupling and
crosstalk.
• Isolate Noisy Components:
a. Place noisy components away from sensitive circuits to reduce EMI.
• Decoupling Capacitors:
a. Use decoupling capacitors to filter noise on power lines and stabilize voltage.
• Minimize Loop Areas:
a. Reduce the loop area of signal paths to minimize the potential for EMI.
• Controlled Impedance:
a. Design traces with controlled impedance to maintain signal integrity and reduce
reflections.
• Use of Ferrite Beads:
a. Incorporate ferrite beads on power lines to suppress high-frequency noise.
9. Routing Order

• Critical Signals First:

a. Route critical signals such as clocks and high-speed data lines first to ensure
proper timing and signal integrity.
• Efficient Paths:
a. Plan efficient routing paths to minimize trace length and interference.
• High-Speed Signals:
a. Prioritize routing high-speed signals before lower-frequency signals to prevent
signal degradation.
• Power and Ground Traces:
a. Route power and ground traces after critical signals to provide stable power
distribution and grounding.
• Signal Groups:
a. Route signals in groups based on functionality to optimize signal flow and
reduce crosstalk.
• Differential Pairs:
a. Route differential pairs together with consistent spacing to maintain signal
integrity.
• Layer Switching:
a. Minimize layer changes for critical signals to avoid impedance mismatches.
• Final Routing Pass:
a. Fill in remaining routing areas with less critical signals, considering
manufacturability and space constraints.

10. Decoupling Capacitors

• Close Proximity:
a. Place decoupling capacitors as close as possible to the power pins of ICs to
minimize loop inductance.
• Across Power Rails:
a. Connect decoupling capacitors across the power rails of ICs to provide a stable
power supply and filter out noise.
• Multiple Capacitors:
a. Use multiple capacitors of different values (e.g., ceramic and electrolytic) to
address a wide frequency range of noise.
• Diverse Capacitor Types:
a. Employ a combination of low-ESR ceramic capacitors for high-frequency noise
and bulk electrolytic capacitors for low-frequency noise.
• Parallel Paths:
a. Place decoupling capacitors in parallel paths for high-current components to
ensure adequate power delivery.
• Via Stitching:
a. Use via stitching around decoupling capacitors to enhance their performance
and reduce parasitic inductance.

• Strategic Placement:
a. Distribute decoupling capacitors evenly across the PCB layout to provide
uniform power distribution.
• Signal Integrity Consideration:
a. Ensure that decoupling capacitors do not interfere with signal traces and routing.

11. Thermal Management

• Component Placement:
a. Strategically place high-power components to optimize heat dissipation.
• Heat Dissipation Paths:
a. Route high-power traces to distribute heat evenly across the PCB.
• Thermal Vias:
a. Use thermal vias to connect heat-generating components to internal or external
copper layers for improved heat dissipation.
• Thermal Relief:
a. Implement thermal relief connections for vias connected to copper pours to
minimize thermal stress during soldering.
• Thermal Pads:
a. Use thermal pads or exposed copper areas to enhance heat transfer from
components to the PCB.
• Keepout Zones:
a. Create keepout zones around heat-sensitive components to prevent them from
being affected by nearby heat sources.
• Heat Sinks:
a. Utilize heat sinks on components with high thermal dissipation requirements to
further enhance cooling.
• Simulation Tools:
a. Use thermal simulation tools to predict and optimize heat dissipation before
PCB fabrication.

12. Design Rule Check (DRC)

• Automated Verification:
a. Use DRC tools to automatically check the PCB design against predefined
design rules and constraints.
• Electrical Integrity:
a. Ensure proper clearance between traces, minimum trace widths, and correct
layer assignments to maintain electrical integrity.
• Manufacturability:
a. Verify design compliance with manufacturing constraints such as minimum
annular ring size, drill-to-copper spacing, and solder mask clearances.
• Signal Integrity:
a. Check for impedance mismatches, signal length matching, and proper
termination to maintain signal integrity.
• Layer Stackup:
a. Validate layer stackup configurations, including layer thicknesses, materials,
and dielectric constants.
• Spacing and Clearance:
a. Verify adequate spacing and clearance between components, vias, and board
edges to prevent shorts and ensure manufacturability.
• Mask and Silkscreen Alignment:
a. Check alignment of solder mask openings and silkscreen markings with
component footprints to avoid misalignment during manufacturing.
• Comprehensive Analysis:
a. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entire PCB layout to identify and
resolve potential design violations and errors.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/component-placement-guidelines-pcb-design-
assembly/#
2. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/best-high-speed-pcb-routing-practices/
3. https://www.integrasources.com/blog/high-speed-pcb-design-guidelines/
4. https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/trace-length-and-high-speed-
designs/
5. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/understanding-signal-integrity/
6. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/best-high-speed-pcb-routing-practices/
7. https://circuitdigest.com/article/an-overview-of-layer-stack-management-in-pcb-
design
8. https://docs.ultrazohm.com/hardware/altium/altium_db_lib/altium_Layer_Stack.html
9. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/pcb-stack-up-plan-design-manufacture-repeat/
10. https://resources.altium.com/p/pcb-via
11. https://www.pcbgogo.com/blog/What_Is_Via_in_Pad_.html
12. https://www.4pcb.com/blog/the-importance-of-power-and-ground-planes-in-pcb-
design/
13. https://resources.altium.com/p/should-you-use-your-power-plane-as-a-return-path
14. https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/electromagnetic-interference-
emi-effects-on-circuit-board-pcb/
15. https://www.nextpcb.com/blog/pcb-crosstalk
16. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/7-pcb-design-tips-solve-emi-emc-issues/
17. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/decoupling-capacitor-use/
18. https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/archives/b/precisionhub/posts/the-decoupling-capacitor-is-it-
really-necessary
19. https://www.protoexpress.com/blog/12-pcb-thermal-management-techniques-to-
reduce-pcb-heating/
20. https://www.powerelectronicsnews.com/high-power-dissipation-copper-filled-
thermal-vias-by-kuprion/
21. https://www.pcbway.com/blog/PCB_Basic_Information/Copper_Coin_Embedded_PC
B_for_Heat_Dissipation_PCB_Knowledge_00c055cb.html
22. https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/pcb-design-rule-
checking?version=18.1
23. https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/setting-up-running-pcb-
design-rule-check