PCB & TRANSMISSION LINE IN PCB

AN OVERVIEW OF DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY

BY

SINGARAVELAN.C PRAVEEN.R ARIVAZHAGAN.P

 • INTRODUCTION TO PCB
• HISTORY OF PCB
• STRUCTURE OF PCB
• TYPES & COMPONENTS IN PCB
AGENDA
• TRANSMISSION LINE IN PCB
• RANGES OF IMPEDANCE AND FREQUENCIES
• CONCLUSION
WHAT IS PCB ?

➢ PCBs are the backbone of electrical devices.

➢ Flat ,regid or flexible board. Which is used to
physically support and electrically connect electronic
components.
➢ They are non-conductive board that holds all electronic
components through a circuit embossed over it.

➢ PCBs are built to last for a wide range of industrial,

commercial, and domestic applications.

➢ They can be customized to any specifications to users

requirements.
 HISTORY
➢ PCBs were first developed during the Second World War.

➢ The revolutionary invention was made by an Austrian Engineer, Paul Eisler.

➢ Eisler worked at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the 1930s.
➢ Faced challenges with traditional wiring methods.Explored alternatives,
inspired by newspaper printing techniques.
➢ Since 1929, PCBs have been mass produced for commercial applications.

➢ They were first used in transformers and capacitors.

➢ “My Life with the Printed Circuit” is Paul Eisler's dramatic autobiography,
recounting his invention and pioneering of the printed circuit in the midst of
the blitz in London during World War II.
 STRUCTURE OF PCB

➢ Substrate : insulator – FR4(fiberglass)-to prevent the

electrical short.
➢ Copper layer : thin copper layer is laminated to the
substrate solder- to form conductive traces that carry
electrical signal.
➢ Soldermask : polymer coating on copper layer
(epoxy)-to prevent the copper traces from oxidation.

➢ Silkscreen : a layer printed on top of the soldermask

with non-conductive ink – to denotes symbols and
components name and ranges.
➢ Traces : thin conductive pathway-that carry signals between
different components.
➢ Dielectric layer : insulating between copper layers – to maintain
signal isolation and control characteristics impedance
➢ Pads : areas where the components are soldered.
• Through hole pad
• Surface mount pad
➢ Ground plane : continuous layer of copper that serves common
return path to electrical current- to signal integrity.
➢ Power plane : is a layer to distribute power uniformly to all
components
TYPES
➢ Single side pcb - only one layer traces .
(ex:calculator )
➢ Double side pcb - conducting copper traces on both
sides.(ex: power supply,audio amplifiers)
➢ Multilayer pcb - several layers of copper
traces.(ex:smartphones,computers)
➢ Flexible pcb - that can bend (or) flex –polymide
plastic. (ex:wearable devices )
➢ Rigid pcb - non –flexible pcbs made from solid
fr4. (ex: televisions)
➢ Hybrid pcb -combination of rigid and
flexible.(ex: camera systems)
COMPONENTS

• Resistor
• Capacitor
• Ics
• Inductors
• Transistor
• Connectors
• LEDs ,…etc
TRANSMISSION LINE IN PCB
➢ A transmission line is a specialized cable or trace
used to carry electrical signals from one point to
another with minimal loss, especially for high-
frequency signals or signals that must travel over a
distance.
➢ Trace become a transmission line to conduct high
frequency signals .

➢ Trace - at low frequency upto MHZ.

➢ Trace as a transmission line at high frequencies from
100 MHZ to several GHZ ( RF and micro signals ).
➢ TYPES
• Strip line
• Micro strip line
• Coplanar wave guide
STRIP LINE

➢A type of transmission line sandwitched

between two ground planes .
• Symmetric
• Assymmetric
• Edge coupled strip line
MICRO STRIP LINE

➢ Trace line is on the surface of the pcb with ground

plane .
• Slot line strip
• Twin strip
COPLANAR WAVE GUIDE

➢ It’s a unique transmission line in

pcb.
➢ Here,the trace line and the
ground plane are all on the
same layer of the pcb
CONSIDERATION IN TRANSMISSION LINE DESIGN

Type of Wider traces Implement

Charecteristic decreases Layout Simulation
transmission impedance. consideration. Ground and tools.
line. impedance. shielding.

Altium
Control
designer,Ansys
Traces width impedance HFSS,Key sight
routing
ADS

Height above the

Signal return path Spice simulator
ground plane

Dielectric constant
Avoid right
of the PCB
material angles

Separation from
Thickness
other signals
IMPORTANCE OF TRANSMISSION LINE

Transmission lines are essential in PCB design for ensuring that high-frequency and high-speed signals are
transmitted accurately and efficiently.

They help maintain signal integrity, prevent signal loss, reduce crosstalk and EMI, and manage timing and
impedance control.

Without proper use of transmission lines, PCBs could face significant challenges with noise, signal degradation,
and data transmission errors, making reliable circuit operation difficult or impossible.

So that the transmission line match its impedance with load impedance to prevent from these interfernces. The
TL is designed with necessary impedence and frequencies depends on applications of pcb.
RANGES OF IMPEDANCE & FREQUENCIES

High speed digital PCBs – • Impedance : 90-100 Ohms.

smartphones and computers
etc,… • Frequencies : upto 50 GHz or higher.

RF and Microwaves PCBs – • Impedance : 50 Ohms.

Routers, satellite
communication, RF transceiver. • Frequencies : 300 MHz – 10 GHz.

Differentials pair PCBs – • Impedance : 100-110 Ohms.

ethernet switches, usb
connectors ( usb 3.0, HDMI). • Frequencies : 100 MHz-several GHz.
CONCLUSION

Innovations like high-performance

Transmission lines in PCB design The future will see continued materials, optical interconnects,
are crucial for maintaining signal advancements in materials, and AI-enhanced design tools will
integrity, especially as devices design tools, and technologies to play key roles, while
operate at higher frequencies support faster, more efficient, sustainability and eco-friendly
and data rates. and compact PCBs. practices will become increasingly
important in PCB development.
THANK YOU…