Best PCB Design Practices and Books/Articles

[free_electron]

I don't care if i is written with capital or not. I'm not that blase (french word look it up) and if the spell checker on the iphone can't pick it up so be it.

[Iliya]

This reply is off topic. The topic is Best PCB Design Practices and Books/Articles
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Thanks

Free-electron is (was?) in the process of writing a PCB design book. If you ask nicely perhaps he might share some of it with you!

Dear free-electron

Can you please share some of the book with me?

[Iliya]

I don't care if i is written with capital or not. I'm not that blase (french word look it up) and if the spell checker on the iphone can't pick it up so be it.

Were you not taught it in school.

The Importance of Grammar and Spelling

http://kevinjbrowne.weebly.com/grammar-and-spelling.html


The major problem with poor grammar and spelling is the impression it creates for the reader of your document. Consider the following real example:

"Mr. Browne i was e mailing you to see if there is anyway you can let me into ur class. Im going into teaching and this will eb my last semister and i need this class if it aint to much to ask can u let me in the class thanks."

Here this student is requesting entry into my class. Look at the number of misspelled words and the poor grammar (including the use of "aint") in this short note. Do you think I allowed this student to enroll in my class? No!

No one is going to take you seriously if you don't take the time to proofread your document. It's no good saying that you simply write like you talk. This is simply unacceptable. What poor grammar and spelling indicates is one of two things. 1. You're not intelligent enough to write any better. 2. You don't care enough to write any better. Either impression is negative.

[jancumps]

Come on.

[Iliya]

I don't care if i is written with capital or not. I'm not that blase (french word look it up) and if the spell checker on the iphone can't pick it up so be it.

Just checked both my iPad and my Samsung S3.

I don't care if i is..

is auto-converted to

I don't care if I is...

I did not need to use a spell checker.

Note the capital I. It appears you don't even know how to use a phone. How can you be trusted with reviewing software. No wonder you are so confused. 
As for giving me advice, I'll pass on that one.

No one is going to take you seriously if you don't take the time to proofread your document. It's no good saying that you simply write like you talk. This is simply unacceptable. What poor grammar and spelling indicates is one of two things. 1. You're not intelligent enough to write any better. 2. You don't care enough to write any better. Either impression is negative. 

I'm done with you. Enough is enough. 

[Neganur]

seriously, quit nagging about the spelling.

[free_electron]

Maybe you can write a book about how to turn on the spell checker on the iphone. Mine seems to be broken. I am not a native english speaker , and neither are you judging from the accent in your video's man you are hard to understand.
I rely heavily on spellcheckers , thesaurus and proof readers that fix this.

So there you have it.

And no i cannot release portions of the book because that would be breach of contract.

I amy post a few pages as pdf in a few months as sneak peek but right now none of the graphics are done. Without graphics the text is hard to follow.

[nctnico]

seriously, quit nagging about the spelling.

I agree. Complaining or attacking people based on spelling and/or grammer is seriously NOT DONE on internet fora 
So quit the childish bickering and get on topic. Please play the ball and not the man.

[Monkeh]

I'm done with you. Enough is enough. 

You are rejecting his input because of minor grammatical errors, and yet you're incapable of posting a quote without messing it up.

Are you familiar with the expression 'the pot calling the kettle black'? You're the pot. A very big pot.

As for this book you now plan to write, I'm afraid it won't be much of an authority on the subject. Reading a few books doesn't get you there. Making hundreds or thousands of boards does.

There's someone in this thread who's made hundreds of boards.. what was his name.. Oh, right. Vincent Himpe. free_electron. Works for Tesla Motors, has been published multiple times.. He's not worth listening to though, he doesn't bother to triple check every word he types in a forum.

[Wilksey]

You seem to be good to spot the mistakes in someone elses stuff but you cant recognise the blatant mistakes and huge shortcomings of your own stuff.
...
If you don't want any of my advice anymore then tell me, i can spend my time better than trying to help you improve dex.

^^This and the what I can only describe as attempted bullying that follows from Iliya is why you shouldn't bother trying to help him!
He blatantly does not care what you think of his software, I doubt he will take any of your advice, and will bury his snout in the ground (his head won't fit!), and he would rather complain about / make fun of spelling and grammar than take your free advice and fix his software.

Having bad spelling and grammar is not a sign of low intelligence, it's a sign that he is busy with other things to reply to your bitching emails about something which quite frankly does not matter, if you don't want to take his advice, then don't, simples!

I find it bizarre that an author of a PCB software program is asking for advice on how to design PCB's, but there you go.

Unfortunately (for you, I couldn't give a shit) you have missed a prime opportunity for people to HELP you improve your software, something which after seeing how you have responded to free_electron, after he has spent his time trying to assist you, I wouldn't (and I suspect a fair few others wouldn't) touch with a pointy shit stick, and would not recommend it to anyone else.

Had your attitude have been different then it might be a different story, but nope, you just keep sitting there taking the piss out of everyone who tries to help you and see how far you get!

[elgonzo]

Vincent, i have to agree with Iliya on one thing.

Please calm down and devote more of your time to your book.

Devote more time on writing your book!

Whether you include Dex in your book or not does not matter at all.
The time you spend with Dex always seems to end in an argument with Iliya. The time you spend arguing with Iliyia is time not spent on your book.

Do what you want or need to do, but seeing two threads becoming filled with arguments between Iliya and you, i rather wish that you work on your book instead of spending so much of your time with Iliya/Dex. I think, in the end, much more people are looking forward to read your book than having any kind of interest in Dex. (Guess what i would throw my money at...)

[baljemmett]

No one is going to take you seriously if you don't take the time to proofread your document.

… and yet when people tell you that no-one will take your product seriously when all the examples look amateurish, slapped-together and generally poorly executed (seriously, it took weeks before we saw anything even vaguely real-PCB-like in the various threads about DEX), they're being unfair by holding you to the standards of other, better packages and are just out to pick fault.  Right.  Just so we're clear on that.

Look, you have not only admitted but demonstrated beyond the slightest shadow of a doubt that you are not familiar with the intricacies of proper PCB design.  What on earth do you gain by alienating anybody who tries to actually help with information about what they need to get the job done properly?

[jancumps]

Vincent, i have to agree with Iliya on one thing.

Please calm down and devote more of your time to your book.

Devote more time to writing your book!

Whether you include Dex in your book or not does not matter at all.
The time you spend with Dex always seems to end in an argument with Iliya. The time you spend arguing with Iliyia is time not spent on your book.

Do what you want or need to do, but seeing two threads becoming filled with arguments between Iliya and you, i rather wish that you work on your book instead of spending so much of your time with Iliya/Dex. I think, in the end, much more people are looking forward to read your book than having any kind of interest in DEX. (Guess where i would throw my money at...)

 I see passion, expertise and skills on both sides. The passion is shared (both are passionate about PCB design, you can sense that from the posts) ,
the expertise and skills are divided: Vincent on PCB design and PCB software use, Iliya on software design and graphical programming.
If this would result into 1+1=3, that would be a great outcome. The conversation just needs a reset on the noise.

[jancumps]

If we can get them out of the loopgraven and back to the design table, we might be able to witness something exciting happening.

[jancumps]

I think this has already been suggested before. Iliya you might want to consider hiring someone as a customer representitive, you obviously don't have the personality for dealing with potential customers. If you actually want to turn this into a viable product that pays your bills you have to learn to suck it up, smile and say yes sir I agree 100% and will find a solution at the earliest possible time.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "the customer is always right"? This may not always be the case, but if you want them to buy your product, sometimes you have to be a little humble.

In this case you are getting free advice from experienced people who make a living using tools you are trying to sell. Even if you don't agree with everything they say it might be prudent for you to listen and not get so hostile.

He doesn't have to suck it up - even in sales. But if he wants to have the same advice as what he was getting here from FE - with the same relevance -  in a business context, it would cost big time.

[free_electron]

Book list

- Right the first time , a practical handbook on High speed PCB and system design Volume 1. Lee Ritchey
- Right the first time , a practical handbook on High speed PCB and system design Volume 2. Lee Ritchey
- High speed digital design coursebook. Howard Johnson
- High speed digital Design , a handbook of black magic , Howard Johnson / Martin Graham
- Power Supplies , switching regulators inverters and converters , Irving M.Gottlieb
- EMC & the printed circuit board Mark L. Montrose
- Printed Circuit Board Design Techniques for EMC . Mark L. Montrose
- Signal and Power integrity. Eric Bogatin
- Advanced Signal integrity for High Speed digital designs . Stephen Hall and Howard Heck
-PCB Currents How they flow how the react  . Douglas brooks

Ritchey, Bogatin , Montrose and Johnson are the 'guru's. gobble up any of their books.

especially the Right the first time from Ritchey show you all the fringe effects that can have massive impact on a design. That thing goes really deep with tons of real world examples.

Then there is anything you can get your hands on from IPC. that alone is enough material to keep you reading for a few years ...  You are better of becoming a member with full access than to buy the standards individually. IPC really covers every aspect from the board design cradle to grave. including assembly , soldering, DFM DFT , procurement , quality control the whole shebang.

[krivx]

Right The First Time is free, I must check that out. http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

[tggzzz]

Right The First Time is free, I must check that out. http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

Or, if you go via Amazon, you find "£1,246.18 + £2.80 UK delivery. Used, good: average wear, reasonable shape, may have limited notes and/or highlighting".

[krivx]

Right The First Time is free, I must check that out. http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

Or, if you go via Amazon, you find "£1,246.18 + £2.80 UK delivery. Used, good: average wear, reasonable shape, may have limited notes and/or highlighting".

I have heard some of this is automatically controlled pricing. Sellers have bots that price books based on what other have them priced at. Occasionally you get two bots entering into escalating pricing wars even when no one is buying...

[krivx]

The pdf edition of Right The First Time looks pretty good on a Kindle, text is large enough to be readable and the figures look good on the B&W display. 

[free_electron]

Right The First Time is free, I must check that out. http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

Only the first volume is free. Second volume you need to buy. Oops. it's not free, it came with volume 2 on a cd. Bought mine used in a local shop here for 30$ ..

That link you posted is NOT the book by ritchey. It is a scam. Some chinese dude made a pdf with lots of advertisements for board houses in it . it's got 48 chapters and every chapter is 2 or 3 pages tops.. it doesn't look anything like the real book. (i got the real book and the cd here right next to me)


here is the correct link :

http://speedingedge.com/. that other website is a fake.

the book is 95$ and you can buy directly from Ritchey. no need for 'peddler prices'


http://www.speedingedge.com/isp/store/categories.php?category=Handbook

i have the cd + book version (volume 1 is cd , volume 2 is book. for a long time volume 1 was not available in print )

[krivx]

Right The First Time is free, I must check that out. http://www.thehighspeeddesignbook.com/

Only the first volume is free. Second volume you need to buy. Oops. it's not free, it came with volume 2 on a cd. Bought mine used in a local shop here for 30$ ..

That link you posted is NOT the book by ritchey. It is a scam. Some chinese dude made a pdf with lots of advertisements for board houses in it . it's got 48 chapters and every chapter is 2 or 3 pages tops.. it doesn't look anything like the real book. (i got the real book and the cd here right next to me)


here is the correct link :

http://speedingedge.com/. that other website is a fake.

the book is 95$ and you can buy directly from Ritchey. no need for 'peddler prices'


http://www.speedingedge.com/isp/store/categories.php?category=Handbook

i have the cd + book version (volume 1 is cd , volume 2 is book. for a long time volume 1 was not available in print )

Wow, you are right. The pdf looks comprehensive but there is a full page ad every 6 or 7 pages.

[DIPLover]

Thanks for the list of books free_electron.

Iliya, you need to stop being so fucking hostile, man... (cue Pantera music...)

I can certainly vouch for High speed digital Design, a handbook of black magic , Howard Johnson / Martin Graham.
It's a great book and a goldmine.

It is getting a bit long in the tooth (published ca. 1993 IIRC) and there were rumours of a second edition, Amazon even took preorders for it, then cancelled them all 6 months later...

We still use it in undergraduate courses, haven't found anything better in a comparable format.

[free_electron]

one thing to remember about what you will read in the books : it is up to the DESIGNER to implement the techniques. the software can only go so far in automating that.

Good software will allow you to set up a rule set and watch over it that you do not violate the rules while the designer tries to make a placement and routing.

the speed with which a board can be designed is heavily driven by the tools available in the cad program. a rich toolset that can be access quickly and flexibly is the key. a small toolset with rigid set ways and controls all over the place are a hindrance to effectively do a design. it becomes too cumbersome and time consuming to alter anything then you end up with mediocre designs.

a lot of times ,during design , you need to radically change placement or shift parts or push a cluster of tracks. if you need to do that by hand every time then it simply won't get done as it is too much effort. if the cad program can handle that then such things are a non-issue and the quality of the board will increase heavily. same thing for stuff like bus routing, differentials snaking , testpoint insertion and other elements.

[zapta]

It's Valentine's Day, let's have some love here.