How to design a high-speed PCB

Not so long ago, the words “high speed” didn’t exist in the vocabulary of PCB designers. In those days, their work was all about putting the pieces together and strategizing their way through a physical board layout. Today, they’re dealing with data rates of 10 or even 25 Gb/s. At these speeds, there’s a bunch of invisible forces to worry about, like electromagnetic interference (EMI), crosstalk, signal reflection, material weave and the list goes on and on.

At NCAB Group, we see a lot of customers in need of guidance at the beginning of a project. We help them find the best starting point for a high-speed PCB that’s not only manufacturable but also takes into account the cost and quality drivers. Based on our experience, here are a couple of design tips.