Factors to Consider During Routing RF PCBs

With every passing day, designing PCBs has become a challenging task due to multiple factors. Most of them include miniaturizing, but there’s also the matter of the presence of digital mixed with radio frequencies or RF signals. Here you’ll learn about a few crucial considerations regarding RF PCB routing.

Impedance matching

This factor deserves more attention than anything else. Even a simple RF Circuit Example can go horribly wrong if impedance matching is absent. The board may suffer from power losses and signal reflections along the traces. The load impedance has to be the complex conjugation of the source impedance.

Electromagnetic interference

EMI or electromagnetic interference is the electromagnetic energy that disrupts the signalling of an electronic device via radiation or induction. The EMC or electromagnetic capability of the electronic system points to the ability to operate within an electromagnetic environment. It should work without hitches or generating intolerable EMI that RF PCBs aim to achieve.

Ground plane

Another factor that dictates the RF PCB Price is the ground plane. The best practices to adhere to regarding this factor include using a multi-layered board, avoiding long return paths, connecting split ground planes at one point, and connecting decoupling capacitors to the ground plane.