Good layout reduces noise, crosstalk and EMI.
Provide low-impedance return paths with a ground plane; separate analogue and digital grounds join at one point; keep return currents under signals; decouple ICs with 100 nF close to pins; avoid ground loops; star grounding for power. Poor grounding causes hum and EMI.
A solid ground plane under a high-speed trace reduces radiation.
Grounding and layout determine whether a circuit works in the real world, and many failures trace back to poor board design rather than components.
Good layout reduces noise, crosstalk and EMI.
Grounding and layout determine whether a circuit works in the real world, and many failures trace back to poor board design rather than components.
They supply fast current pulses locally, which prevents supply noise from spreading across the board and causing errors.
A solid copper area that gives low-impedance return paths and reduces noise, and it should be kept unbroken under sensitive signals.
Typical applications include routing a sensitive analogue trace away from a switching regulator, choosing a star ground for a mixed-signal board and placing decoupling capacitors close to IC supply pins.
Study "Noise in electronics" first (topic 30 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Decoupling capacitors. Loop area minimisation. Ground bounce.
A solid ground plane under a high-speed trace reduces radiation.
The next topic is "Printed circuit board design", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Beginner in Electronics & Embedded (topic 31 of 104). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.
Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.