The name stands for "Extra Small Outline No-lead." It's a newish package from Texas Instruments. In my experience, Ti is one of the better companies where testing and documenting manufactureability is concerned. The datasheet for this device [www.ti.com/lit/an/scea055/scea055.pdf] is no... Read more
Just a quick question here... I'm placing the components for my TinyFPGA based stepper motor controller board (see the prior articles here first, here next, and here last). Specifically, I'm finding places for all of the capacitors. That's where the... Read more
If you've been following this series, you've likely come to the determination that I've fallen behind, or forgotten about the project. I haven't forgotten, but I have fallen behind. When I last wrote about the project (here), I had examined... Read more
It's a new weekend, and I'm back to my obsession with stepper motors. If you haven't read part one of this series yet, go back and read it here. That's not an order; more of a plea. In any case,... Read more
It's about time for another project. I normally design half a dozen or so small boards per year. It's not my profession. It's just something I do. But I haven't designed or built anything since the "incident" with the photo... Read more
The QFN (quad flat pack, no leads) package can no longer be considered exotic. It was when I first wrote about it a decade ago, but not any more. In fact, with the wafer scale BGA, it's one of the... Read more
As I mentioned in my prior blog, there are reasons to consider different packages than just physical size. Sometimes it is just space available on the PC board, but there may be other considerations as well. One of the first... Read more
The QFN (quad flat pack, no leads) has become my favorite integrated circuit package. It's very compact, yet is easier to use than a micro BGA. Micro BGAs of 0.5mm and smaller pitch become a bit more difficult and costly... Read more
Via in pad is an old issue that still pops up now and then. Our standard answer hasn't changed: No open vias in pads. But one of the questions we get related to the subject is: "What if we make... Read more
I've written bits and pieces about creating footprints in Eagle and a lot about what the QFN solder paste layer should look like, so maybe it's time to connect the two dots. I'm using Eagle CAD here, so your process... Read more
