Technical Consultant Zach Peterson

Currently Playing: Decoupling Capacitor Routing: When to Use Vias vs Traces

Altium Develop gives your whole team real-time visibility into PCB power integrity decisions — from decoupling capacitor placement to plane routing — all in one connected platform: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=power-integrity&utm_content=decoupling-capacitor-routing-when-to-use-vias-vs-traces Should you use vias or traces to connect decoupling capacitors to power and ground pins on your ICs? The answer depends heavily on pin location — and in this video, Zach Peterson breaks down exactly when each approach is optimal. Sparked by a real LinkedIn question from a viewer, this follow-up to the decoupling capacitor placement series digs into the inductance tradeoffs between trace routing and via connections, using real component examples from an Ethernet switch design in Altium. Using the Layer Stack Manager's impedance calculator, Zach demonstrates how a half-inch trace on a 50-ohm microstrip can carry nearly 3.9 nH of inductance — roughly four times that of a typical PCB via. When power and ground pins are far apart, vias to the plane win on both inductance and routing convenience. But when pins are adjacent, short traces can outperform vias by keeping total loop inductance well under 1 nH. This practical, example-driven analysis gives you the context you need to make the right call on your next design. 👉 Resources from this video: - Does Decoupling Capacitor Placement Actually Matter?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpyE9CP97g - When Does Decoupling Capacitor Location Matter on a PCB?: https://resources.altium.com/p/when-does-decoupling-capacitor-location-matter-pcb 💡 Stay Connected: Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below! 👉 Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1 Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content. 👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner 👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: https://twitter.com/altium 👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altium/ 👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltiumOfficial/ The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer! About Altium LLC Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products. #PowerIntegrity #PCBDesign #Altium 0:00 Intro 0:53 Capacitor Placement Importance 2:38 Peter Barnes LinkedIn Question 4:21 Simon Bramble's Statements ️ 5:25 Real Component Pin Locations 6:30 Decoupling Capacitor Layout 7:15 Vias to Ground Plane Use 8:21 Inductance: Trace vs. Via 09:12 Altium Layer Stack Manager 10:33 Decoupling Capacitor Design ️ 12:17 Trace vs. Via Connections ️