Welcome to the playlist of Technical Consultant Zach Peterson, a luminary in the field of electronics and PCB design with an illustrious career in both academia and the electronics industry. With a rich background spanning nanoparticle lasers, electronic and optoelectronic semiconductor devices, environmental sensors, and stochastics, Zach offers unparalleled insights into the world of modern engineering. Zach focuses on research, design tutorials, and deep analyses tailored for professionals, students, and tech enthusiasts alike. Prior to his work in the PCB industry, Zach taught at Portland State University, conducted extensive research, and authored over 2000+ technical articles on PCB design. An active member of IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society, American Physical Society, and the PCEA, Zach's expertise is now available to you through engaging videos. Subscribe to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements and learn from one of the industry's finest. #ZachPeterson #PCBDesign #ElectronicsEngineering
Curated by: Altium Academy (720 videos)
Altium Develop connects your schematic, your supply chain, and your fabricator in one place, so manufacturing questions like copper thieving get settled before you release your files: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=pcb-manufacturing&utm_content=copper-thieving-in-altium-explained-when-you-actually-need-it Copper thieving is that grid of small, disconnected copper squares you sometimes spot scattered across an otherwise empty area of a PCB. It turns up constantly in board photos online, and almost nobody explains it properly. In this video, Zach Peterson traces the claim back through the Reddit thread that started it, PCB manufacturer documentation, and the actual research literature to work out what copper thieving really does. The short version: thieving adds dummy copper to sparse regions of the outer layers so plating current spreads evenly across the panel, which protects plating uniformity in plated through holes and press-fit connector holes. On the inner layers the same idea is called copper balancing, and it targets even copper distribution, etch uniformity, and reduced board warpage. 📚 More from this Episode: - What Is Thieving In PCBs And Why Is It Done? — Kella Knack, Altium: https://resources.altium.com/p/what-thieving-pcbs-and-why-it-done - Copper Thieving: Balance PCB Copper for Better Yield — JLCPCB: https://jlcpcb.com/blog/copper-thieving-pcb-balance - A Study on the Effectiveness of Dummy Pattern Design Existence in Multi-Layer PBGA Application — IEEE ECTC 2001: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/7382/20058/00928030.pdf - Non-Traditional Cell Geometry for Improved Copper Plating Uniformity — J. Electrochem. Soc. 163(8), on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303510368_Non-Traditional_Cell_Geometry_for_Improved_Copper_Plating_Uniformity 💡 Watch Next: - To Pour or Not To Pour | Copper Pour in PCB Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3w4Go1s1hM - How to Create Polygons in Altium Designer | PCB Layout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM18_zJs31E - How to Use the Polygon Manager in Altium Designer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjWB2xR1-2c - Chemical Processing in PCB Manufacturing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMCtsPK3drc 💡 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. #altium #pcbdesign #pcbmanufacturing Chapters 00:00 Copper Thieving Intro 01:30 Copper Thieving: What? 02:48 Altium Blog Insights 03:49 Pattern Plating Process ️ 05:12 Manufacturer Views 05:59 JLCPCB Article Review 07:47 Dummy Copper Pattern 09:33 Thieving Justification 11:04 Altium Designer Setup 12:34 Settings Adjustment ️ 13:39 Restore Polygons 14:24 Copper Thieving Summary