# PCB Thermal Design Deep Dive with Ethan Pierce

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2024-06-26
- Length: 40m
- Episode: 272
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce/

## Summary

Ethan Pierce, founder of Dodec Labs, joins host Zach Peterson to discuss PCB thermal design, drawing on insights from his recent talk at PCB East. They explore the importance of early thermal problem identification, the limitations of intuition versus simulation, and specific techniques for heat dissipation such as copper coins, via structures, and IMS boards. Pierce shares a personal anecdote about a failed thermal hypothesis with via arrays on an aluminum board and emphasizes the need for hardware engineers to understand thermal inputs to avoid costly late-stage fixes.

## Chapters

- [0:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=15) Introduction and PCB East Recap
- [3:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=193) Thermal Design as a Staged Cycle
- [7:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=444) Form Factor Constraints and Airflow
- [11:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=661) Simulation Intuition and Via Failures
- [13:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=833) Thermal Measurement Tools and CFD Costs
- [17:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=1040) Advanced Simulation and Copper/Via Structures
- [24:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=1461) PCB East Talk Response and Design Impact
- [28:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=1739) Heat Transfer Techniques: Coins, Planes, and Heat Pipes
- [36:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-06-26-pcb-thermal-design-deep-dive-with-ethan-pierce#t=2172) IMS Board Manufacturing Challenges

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Dodec Labs (company)
- Altium (company)
- PCB East (other)
- FLIR (tool)
- Seek (tool)
- Ansys Fluent (tool)
- AutoDesk (company)
- MCAD CoDesigner (tool)
- IMS (material)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Downward Sloping Trace](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-03-31-downward-sloping-trace) (The Amp Hour)
- [Top 10 Product Design Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-07-05-top-10-product-design-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Call In Show #3](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-02-26-call-in-show-3) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2014-11-26-the-spark-gap-episode-21) (The Spark Gap)
- [Assembly Chat](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-11-assembly-chat) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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