# Signal Integrity, Thermal & DFM: PCB West Preview with Keven

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2025-08-05
- Length: 37m
- Episode: 307
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven/

## Summary

Keven Coates, Senior Electrical Engineer at Novium Designs and former Texas Instruments employee, previews his upcoming PCB West presentations on signal integrity, thermal management, and design for manufacturing. He warns engineers against blindly trusting silicon company data sheets and evaluation board layouts, explaining that these are often designed by third parties or driven by customer demands rather than optimal engineering practices. Coates shares specific assembly pitfalls, such as incorrect diode polarity and component placement near V-scored board edges, which can cause catastrophic failures during depanelization.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=0) Introduction and Keven Coates Background
- [6:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=404) Why Silicon Company Data Sheets Are Not Gospel
- [12:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=734) Signal Integrity and Grounding Myths
- [16:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=960) PCB West Sessions: Signal Integrity and Thermal Management
- [22:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=1341) DFM/DFA: Assembly Pitfalls and Depanelization Stress
- [27:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=1637) Fabrication Constraints and Class 3 Reliability
- [32:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-05-signal-integrity-thermal-dfm-pcb-west-preview-with-keven#t=1936) The Value of PCB West Networking and Learning

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Novium Designs (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- PCB West (other)
- Rick Hartley (other)
- Geospace Technologies (company)
- Logitech (company)
- Gil Barco (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [PCB Assembly and Design for Manufacturing with Duane Benson of Screaming Circuits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-03-03-pcb-assembly-and-design-for-manufacturing-with-duane-benson-of-screaming-circuit) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-02-11-the-spark-gap-episode-26) (The Spark Gap)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2014-12-03-the-spark-gap-episode-22) (The Spark Gap)
- [S7E2 WEBINAR: Your Manufacturer is Stupid: Why Your Circuit Board Design Is Making Their Job Harder with Chris Denney](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-01-09-s7e2-webinar-your-manufacturer-is-stupid-why-your-circuit-board-design-is-making) (Being an Engineer)
- [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)

## Citing this page

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