# High Power PCB Design: Pushing the Limits with Caleb Buck

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2025-08-19
- Length: 50m
- Episode: 309
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck/

## Summary

Caleb Buck, a PCB Design Electronics Engineer at Nidec Aerospace, discusses the complexities of high-power PCB design, ranging from guitar pedal prototypes to aerospace systems handling over 500 amps. He explains how uneven current distribution in parallel switching circuits can cause connectors to melt due to impedance mismatches, emphasizing the need for symmetrical layout. Buck also details the importance of voltage isolation standards like IPC 2221 Revision C and IPC 2152, material selection for thermal reliability, and the pitfalls of conformal coating on high-power components.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=0) Introduction: Caleb Buck and High Power PCB Design
- [1:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=78) Caleb Buck's Background: From Guitar Pedals to Aerospace
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=279) Life-Critical Reliability and High Power Requirements
- [11:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=672) Thermal Management: Heavy Copper vs. Layer Count
- [16:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=1001) Current Distribution Failures and Melting Connectors
- [25:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=1531) Optimizing Layout for Parallel Switching Circuits
- [33:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=2022) Voltage Isolation and IPC 2221 Revision C
- [38:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=2298) IPC 2152 vs. IPC 2221 and CFD Simulation
- [43:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-08-19-high-power-pcb-design-pushing-the-limits-with-caleb-buck#t=2602) Material Selection: Tg, CTE, and Conformal Coating

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Nidec Aerospace (company)
- Altium (company)
- PCB West (other)
- IPC 2221 (other)
- IPC 2152 (other)
- Saturn PCB (other)
- Ansys (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Spark Gap - Episode 40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-10-03-the-spark-gap-episode-40) (The Spark Gap)
- [The Two Person Rule](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-06-01-the-two-person-rule) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-02-25-the-spark-gap-episode-27) (The Spark Gap)
- [Grow A Superbrain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-04-22-grow-a-superbrain) (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)

## Citing this page

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