Orthogonal PCB Routing for Beginners

Orthogonal Routing is one of the most basic routing styles you can employ in your PCB. But it's best practices are often overlooked. Today, Tech consultant Zach Peterson dives into orthogonal routing, focusing on what it is, how it works, and how to do it in Altium Designer.
0:00 Intro
0:49 Routing Example
4:02 What is Orthogonal Routing?
11:06 Orthogonal Routing in Altium Designer
For more PCB Routing videos, click here: kzbin.info/aero/PL3aaAq2OJU5HTYlFDSMgokP6Pl7_RL3Oz
For more PCB Design for Beginners videos, click here: kzbin.info/aero/PL3aaAq2OJU5EsYtNwTPHNO3RHNJN34FbO
For more Tech Consultant Zach Peterson videos, click here: kzbin.info/aero/PL3aaAq2OJU5F4hyKgGyHKOfSIUU_hY_yv
👉 The Case Against Orthogonal Trace Routing in Multilayer PCBs: resources.altium.com/p/case-against-orthogonal-trace-routing-multilayer-pcbs?
👉 Getting Started with an nRF52 Series MCU: kzbin.info/aero/PL3aaAq2OJU5HYZCL-qR7R6EcYsN8z5htG
👉 15 Days Free Altium Designer Access: altium.com/yt/altium-academy
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/altium/
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: AltiumOfficial/
👉 Ready to try the industry's best-in-class design experience yourself? Download it today and get started! www.altium.com/downloads?
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 #ElectronicsDesign

[@ehsanbahrani8936]

Thank you

[@jimtekkit]

My first PCB was a Z80 computer on a 2-layer 100x100mm board, all through-hole components, which was complex as a beginner but it showed the benefits of orthogonal routing. First attempt (not orthogonal) I quickly ran out of routing options before even getting half the traces in. Second attempt (orthogonal) still got messy at the end but I finished it. Big difference.

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

I've noticed the technique is often discussed in terms of through-hole ICs that have their pins lined up on two sides, but you can def do it with SMDs and to some extent with BGAs, but it might get a little messy.

[@westonhorner8620]

I have been using this method for well over a decade and never knew the name of it. Thanks!

[@AltiumAcademy]

Excellent!

[@DevonsWorkshop]

Same, when you start routing crossovers in a dense area this method becomes self evident as the best solution sometimes. It stems from the need to organize crossover groupings for io.

[@thodorisdomvoglou9229]

Same here 😁

[@RelayComputer]

Very informative, thanks

[@salar6196]

Thank you Basically, in the design of STM32H743IIT6 for double-layer boards, what is the best option for manual routing, and what should be done?

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

Unless you have nothing on the back layer, don't even try with a 2 layer board. Use a 4 layer board with 2 internal ground planes. You can probably complete routing in that design with a double sided 2 layer board and the design will probably function, but there is risk it will not pass EMI testing and you could not sell it as a product. If you do the 2 layer double sided routing then you will have to use orthogonal routing to overcome crosstalk, but with the 4 layer board you can route it any way you like.

[@thai19995]

Hello Zach, nice video as usual :) Just one small question: Is it a common practice to route the trace perpendicular to the via or through-hole pad? For example, at 12:50 I have come across a bunch of discussions on the Internet about this topic and it's a never ending story out there :) It would be nice to hear the opinion of an expert :)

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

I've put dozens of boards through DFM reviews and have never had a manufacturer tell me that routing into a via at a different angle will be a manufacturing problem. I try to do it because it looks more professional. The only time I have had this come up is in relation to producing Class 3/3a compliant boards, and in that case they say to put a teardrop to increase reliability. If the angle coming into the pad is very shallow then it might create an acid trap, but that would be something a manufacturer can judge as far as over-etching is concerned.

[@maf8801]

Hi Zach, Just one question, is any difference on the crosstalk response if the nets are crossing at 90 degrees or different angle?

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

Actually yes, assuming there is no ground between them. The difference in crosstalk comes from the fact that the parallel nets can have long coupling lengths so they can receive much more crosstalk. When they are at 90 degrees there is still a bit of crosstalk, but it's much smaller until the signal edge rate gets very fast. But at that point you might be dealing with differential nets anyways and then the story changes somewhat.

[@niteendhotre3000]

What if, we have the components on the same layer? Do we need to do orthogonal routing? we are always trying to use the minimum number of vias in the PCB So is it really helpful to switch the trace layer ?

[@Zachariah-Peterson]

Sometimes it helps to route things on the back side layer, even if the components are on the same layer This is because it can open up more room on the layer with the components. The reasons for doing it like this can vary so I don't want to overgeneralize and say that you should always do orthogonal routing in every design.

[@ostrov11]

Спасибо ))

[@critical_always]

It's sad that I can't use your software. I refuse to rely on cloud based tools.

[@westonhorner8620]

Not sure what you mean? Altium has cloud features but it is not “cloud based”. It is very much a native application.