🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:10:15 -0600, "Tim Williams" <tmoranwms@charter.net>
wrote:

>"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in 
>message news:a6qog71oeiacboqnku38gr0qq7tnf4njfc@4ax.com...
>> He says that a transmission-line pcb trace must always be "referenced"
>> to the same "return current" plane it started with and shouldn't pass
>> through vias to become referenced to a different plane, or else the
>> return currents will get confused or go on strike or something. If
>> that were true, 98% or the multilayer boards on Earth would quit
>> working.
>>
>> He also says that you should add bypass caps and stitching vias to
>> conduct these return currents whenever a trace does via to a different
>> "reference plane."
>>
>> All silly.
>
>You're just spoiled...
>
>8-layer boards aren't cheap.  Heck, four layer boards aren't cheap.  If I 
>can avoid it, I'll pick 2 layer whenever possible.  Great proto prices and 
>turn arounds.  With two layers to choose from, you have no choice but to 
>stitch like a carpet.  You only have room for one ground plane as such. 
>Heck, if you think you have room for two (maybe VCC and GND), you're being 
>lazy and could get by with 1 layer. :)

Anything complicated at all needs 4-layers (I've only done one 2-layer board
in 35+ years).  More layers can often save money with smaller boards and other
packaging costs.