Space Saving De-coupling Solutions

The provision and placement of de-coupling capacitors has been an issue since the introduction of digital circuits in the 1960's. Two issues have remained constant since that time. Placement of the capacitors as near to the device as possible and minimizing the real-estate that they occupy, Winslow have two products which can assist in the overcoming of both of these issues. When Dual in Line packaged digital devices were placed into sockets the de-coupling capacitor was provided as an integral part of the socket. Winslow's series of under chip de-couplers undertake the same function for those devices which need to be soldered directly onto the motherboard. The thin bodied circuit board has the provision of a 0402 footprint allowing for a selection of capacitor values to be fitted whilst the thin adapter pins fit alongside the device leads in the printed circuit board. With a height increase of only 22 thou, the increased centre of moment will not be noticed in a high vibration environment. A more dramatic solution for QFP/TQFP devices is to bury the de-coupling capacitors within the adapter. This solution is particularly suited for use with FPGA and CLPD devices where the requirement for a large number of de-coupling devices start to seriously impose on the area available on the printed circuit board. With everything contained within the footprint of the QFP device and a height increase which can be as low as 65 thou this adapter can be tape and reeled or supplied in trays for auto-placement in production.