Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Altium Develop gives your entire team real-time visibility into PCB designs, supply chain, and manufacturing — so signal integrity decisions never happen in a vacuum: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=signal-integrity&utm_content=coplanar-ground-done-right-pcb-design-best-practices
Should you use copper pour and coplanar ground on your PCB — or are you adding unnecessary complexity? In this video, Zach Peterson tackles one of the most common questions in PCB design: when is coplanar ground actually useful, and when does it provide no benefit at all? Drawing on insights from EMC expert Dr. Todd Hubing and signal integrity pioneer Dr. Eric Bogatin, Zach breaks down the physics behind copper pour so you can make informed decisions on your next design.
Through real project examples in Altium — including a two-layer USB-to-UART bridge, a four-layer NFC reader with a signal-ground-power-signal stackup, and an RF power amplifier module — you'll learn exactly when coplanar ground is essential for signal integrity, when it's needed to balance copper distribution and prevent PCB warpage, and when a proper internal ground plane makes surface copper pour completely unnecessary. Whether you're designing a simple two-layer board or a precision RF circuit with grounded coplanar waveguides, this guide will help you get copper pour right the first time.
👉 Resources from this video:
- EMC Expert Debunks Common PCB Grounding Myths with Todd Hubing: youtu.be/7PJGPDiA31Q?si=CqYxyMalZe4-wIBd
- You must Unlearn what You have Learned with Dr. Eric Bogatin: youtube.com/watch?v=y4REmZlE7Jg
- Guard Traces & Crosstalk | A Follow-up: youtu.be/K1ob42Pv74Y
- S-Parameters Explained Part One | Signal Integrity: youtu.be/qMwcFIByL2g
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
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.
#PCBDesign #Altium #SignalIntegrity
0:00 Intro
1:54 Dr. Todd Hubing EMC Expert
5:58 Coplanar Ground as Guard Trace ️
7:14 USB to UART Bridge Example
9:37 Coplanar Ground Capacitance
10:44 Four-Layer PCB Solution
11:48 NFC Reader Project Analysis
13:54 Coplanar Ground Necessity ️
15:54 PCB Warpage Prevention ️
17:21 Grounded Coplanar Waveguide
19:02 Conclusion and Call to Action
Altium Develop gives your entire team real-time visibility into PCB designs, supply chain, and manufacturing — so signal integrity decisions never happen in a vacuum: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=signal-integrity&utm_content=coplanar-ground-done-right-pcb-design-best-practices
Should you use copper pour and coplanar ground on your PCB — or are you adding unnecessary complexity? In this video, Zach Peterson tackles one of the most common questions in PCB design: when is coplanar ground actually useful, and when does it provide no benefit at all? Drawing on insights from EMC expert Dr. Todd Hubing and signal integrity pioneer Dr. Eric Bogatin, Zach breaks down the physics behind copper pour so you can make informed decisions on your next design.
Through real project examples in Altium — including a two-layer USB-to-UART bridge, a four-layer NFC reader with a signal-ground-power-signal stackup, and an RF power amplifier module — you'll learn exactly when coplanar ground is essential for signal integrity, when it's needed to balance copper distribution and prevent PCB warpage, and when a proper internal ground plane makes surface copper pour completely unnecessary. Whether you're designing a simple two-layer board or a precision RF circuit with grounded coplanar waveguides, this guide will help you get copper pour right the first time.
👉 Resources from this video:
- EMC Expert Debunks Common PCB Grounding Myths with Todd Hubing: youtu.be/7PJGPDiA31Q?si=CqYxyMalZe4-wIBd
- You must Unlearn what You have Learned with Dr. Eric Bogatin: youtube.com/watch?v=y4REmZlE7Jg
- Guard Traces & Crosstalk | A Follow-up: youtu.be/K1ob42Pv74Y
- S-Parameters Explained Part One | Signal Integrity: youtu.be/qMwcFIByL2g
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
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.
#PCBDesign #Altium #SignalIntegrity
0:00 Intro
1:54 Dr. Todd Hubing EMC Expert
5:58 Coplanar Ground as Guard Trace ️
7:14 USB to UART Bridge Example
9:37 Coplanar Ground Capacitance
10:44 Four-Layer PCB Solution
11:48 NFC Reader Project Analysis
13:54 Coplanar Ground Necessity ️
15:54 PCB Warpage Prevention ️
17:21 Grounded Coplanar Waveguide
19:02 Conclusion and Call to Action
