Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Altium Develop gives your multidisciplinary team shared visibility into designs and requirements, so issues like EMC compliance and grounding strategies are addressed early — not discovered during testing: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=emc-expert-debunks-common-pcb-grounding-myths
In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Todd Hubing, president of LearnEMC. With over 40 years of experience in electromagnetic compatibility starting at IBM in 1982, Todd brings unparalleled expertise to some of the most misunderstood topics in PCB design. This conversation dives deep into grounding myths, decoupling capacitor placement, stack-up strategies, and common mode currents, challenging long-held assumptions that many designers take for granted.
👉 Resources from this Episode:
- Connect with Todd: linkedin.com/in/toddhubing
- Check out LearnEMC: learnemc.com
- Effective Strategies for Choosing and Locating Printed Circuit Board Decoupling Capacitors: https://cecas.clemson.edu/cvel/pdf/EMCS05-632.pdf
💡 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.
#EMC #PCBDesign #Grounding
0:00 Intro
1:35 Todd Hubing's Background
4:36 History of EMC regulations and the FCC requirements
7:47 How PCB design guidelines & myths developed over time
13:09 EMC Ground & Types of Grounding
20:05 Ground loops: when they matter and when they don't
22:47 Decoupling capacitor placement: does location really matter?
30:05 Stack-up strategies for power and ground plane pairs
38:31 The problem with copper pours on outer layers
43:05 Common mode currents
51:54 Common mode chokes: when to use them and when not to
54:15 LearnEMC resources and EMC Question of the Week
57:27 Wrapping Up
Altium Develop gives your multidisciplinary team shared visibility into designs and requirements, so issues like EMC compliance and grounding strategies are addressed early — not discovered during testing: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=emc-expert-debunks-common-pcb-grounding-myths
In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Todd Hubing, president of LearnEMC. With over 40 years of experience in electromagnetic compatibility starting at IBM in 1982, Todd brings unparalleled expertise to some of the most misunderstood topics in PCB design. This conversation dives deep into grounding myths, decoupling capacitor placement, stack-up strategies, and common mode currents, challenging long-held assumptions that many designers take for granted.
👉 Resources from this Episode:
- Connect with Todd: linkedin.com/in/toddhubing
- Check out LearnEMC: learnemc.com
- Effective Strategies for Choosing and Locating Printed Circuit Board Decoupling Capacitors: https://cecas.clemson.edu/cvel/pdf/EMCS05-632.pdf
💡 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.
#EMC #PCBDesign #Grounding
0:00 Intro
1:35 Todd Hubing's Background
4:36 History of EMC regulations and the FCC requirements
7:47 How PCB design guidelines & myths developed over time
13:09 EMC Ground & Types of Grounding
20:05 Ground loops: when they matter and when they don't
22:47 Decoupling capacitor placement: does location really matter?
30:05 Stack-up strategies for power and ground plane pairs
38:31 The problem with copper pours on outer layers
43:05 Common mode currents
51:54 Common mode chokes: when to use them and when not to
54:15 LearnEMC resources and EMC Question of the Week
57:27 Wrapping Up
