Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Route right-angle bends with confidence and take your board from schematic to fabricated PCB in one connected workflow with Altium Develop: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=altium-academy-shorts&utm_content=the-90-degree-trace-myth-everyone-gets-wrong-and-forgets-vias
The 90-degree trace myth is one of the most repeated pieces of PCB design advice — and it's built on a misunderstanding of how signals actually move through a board. Zach Peterson breaks down why the fear that right-angle traces cause huge reflections doesn't hold up, and points out the blind spot nobody mentions: vias are also right-angle turns for your routing, yet the same people who warn about 90-degree bends never bring up the reflection from a via.
So where does the panic come from? It comes from picturing a signal as water flowing through a pipe — a handy classroom model for teaching Kirchhoff's current law, but not how high-speed signals really propagate. On a real PCB the signal energy lives in the dielectric field between the conductor and the ground plane, not "in" the copper slamming into a corner. Once you understand where the signal actually travels, the 90-degree trace fear — and a lot of signal integrity folklore — falls apart.
💡 Watch Next:
▶ Do 90-Degree Bends Hurt Signal Integrity? (the full video this clip is from): youtu.be/8V1_6z9HLbI
▶ PCB Design Secrets: The Truth About 90-Degree Bends: youtu.be/NNvL6puS-nE
Vias and Their Aspect Ratios | PCB Routing: youtu.be/gBFoVBMpSBY
💡 Stay Connected:
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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 #signalintegrity
Route right-angle bends with confidence and take your board from schematic to fabricated PCB in one connected workflow with Altium Develop: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=altium-academy-shorts&utm_content=the-90-degree-trace-myth-everyone-gets-wrong-and-forgets-vias
The 90-degree trace myth is one of the most repeated pieces of PCB design advice — and it's built on a misunderstanding of how signals actually move through a board. Zach Peterson breaks down why the fear that right-angle traces cause huge reflections doesn't hold up, and points out the blind spot nobody mentions: vias are also right-angle turns for your routing, yet the same people who warn about 90-degree bends never bring up the reflection from a via.
So where does the panic come from? It comes from picturing a signal as water flowing through a pipe — a handy classroom model for teaching Kirchhoff's current law, but not how high-speed signals really propagate. On a real PCB the signal energy lives in the dielectric field between the conductor and the ground plane, not "in" the copper slamming into a corner. Once you understand where the signal actually travels, the 90-degree trace fear — and a lot of signal integrity folklore — falls apart.
💡 Watch Next:
▶ Do 90-Degree Bends Hurt Signal Integrity? (the full video this clip is from): youtu.be/8V1_6z9HLbI
▶ PCB Design Secrets: The Truth About 90-Degree Bends: youtu.be/NNvL6puS-nE
Vias and Their Aspect Ratios | PCB Routing: youtu.be/gBFoVBMpSBY
💡 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.
#altium #pcbdesign #signalintegrity
