Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Altium Develop puts live part data and sourcing right inside your design, so a component that isn't rated for your interface gets flagged before you ever place the order: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=one-minute-pcb-design-reviews&utm_content=your-usb-choke-isnt-rated-for-usb
In this design review, Tech Consultant Zach Peterson looks at a distributed I/O tier board from Mustafa Güner — a submission he liked enough to bump into a Two Minute Design Review. The headline catch: the common mode choke sitting on the USB lines isn't actually rated for USB, and the word "USB" never appears in its datasheet. Zach shows the fix — head to Octopart and search for a common mode filter that's specifically rated for USB — the same lesson behind his full EMI-filter and TVS-diode tutorial. He also flags an RC filter tying chassis ground to system ground that's better left DNP with a proposed cap noted, while giving credit for including the front panel as a proper BOM line item.
From there it's a manufacturability and stackup pass: a copper "webbing" only about four mil wide under the FPGA that the fab house needs to approve, a two-ounce outer copper spec fighting a five-mil design-rule clearance that may force a drop to one-ounce copper, and a six-layer stackup carrying a lot of high-speed LVDS that would be far happier as an eight-layer stack with dedicated power and ground planes. Zach closes on a genuine mystery — thieving squares that turn solid when the polygons are repoured — and asks how they were made. The full design is on GitHub.
💡 Watch Next:
- EMI Filters & TVS Diodes on High-Speed Interfaces (Done Right): youtube.com/watch?v=h4eaLBCYNo8
- PCB Stack-up and Controlled Impedance in Altium Designer: youtube.com/watch?v=p3w22veWMbk
- One Minute PCB Design Reviews (full series): youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3aaAq2OJU5FGAjpjscqXFRI0HohdrSVT
🔹 Connect with Zach:
Want your design reviewed by Zach? Reach out to him on LinkedIn with your design and production files for a chance to be featured on our channel: linkedin.com/in/zachariah-peterson
💡 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 #usb
Altium Develop puts live part data and sourcing right inside your design, so a component that isn't rated for your interface gets flagged before you ever place the order: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=one-minute-pcb-design-reviews&utm_content=your-usb-choke-isnt-rated-for-usb
In this design review, Tech Consultant Zach Peterson looks at a distributed I/O tier board from Mustafa Güner — a submission he liked enough to bump into a Two Minute Design Review. The headline catch: the common mode choke sitting on the USB lines isn't actually rated for USB, and the word "USB" never appears in its datasheet. Zach shows the fix — head to Octopart and search for a common mode filter that's specifically rated for USB — the same lesson behind his full EMI-filter and TVS-diode tutorial. He also flags an RC filter tying chassis ground to system ground that's better left DNP with a proposed cap noted, while giving credit for including the front panel as a proper BOM line item.
From there it's a manufacturability and stackup pass: a copper "webbing" only about four mil wide under the FPGA that the fab house needs to approve, a two-ounce outer copper spec fighting a five-mil design-rule clearance that may force a drop to one-ounce copper, and a six-layer stackup carrying a lot of high-speed LVDS that would be far happier as an eight-layer stack with dedicated power and ground planes. Zach closes on a genuine mystery — thieving squares that turn solid when the polygons are repoured — and asks how they were made. The full design is on GitHub.
💡 Watch Next:
- EMI Filters & TVS Diodes on High-Speed Interfaces (Done Right): youtube.com/watch?v=h4eaLBCYNo8
- PCB Stack-up and Controlled Impedance in Altium Designer: youtube.com/watch?v=p3w22veWMbk
- One Minute PCB Design Reviews (full series): youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3aaAq2OJU5FGAjpjscqXFRI0HohdrSVT
🔹 Connect with Zach:
Want your design reviewed by Zach? Reach out to him on LinkedIn with your design and production files for a chance to be featured on our channel: linkedin.com/in/zachariah-peterson
💡 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 #usb
