Diploma in Stackups, Impedance and Routing Rules
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in stackups, impedance and routing rules. 8 modules covering PCB materials and fabrication, stackup design, impedance calculation and control, high-speed routing rules, vias and HDI, interface-specific routing and verification for manufacture with IPC-2141A, IPC-2221B and IPC-6012, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Select PCB materials according to electrical and cost requirements.
Design symmetrical stackups with suitable reference planes.
Calculate and control the impedance of single-ended and differential lines.
Define routing rules for high-speed interfaces.
Design reliable vias and HDI structures.
Apply interface-specific layout guidelines.
Prepare verified fabrication packages according to IPC standards.
Who it's for
- PCB designers moving into high-speed and controlled-impedance boards.
- High-speed layout engineers.
- Hardware engineers who specify stackups and routing constraints.
- Signal integrity engineers working closely with layout.
- Electronics manufacturing engineers dealing with fabricators.
- Electronic CAD engineers maintaining rules and libraries.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter consumer electronics.
What you'll work with
- IPC-2141A (controlled impedance circuit board design)
- IPC-2221B (generic standard on printed board design)
- IPC-6012 (qualification and performance of rigid printed boards)
- IPC-4101 (base materials for rigid and multilayer boards)
- IPC-2226 (HDI printed board design)
- IPC-2152 (current-carrying capacity of conductors)
- IPC-7351 (land pattern design)
- IPC-A-600 (acceptability of printed boards)
- Polar Si9000
- Altium Designer
- Cadence Allegro
- KiCad
- Saturn PCB Toolkit
8 modules
1.1FR-4 laminates and high-frequency materials1.2Dielectric constant and loss tangent1.3Glass weave and the fibre weave effect1.4Copper roughness and losses1.5Prepregs, cores and resin content1.6Multilayer fabrication processes1.7Manufacturer tolerances1.8IPC-4101 and IPC-6012 specifications1.9Cost versus performance1.10Case study: material selection for 25 Gb/s
2.1Layer count and symmetry2.2Assignment of signal and plane layers2.3Reference pairs and coupling2.4Stackups for HDI and microvias2.5Copper balance and warpage2.6Thicknesses, copper weights and current2.7Mixed stackups with RF layers2.8Stackup documentation for the manufacturer2.9Iterating with the manufacturer2.10Lab: eight-layer stackup with Polar
3.1Microstrip and stripline3.2Coupled differential pairs3.3Grounded coplanar3.42D field solvers3.5Influence of the solder mask3.6Tolerances and impedance window3.7Impedance test coupons3.8Geometry adjustment by the manufacturer3.9Impedance in breakout areas3.10Practical exercise: impedance calculation with Polar Si9000
4.1Lengths, matching and skew4.2Spacing and the 3W rule4.3Serpentines and their effect4.4Corners, bends and stubs4.5Differential pair routing4.6Layer changes and return vias4.7Routing near edges and voids4.8Constraints in the CAD tool4.9Net classes and per-interface rules4.10Workshop: defining rules in Altium or Allegro
5.1Through, blind and buried vias5.2Stacked and staggered microvias5.3Via stubs and back-drilling5.4Antipads and transition optimisation5.5Via-in-pad and filling5.6Thermal reliability of vias5.7Annular ring rules5.8Routing density in fine-pitch BGAs5.9Cost of HDI processes5.10Lab: fan-out of a 0.5 mm BGA
6.1USB 3.x and USB46.2PCIe and SATA6.3Ethernet from 1G to 10G6.4HDMI and DisplayPort6.5MIPI CSI and DSI6.6DDR and LPDDR memories6.7Clocks and sensitive signals6.8Analogue and mixed signals6.9High-current power according to IPC-21526.10Case study: layout guide with PCIe and USB
7.1Electrical and manufacturing DRC7.2DFM and DFA review7.3Post-layout impedance simulation7.4Generation of fabrication documentation7.5ODB++ and IPC-25817.6Coupon measurement with TDR7.7Inspection according to IPC-A-6007.8Feedback into the design7.9Change management between revisions7.10Practical exercise: fabrication package with IPC-2581
8.1Electrical requirements of the board8.2Material selection8.3Stackup definition8.4Impedance table8.5Routing rules per interface8.6Layout of critical areas8.7DFM review with the manufacturer8.8Fabrication documentation8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Polar Si9000, Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, KiCad and Saturn PCB Toolkit, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied on real procedures: controlled impedance calculation, definition of routing rules in CAD and review of impedance coupons with the manufacturer. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: IPC-2141A, IPC-2221B, IPC-6012, IPC-4101, IPC-2226, IPC-2152, IPC-7351, IPC-A-600.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Polar Si9000, Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, KiCad and Saturn PCB Toolkit, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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