Kirsch Mackey

Kirsch Mackey is an electrical engineer, educator, and content creator with over 15 years of experience spanning power systems, control systems, electrical systems, embedded programming, PCB design, power electronics, and high-speed digital systems. As founder of HaSofu and former adjunct professor, he developed the MESH method—a structured approach to high-speed PCB design that has helped students land roles at companies like Apple, Intel, Cisco, Garmin and Amazon in months rather than years. Drawing from industry experience at Intel and beyond, Kirsch bridges theory and practice through technical writing, courses, and hands-on workshops that make complex engineering concepts accessible and actionable.

1 day ago
Differential Pair Routing for Signal Integrity and EMI

Route high-speed differential pairs with better signal integrity and lower EMI. Learn stackups, impedance control, Allegro X constraints, routing, via design, and fixes for skew and crosstalk.

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6 days ago
EMI Reduction Techniques for Switching Power Supply PCB Layouts

Switching power supplies are often the noisiest circuits on a PCB. Learn four layout choices that help reduce EMI: hot loop area, ground returns, input filter placement, and switch node containment

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6 days ago
PCB Layer Stackup Design Strategies for EMI and Signal Integrity

Your stackup shapes EMI before routing begins. Learn how layer order, plane pairing, and dielectric choices affect return paths, impedance, and field containment.

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9 days ago
How Do Return Path Discontinuities Create EMI in High-Speed PCBs?

A signal trace is only half the circuit. Learn how return current, plane splits, voids, and layer changes create EMI—and how to spot issues in layout.

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9 days ago
Why EMI Compliance Fails Despite Rule-Driven PCB Design

Learn why EMI compliance can fail even after a clean PCB DRC. Explore return path issues, common-mode conversion, plane resonance, and layout analysis methods to catch EMC risks early.

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19 days ago
Power Supply Design Checklist

Power supply design checklist for PCB engineers covering layout, EMI, thermal, safety, stability, and topology-specific checks to reduce re-spins.

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26 days ago
Designing PCBs for Signal and Power Integrity in Allegro X

Manage SI/PI across PCB design with Allegro X. This guide covers stackup, constraints, analysis, and signoff to reduce rework and speed delivery of high-performance, manufacturing-ready boards.

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about 1 month ago
Why SI and PI Must Be Solved Together During PCB Layout

Reference planes ensure signal & power integrity. Vias carry signal & power currents. Dielectrics impact both. Fixing one issue in isolation can break another.

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about 1 month ago
PCB Crosstalk Is a Layout Decision, Not a Post-Layout Issue

Crosstalk is predictable from geometry. Discover how spacing, length, and reference planes affect crosstalk, and how to measure near/far-end crosstalk during routing in Sigrity X Aurora.

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about 1 month ago
PCB Power Integrity Analysis: Why PDN Behavior Is a Geometry Problem

Your voltage regulator outputs clean power, but the IC has noise. The issue lies in the copper. Discover how plane spacing, cavity resonance, and via placement shape power delivery.

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about 1 month ago
Why Rule-Based Signal Integrity Checks Miss EMC Issues

Your PCB passes design rule checks but fails signal integrity at 8 Gbps. Discover three failure modes geometric rules miss and how electrical analysis prevents them pre-fabrication.

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about 2 months ago
The PCB Layout Guide to Signal and Power Integrity

Learn all about signal and power integrity in PCB design with this comprehensive guide. Learn how layout decisions impact performance and discover strategies for reliable, high-speed designs.

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2 months ago
The Hidden Cost of Via Choices in High-Speed Designs

Via stubs are a hidden threat to signal integrity. Learn the physics of quarter-wave resonance and how backdrilling or blind vias prevent destructive signal interference in your high-speed PCB design

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2 months ago
PCB Routing Topology Matters More Than Speed

Discover why PCB routing topology, like layer transitions, vias, and return path quality, matters more for Signal Integrity success than raw data speed.

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2 months ago
Why PDN Failures Rarely Come From 'Too Few Capacitors'

Learn the physics behind PDN failures and why high-frequency noise is controlled by mounting inductance, not just capacitance. Discover the key to lower loop impedance.

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2 months ago
Designing HDI in Allegro X

Discover a complete HDI design workflow in Allegro X, covering constraints, stackups, BGA breakout strategies, microvia configurations, and SI/PI validation for precise results.

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20 days ago
What is Thermal Design in HDI? Managing Heat in Ultra-Thin Dielectrics and Microvia-Dense Regions

Learn how to optimize thermal design in High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs. Explore microvia thermal fields, copper balancing, and heat spreading.

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17 days ago
The Physics of Resin Flow: Glass Weave Locking & Dielectric Behavior in HDI Laminations

Understand HDI PCB design by tackling resin flow, glass weave, and dielectric behavior. Prevent defects like voids, skew, and delamination in high-density stackups

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17 days ago
Architecting HDI for Ultra-Fine-Pitch Chiplets, AI Accelerators, and Fan-Out Packaging on Boards

Learn how to route 0.355 mm BGA pitches and design high density interconnect (HDI) PCBs for AI accelerators. Explore stackups, sub-3-mil routing, stacked microvias, and thermal management techniques.

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3 months ago
Return Path Integrity in HDI Designs: How Microvias Reshape High-Speed Current Flow

Learn how HDI PCBs and microvias reshape high-speed signal return paths. Discover critical stitching strategies for DDR5, PCIe Gen5/6, and USB4 to maintain signal integrity in dense BGAs.

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