NRF7002-QFAA-R QFN layout ground connection

[Dugan]

The nRF7002 Evaluation Kit and the PCA10143 Development Kit both show multiple vias to the ground tab pin 49 but there is no direct connection from the tab to pins 27, 28, nor 47. Why was this done in the layout and what would be the consequence of tying these pins directly to the tab?

[Szabolcs]

Hi Dugan,

connecting these pins directly to the exposed pad doesn't seam like a big change, but it could actually create some ground loops, causing problems with interference. The chip is operating on high frequency, so even small changes are significant. Also, the buck circuitry is very sensitive to the layout due to the relatively high currents. We recommend following the reference layout (download here) as strictly as possible, since it is a tested, known-good design. The best way is to just copy and paste the layout as it is, and only make changes that are absolutely necessary.

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