Power integrity basics in PCB Design - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This table shows three electronic components on a PCB with their operating voltage and current. The goal is to calculate power consumption for each component to understand power integrity.

Cell	Value
A1	Component
B1	Voltage (V)
C1	Current (A)
D1	Power (W)
A2	IC1
B2	3.3
C2	0.5
D2	1.65
A3	IC2
B3	5
C3	0.2
D3	1
A4	IC3
B4	1.8
C4	0.8
D4	1.44

Formula Trace

=B2*C2

Step 1: B2 * C2

Step 2: 3.3 * 0.5

Cell Reference Map

    A       B       C       D
1 |Component|Voltage |Current |Power  
2 |IC1      |  3.3   |  0.5   | 1.65  
3 |IC2      |  5     |  0.2   | 1     
4 |IC3      |  1.8   |  0.8   | 1.44  

Formula uses B2 and C2 cells for calculation.

The formula references voltage in B2 and current in C2 to calculate power in D2.

Result

    A       B       C       D
1 |Component|Voltage |Current |Power  
2 |IC1      |  3.3   |  0.5   | 1.65  
3 |IC2      |  5     |  0.2   | 1     
4 |IC3      |  1.8   |  0.8   | 1.44  

Power for IC1 calculated as 1.65 watts.

The power consumption for IC1 is calculated and shown in cell D2.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the formula =B2*C2 calculate?

A Current through IC1

B Voltage drop across IC1

C Power consumption of IC1

D Resistance of IC1

Key Result

Power = Voltage * Current