Part 2: Are High-Speed PCBs and High-Frequency PCBs the Same Thing?
Though high speed and high frequency have different meanings, high-speed PCBs and high-frequency PCBs are basically the same printed circuit boards. The carrier of modulated signals is the sine wave. A high-speed circuit means the voltage rises or drops in a short time period, and a high-frequency circuit means the circuit cycle is short (frequency is the reciprocal of the period).
When the signal frequency rises, the cycle shortens. In the cycle, to ensure enough time for the signal to maintain stability, the time for the signal to rise and drop has to be short. So this leads to high speed. In other words, high-frequency PCBs are also high-speed PCBs.
There is no exact distinction between high-speed PCBs and high-frequency PCBs. Even their base materials are the same. So when someone asks the difference between high-speed PCBs and high-frequency PCBs, tell them to ignore the name of the circuit board and focus on how to keep the circuit signal integrity.