About TraceWidthCalculator
Professional PCB Design Tools - Free Forever
We build free, professional-grade PCB design calculators based on industry standards like IPC-2221 and IPC-2152. Our mission is to make high-quality engineering tools accessible to everyone—from students learning PCB design to professional hardware engineers working on production boards.
Our Mission
TraceWidthCalculator.com was created to solve a simple problem: professional PCB design calculators were either locked behind expensive software or scattered across unreliable websites with outdated formulas.
We believe that every hardware engineer—whether working at a Fortune 500 company or building projects in their garage—deserves access to accurate, IPC-compliant calculation tools. That's why our core calculators are free to use, with no registration required.
Our PCB trace width calculator, via current calculator, and impedance calculator are used by thousands of engineers worldwide to design reliable, production-ready PCBs.
Why Trust Us
IPC Standards Compliance
All calculations are based on IPC-2221, IPC-2152, and IPC-2141 standards. We use the exact formulas specified in these documents.
Transparent Methodology
We show our formulas and explain our methodology. You can verify our calculations against your own references or PCB fabricator guidelines.
Built by Engineers
Our tools are developed by practicing hardware engineers who understand real-world PCB design challenges and requirements.
Continuously Updated
We regularly update our tools to reflect the latest industry standards and incorporate user feedback.
Our PCB Design Tools
Trace Width Calculator
Calculate PCB trace width based on IPC-2221 standard. Determine minimum conductor width for a given current, temperature rise, and copper thickness.
Try Calculator →Via Current Calculator
Calculate via current capacity and determine optimal via count for high-current applications. Essential for power delivery network design.
Try Calculator →Impedance Calculator
Calculate characteristic impedance for microstrip, stripline, and differential pairs. Design for USB, HDMI, PCIe, and other high-speed interfaces.
Try Calculator →Industry Standards We Follow
IPC-2221 (Generic Standard on Printed Board Design) is the foundational standard for PCB design, replacing the older IPC-D-275. It provides the empirical formulas we use for trace width calculations, relating current capacity, conductor cross-sectional area, and temperature rise.
IPC-2152 (Standard for Determining Current Carrying Capacity in Printed Board Design) provides updated empirical data based on more recent testing. While IPC-2221 remains widely used for its conservative estimates, IPC-2152 allows for optimized designs when space is critical.
IPC-2141 (Design Guide for High-Speed Controlled Impedance Circuit Boards) provides guidelines for impedance-controlled PCB design, including formulas for microstrip and stripline configurations that we implement in our impedance calculator.
Standards Reference
- IPC-2221B - Generic PCB Design
- IPC-2152 - Current Capacity
- IPC-2141A - Controlled Impedance
- IPC-4101 - Base Materials
- IPC-6012 - Rigid PCB Qualification
Questions or Feedback?
We're always looking to improve our PCB design calculators. If you have questions, found a bug, or want to suggest a feature, we'd love to hear from you.