Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1126810
JUNE 2019 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 ther: Everything starts with documentation, which Al describes as the most critical prod- uct that each designer can create. Next, Kelly Dack, an IPC CID designer instructor with EP- TAC, introduces us to his idea for the ultimate in DFX: Design for the Unknown, or DFU. Kel- ly also offers some advice for dealing with one of the newest cogs in the machine: the indus- trial designer. Columnist Tim Haag explores the relation- ship between good PCB design processes and the recipe for a birthday cake; changing one in- gredient can change the entire outcome! And we have a short interview that Nolan Johnson conducted with Mike Creeden of San Diego PCB Design. Mike discusses the need to select the appropriate type of laminate as early in the design process as possible. Yes, everything starts with design. You may have already known that, but now your down- stream partners do as well. We'll do everything we can to help you along the way. See you next month! DESIGN007 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 19 years. He can be reached by clicking here. • Get feedback on previous builds to improve upcoming projects • Try to insist that the fab house runs Valor DFM • Minimize layer count • Use the largest trace widths, via sizes, and clearances we can • Don't use more demanding fab technology than absolutely necessary • Plan your stackup with your fabricator • Reduce the drill count • Follow IPC standards A lot of the replies were variations on these themes: Communicate. Don't throw your downstream partners any technological curve balls. Go big if at all possible, except for layer count. Follow IPC guidelines. All of this might make us think that the days of throwing the design "over the wall" are just about over. But there are still flies in the pro- verbial oatmeal. We know that communica- tion is still a big problem; many designers nev- er speak to their fabricator until they get that Friday evening phone call. But many designers say that they have no earthly idea where their boards are going to be manufactured. They just design each board so that it can, hopeful- ly, be fabricated anywhere. As you'll see in this issue, there are plenty of little things that a designer can do to help make the board easier to fabricate and assem- ble, and even influence the profitability of the final product. In our first feature, Prototron's Mark Thomp- son, CID+, explains why great fabrication jobs always start with solid design practices, and he lays out some of the things designers should— and should not—do to help make the design more manufacturable. Then, in an interview with our editorial team, Julie Ellis of TTM dis- cusses some of the tips and tricks designers should adopt, especially if their boards are go- ing to be built in Asia. As Julie says, you need to know your fabricator's capabilities or you could be up a creek without a paddle. We also have an interview with Al Gaines, founder of HiGain Design Services. He takes "everything starts with design" one step fur-