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Design007-Sept2019

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50 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2019 Tim's Takeaways Feature Column by Tim Haag, CONSULTANT There are a lot of standards in our lives. In the late fall, many of us switch from daylight savings time to standard time. Someone's fa- vorite team or athlete often sets the standard for a higher level of performance, and I person- ally think that Sean Connery set the standard for James Bond. On Saturday mornings, my wife and I even have our standard breakfast that we cook. And of course, there are three- bazillion standards that are in place regulating what we eat, wear, drive, and live in as well as how we design PCBs. But did you know that there was another definition of "standard?" In years past, colorful flags or banners of identification called "stan- dards" were carried by military organizations into battle to serve as a rallying point for the troops and to mark the location of the group commander. It is believed that this practice originated back in ancient Egypt, and later on the Roman empire made battle standards part of their vast armies. Eventually, the battle stan- dard was formalized during the Middle Ages by the armies of Europe with the standards displaying the commander's coat of arms. Carrying a standard may seem silly in to- day's era of technological warfare where any such display that identified your commander's location would surely guarantee a quick mis- sile strike in return. But back in the days of Na- poleonic battle tactics involving swords, bayo- nets, muskets, and cannons, it was important to know where to look up at for your leader- ship in all the dust, smoke, and confusion of the battle. With this thought in mind, perhaps we can breathe some fresh life into how standards are often perceived. Let's face it; standards can be a real annoyance when you are just trying to Realizing a Higher Standard for PCB Design

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