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APRIL 2020 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 11 ry where design costs spiraled out of control, leading to PCBs that cost over $200 apiece. Nick Barbin of Optimum Design Associates explains how design economics ties in with solid DFM skills and why communication be- tween designers and fabricators is paramount for cost-aware design. MK Hicks of the In- FRONT Agency explains why designers can't afford not to adapt to changes in the indus- try. And Joe Fjelstad posits that cost-sensitive PCB designers should really be looking at de- sign with manufacturing instead of design for manufacturing. I hope all of you are doing well under these COVID-19 restrictions. Many of you work for companies that are considered essential busi- nesses, and we'll continue to bring you the lat- est updates from your vendors, suppliers, and partners. Stay healthy, and we'll get through this. I think we're going to come out of this period stronger than ever. 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. We discovered that there are as many differ- ent opinions about design economics as there are designers; there are dozens of methods for tracking cost throughout the PCB design cy- cle. Some designers begin considering cost the second they begin working on the design, and other designers don't track cost at all. Some designers said they wait until they had a work- ing product and try to shave dollars off when specifying components. What process does your company follow for tracking design costs? Do you have a process? This month, our experts delve into the eco- nomics of PCB design. We look at the total cost of each design, a variety of methods for con- trolling costs at each stage, some useful met- rics that help designers and engineers track de- sign costs, when it's time to outsource a de- sign, and much more. Chris Young of The Goebel Company ex- plains how he tracks design costs every step of the way, from the schematic through final assembly. Kelly Dack, CID+, discusses why he looks at design economics as a matter of conflict management, and why each de- cision to manage costs may create DFM or DFA problems later. Rick Hartley shares a sto- Smart Eye announced 24 new design wins with four dif- ferent OEMs in one fell swoop. Of the four OEMs, two are new customers, one is an American high-volume car maker, one is a European premium manufacturer, and two are exist- ing European premium customers. The estimated combined life-time value of the four contracts is at least 500 million kronors ($49 million). Through its leading position for DMS in the automotive industry, Smart Eye has already secured its sales for the coming years. This provides a solid base for the delivery of DMS in the short and medium term. "This is a solid foundation for the company, and we are determined to continue to lead the automotive DMS industry into the 2020s, as it's becoming as common as seatbelts and airbags," said Martin Krantz, founder and CEO of Smart Eye. As a precautionary measure with the current market vola- tility due to the coronavirus, Smart Eye has decided to low- er its operating costs in order to conserve cash. The cost reduction program enters into effect immediately. Special emphasis is placed on ensuring that the numerous delivery commitments to the global automotive industry are met. The company retains readiness to quickly scale up if coronavi- rus-related uncertainties improve. (Source: Smart Eye AB) Smart Eye Announces 24 Design Wins With Four Different OEMs