Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1369942
78 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2021 assembly. No matter what EDA tool you are using, the general process is the same: • Define requirements • Create libraries if they don't already exist • Capture schematics to include constraints • Integrate into PCB layout for parts placement and signal routing to include appropriate MCAD-ECAD handshakes • Run SI/EMC/PI simulations (making layout adjustments as required) • Generate final manufacturing outputs • Release the final data into your respective product life management system Aer this process is followed, send the released manufacturing data outputs to your suppliers to get the PCB fabricated and assem- bled. is is basically the same approach for design aer design and has been for many years now. However, we oen step back and ask, "How can we design faster and better while cutting cost?" It's tempting to start with your EDA tool, but is greater tool automation enough to make a significant impact here? I believe it can be, to a certain extent. But in PCB design, the moment of truth comes when you get that initial CCA into the lab and start testing its functionality, espe- cially if it's an initial prototype. Will it work as designed and meet all the requirements? It potentially becomes Pandora's Box at that stage in the overall design process. No matter how well you design that PCB layout, if the actual electrical circuit simply doesn't work or it does not meet the end requirements, then it's back to the drawing board and another re-spin. is is a reoccurring issue. Another common issue—especially in large companies—occurs when engineers are not aware that others have already been through the design phase of a particular circuit, so they repeat the design process over and over. For each redundant circuit created, a new verifica- tion cycle is required. Also, different choices for components are made in each redundant circuit, reducing volume purchasing leverage. Many printed circuit engineers keep reinvent- ing the wheel, laying out and routing that same circuit many times from one PCB design to another. So, is there an alternate approach out there? Precluding Problems With Design Reuse Yes, there is. Take advantage of reusable PCB design IP by creating reuse blocks within your EDA library. In Figure 2, we see an example of a reuse block created from an existing vali- Figure 2: Example of a reuse block created from an existing known, validated, and certified CCA design.