Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1004549
24 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2018 who warned us about the short-sighted logic of, "Price is what you pay up front and cost is what you pay in the long run." What makes the role of the layout specialist so, well, special? Let me first explain a prevalent misconception that hurts our profession. Like the Mark Twain quote, the following expression puts the industry misconceptions into focus: "Some people are really smart; some people are really challenged, and some people open their mouths and remove all doubt." I have heard some people in our industry say, "Layout is so easy that anyone can do it; after all, it's just connecting the dots." These are the decision- makers who don't hire and train replacements, blindly outsource work overseas to save pen - nies and then request the EE perform layout without equipping them to be successful. Back to my question of what makes the lay- out person a specialist. IPC Designers Council Executive Board created and submitted a work- ing definition of the role of anyone performing PCB layout. This definition should be at the beginning of the IPC-222X Series Design Stan- dard documents, available in its next release. The definition is helpful to understand the goals and qualifications to be successful. Definition: The professional role and responsibility to perform PCB design layout. The following overview describes the core knowledge and competencies to best serve in this role of PCB design layout as a standalone professional or as the engineer performing this responsibility. Today's designer must address three perspectives for success with the goal of making the first design iteration work as intended. • Layout Solvability: Complex packaging skill set, including routing, placement, EDA tool proficiency, mechanical and thermal • Electrical Integrity: Signal & power performance on all layers • Manufacturability: DFX considerations of high yield and lower cost The Result: Maximum placement and routing density achieved, optimum electrical performance and efficient, high-yield, cost-effective, defect-free manufacturing. Almost all seasoned designers have had all three of these facets developed over their careers and know how to make nuanced deci- sions that play a significant role in the success of their company's products. So again, manag- ers who assume that anyone can take a PCB MOOC course, read Wikipedia or just start doing PCB layout successfully are not dealing with reality. They are doing their company a disservice with this flawed line of reasoning. During IPC APEX EXPO 2018, I attended the IPC Designers Council executive board meet- ing. We were in deep discussion about this very subject and sharing our collective indus- try frustrations about the lack of awareness and response. As members of this council, we have spent significant time and energy trying to act and raise awareness over the years. One statement made that night has me concerned and I hope it never comes to pass: "Maybe this has to fail before they all take notice?" Or in the words of Joni Mitchell's, "Big Yellow Taxi: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til its gone." What I have done in this article, as well as what I have done in prior articles, and what my peers typically do, is just describe the problem in the hopes that someone will hear and get the message. We need to do more than just define the problem—we must define the solution! I am close to presenting some concepts that could make a significant attempt at defining a solution. So, today, I can join in the chorus of, "We have a problem." But I will also say, "There is a solution coming, so stay tuned." DESIGN007 Mike Creeden is VP and founder of San Diego PCB Design, and an IPC-CID+ MIT Trainer with EPTAC.