Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1004549
JULY 2018 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 39 entering the field of PCB layout today often have a background in electrical engineering. Some would complain that this sort of change is unnecessary and unfortunate, but I dis- agree. Is it any different than when those of us with computer skills stepped into the role of PCB designer instead of using colored pencils and tape? Remember that change encourages growth, and growth causes more change. On Father's Day, I received a gift of fruit dipped in fancy chocolate. While I was trying to convince my wife how healthy this was for me (it's fruit, right?), she rolled her eyes and was kind enough not to comment on how fast I consumed it (less than a day and a half which must be some kind of record). But the other gift that I received is more pertinent to our topic: a wireless video doorbell. How cool is that? It simply connects to my Wi-Fi, and now we get a notice on our phones when someone rings the doorbell. For a long time we have wanted a security camera for our front door. But the thought of positioning, wiring, and adopting it into our way of living just hasn't been something that I've wanted to take on. The funny thing is that I've been designing cool electronics for my whole career, yet I was unable to imagine just how simple this could be. I didn't need to install a complicated secu- rity camera system; I just bought this simple and relatively inexpensive little wire- less doorbell instead. It gives me the video feed from a camera straight to my phone, a two-way intercom, and it can draw power from the old doorbell circuit to charge its battery. I can even pay a low subscription fee to a cloud service if I want to record the video. The reason that I told this story is that it never occurred to me, someone with decades of experience in the electron- ics industry, that something like this could be done. It did occur to some- one though, and they went out and made it happen. That kind of inventive entrepreneurial spirit is what we need in tomorrow's PCB designers, and we need it today. So, on one hand we have a bunch of folks out there who have been designing printed cir- cuit boards for years and years. They've got a rich legacy of skills, experience, and integ- rity that only comes with doing their jobs for a long time. Then, on the other hand, we have a bunch of new folks coming into the field of PCB design that have the latest knowledge, ideas, and education. You see where I'm going with this don't you? Let's get all of these peo- ple together. The changes in our PCB design commu- nity shouldn't generate depression and fear. Instead these changes should motivate us to encourage and learn from each other so that we can all do our jobs better and create more and more really cool next generation technol- ogy. Change encourages growth, and growth causes more change. It really is a great cycle of life to be in. Excuse me. My phone just lit up announcing that "Someone is at your front door," and I'm really hoping that it's another delivery of chocolate- covered fruit. DESIGN007 Tim Haag is a consultant based in Portland, Oregon. Figure 3: With my grandson recently. Is he going to be a PCB designer when he grows up?