Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1348195
MARCH 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 39 the customer to get clarification. Many of these designers were working with a standard set of parts in their schematic capture tools, and as long as they had the same number of pins, they wouldn't worry if the pinouts were the same. In general, I learned to spend time with my customer to find out exactly what it was that they were expecting with the design. Some customers were new to circuit board design and didn't understand the process. Sadly, there were also some that just didn't care, and once they "threw their design over the wall" to us, we were on our own to make it all work. As it ultimately turns out, what I discovered was the key to success in all of this: finding out what I needed to do to make it all work, and then doing it. Here are some ideas that I've dis- covered over the years that may be helpful in your electronic sleuthing efforts. 'I Say, Holmes, What Was That?' and Other Clue-Gathering Tips e worst position that you can be put in when laying out a circuit board is to not under- stand what your customer is looking for. Your customer may be another company, depart- ment, engineer, or the dude that is sitting next to you. No matter who it is, though, you need as much information as possible to complete your work correctly and on time. ese ideas may help: • Ask questions. Yes, it can be really tough to admit that you don't know something, but you need to ask questions in order to succeed. Is there information missing from your design database or documentation? Find it before you proceed. Is something not clear in your instructions? Get some answers now before you get stuck. • Get it in writing. I've said this so many times in this column, and here it is again: document, document, document. Not only will answers in writing give you something to refer to other than your memory, but it also gives you something to fall back on in case you are ever challenged about what you have been working on. • Cultivate good working relationships. Many times, miscommunications are due to a lack of relationship and trust. e more that we can build up and strengthen our working relationships, the more likely that our communication will improve. • Learn from all your experiences. Some assignments, designs, and even people, will present the same or similar prob- lems repeatedly. Use these experiences to empower you, not to drag you down. If someone is known for not giving you a complete data package in the past, check the information carefully the next time they hand you a design to keep yourself from being derailed again. • Makin' a list and checkin' it thrice. Checklists are a great thing, especially if you are constantly working with informa- tion coming to you from outside sources. A checklist that you can easily refer to can help you to remember to look for even the smallest details that oen get overlooked and hurt you in the end. Hey, there's a reason that pilots use a checklist every time they fly an airplane, so there's no reason why you shouldn't use one. • Use the full capabilities of the tools, that's what they're there for. ere are so many features in PCB design tools today that can help ensure the complete data integrity of a design—simulators, analyz- ers, checking, 3D viewing, team design, and much, much more. One way to ensure the accurate transfer of electronic data between design and manufacturing, is the electronic data exchange features built on the IPC-2581 data format. is system allows a manufacturer to electronically send a circuit board stackup configuration