Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1400005
AUGUST 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 19 I believe the best thing that a person can do is go to every bit of training that they can get. Everybody who teaches a class about HDI or DFM, for example, is going to approach it from a different angle, so don't just take one class on a certain topic. Shaughnessy: Speaking of DFM, we've had this ongoing discussion about whether designers need to be experts in fabrication. What do you think? Webb: I think designers must understand manufacturing. You don't have to be an expert at it, but you have to understand what they need, how they need it, and why they need it, because if you understand the why, then you can understand the reasoning better, especially when things conflict. A person needs to know a lot about DFM and have experts they can call on when they need help. I teach a class called "Building a Bridge from Design to Manufacturing" because designers don't necessarily understand what the man- ufacturers need, nor do the manufacturers understand that what they're asking for is dif- ficult from the design perspective. We have to understand each other, and that manufactur- ers are not just asking for something because it makes their job easy, but rather because it really is a requirement for them to produce the board. By the same token, they must under- stand why it can be difficult for us to accom- plish what they want. Shaughnessy: What would you say are some of the must-haves as far as training, education, and certifications? What do you think every designer should have under their belt? Webb: e CID is changing somewhat, and I am not clear what all those changes are. ere is a new training class and certification from the PCEA. e great thing about the PCEA class is that the information was written by longtime designers and speakers who really understand the information. To me, the most important thing is just to go for training, and that means soware training, conferences, online classes, etc. LinkedIn, as I mentioned earlier, posts a lot of good articles. One must be hungry to understand where the business is and where it's going, in my opinion. If that means spending time, effort, or money for the designer to find the path for more knowledge, then that's what they need to do. It does not have to cost personal money. If they approach management with a written "sales pitch" about how more training will benefit the entire company because the boards will be designed correctly the first time, many times their company will agree to pay. Engineers understand the electronics involved in designing a circuit on a schematic, but they may not understand fully what's hap- pening inside the board. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've explained energy fields to an engineer, and they say, "No, no, the signal is in the trace." Actually, the signal energy is in the energy fields that surround the trace and if you don't understand how to design and control those energy fields as the signal travels through the layers of the board, the signal and the board may not work properly. Another example of misunderstanding is EMI. I can't tell you how oen I've heard, "We don't have to pass EMI testing and regulations, so we don't need to know about EMI." Well, yes, they do, because EMI is also crosstalk, interference, or inadvertent antennas which are caused by not controlling the higher-fre- One must be hungry to understand where the business is and where it's going, in my opinion.