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66 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2021 We asked an expert what factors designers should consider as they lay out their boards Every day we field questions from PCB designers about how to improve functionality of their boards or make them more manufac- turable. Hardware entrepreneurs and design- ers for organizations developing new elec- tronic products are an important subset of our customer base. Uncertainty surrounding the cost of product development is a big challenge as they compete with large corporations on the innovation front. To help them make design choices that won't cause cost overruns down the line, we oen turn to our trusted partner John Teel of Predictable Designs for counsel. Teel has dedicated himself Designing PCBs for Electronic Hardware Products to helping entrepreneurs create new electronic products, guiding them through the electronic product engineering process from initial cost estimates to schematic design and on through programming and testing. We sat down with Teel recently to discuss what PCB designers need to be thinking about in terms of the bigger product development picture. is article surfaces several important takeaways from that discussion. 1. Simplify your product, but don't compromise on key features. e process of product development is com- plex and difficult enough even with a relatively simple product. If you are building something more complex, it will take longer and cost more to develop and manufacture. By wager- Connect the Dots by Matt Stevenson, SUNSTONE CIRCUITS