Design007 Magazine

58 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 At the top level of the main center of interest, the symmetrical arrangement of 40 mounting holes is meant to convey that this area needs a significant amount of mechanical support. As we focus further inward, the individual test point arrays also use internal sub-dominant focal points meant to emphasize the criticality of electrical connections. In Figure 6, the dark solder mask area (traced in yellow) contains the electrical support con- nections to the test site and are linked to the sub-dominant focal points located outside the dominant focal point. ese external sub- dominant focal points contain the interface circuitry (power, communications, program- ming) for each test site and contain tertiary focal points (traced in blue) meant for system integration and debug. Fundamental artistic principles of symmetry, focal points, and centers of interest are used to make PCB designs functional pieces of art in our modern electronic age. e symmetry draws us in, the focal points show us where to look, and the centers of interest engage our curiosity, prompting us to think more deeply about the subject matter we are observing. is is why I refer to Gerber files as artwork. DESIGN007 References 1. Human Preferences for Symmetry: Subjective Experience, Cognitive Conflict and Cortical Brain Activity, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. 2. "Focal Point vs. Center of Interest," Artists Net- work. 3. "Design Principles: Dominance, Focal Points, and Hierarchy," Smashing Magazine, Feb. 27, 2015. Chris Young is owner/lead engineer at Young Engineering Services LLC, and an I-Connect007 columnist. To contact Young or read past columns, click here. Figure 6: The silver-colored through-hole connector solder points and lighter solder mask area (traced in red) is the precision current measurement interface. Figure 5: The main focal point and center of interest of the board design is a symmetrically- arranged array of 32 identical test point arrays vertically contained by five rows of mounting holes (non-plated with gold-plated pads top and bottom) and further emphasized by the contrast in the solder mask.

• December 2021 — Design007 Magazine
• Feature Contents — The Art and Science of PCB Design
• Additional Contents
• Flex007 Contents
• Column — The Art of PCB Design: I Know It When I See It
• Feature Interview — PCB Design: Where Art and Science Intersect
• Column — 'Dealing' With PCB Design
• Feature Article — Will AI Replace the Art of PCB Design?
• Column — The Rise of Resin in IoT Applications
• Column — Leveraging Digital Twins to Optimize Electronic Systems
• Feature Interview — Field of Dreams: The Art and Science of Designing with Field Theory
• Article — Test and Inspection
• Feature Article — The Colorful World of PCB Design
• PCB007 Highlights
• Feature Article — The Art of Using Symmetry—and Asymmetry—in PCB Design
• Column — Best Practices for Solder Mask Application
• Column — High-Performance 3D Printed Circuitry
• Feature Interview — The Art and Science of DFM
• Feature Interview — The Art and Science of PCB Design—You Are the Best Tool
• Feature Column — Creative Minds Pushing Boundaries
• MilAero007 Highlights
• Column — Live or via Zoom, Knowledge Is All Around Us
• Column — Better Electronics Start With Better Training
• Short — Navigating the Supply Chain Storm With ICAPE
• Article — RealTime with… American Standard Circuits: Thermal Management
• Feature Article — Revving Up Design
• Flex007 Column — Shaping Flexible Circuits
• Flex007 Short — Elementary, Mr. Watson: We've Never Done It That Way Before
• Flex007 Highlights
• Flex007 Column — Challenges in Simulating a Wirebonded CoB on a Rigid-Flex PCB
• Flex007 Short — Flexible, Wearable X-ray Detector Doesn't Require Heavy Metals
• PCB Design007 Top Ten Editor's Picks
• Career Opportunities section
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