Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1436094
70 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 For this issue on the art and science of PCB design, we spoke with Tomas Chester, a PCB design engineer and founder of Chester Elec- tronic Design in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. I asked Tomas to share his thoughts on the art of PCB design, and how art and science must merge for a successful PCB design. Andy Shaughnessy: We oen hear that PCB design is part art and part science, right brain and le brain. Do you think it's more of one than the other, or does it depend on the design job? Tomas Chester: I think it is always a combination of the two. Depending on the requirements of the design you are working on, it may shi to slightly favor one side or the other. Being able to stay organized, focused, and aware of your design parameters, while allowing the creative side to explore and find innovative solutions, will lead to the best design. Shaughnessy: Can someone with a great mind for science learn the artistic side of design? at's one thing that non-degreed designers jokingly say about EEs—that they may focus too much on science and not enough on the art of the design. Does a PCB designer need to have an artistic side to apply the science to a design? Chester: Anyone with enough determination and focus can learn and expand their abili- ties. A great scientific mind can grasp the art side of design, while a creative PCB designer can acquire the technical background. I would continue by saying that once you have added that skill set to your quiver, the learning and development does not stop. e more special- The Art and Science of PCB Design— You Are the Best Tool Ocelot bottom side.