Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1457913
26 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2022 matics, electronic components, and the fun- damentals of propagation. Unfortunately, col- leges still don't generally teach PCB layout and how signals work in circuit boards; Eric Boga- tin's classes at the University of Colorado, Boulder are the exception. If you don't want to study at college, just find a good course on electronics for beginners. André LaMothe has a fantastic class on Udemy. It's so affordable that anyone can take it using free or open- source soware along the way. It's really never been easier. As a milestone, I recommend walking through specific ECAD tutorials. ere are so many available, both free and paid. Learn a tool, preferably a commercial tool, if it's a career you want. Open-source tools like KiCAD have come an incredibly long way and are getting better, but honestly, the companies willing to pay you good money for design want it done in commercial tools. Use the job search func- tion on LinkedIn to determine which tool is most in demand, then get an evaluation. Com- mit yourself for three to four weeks (whatever the evaluation period is), spending eight hours a day learning the soware, watching videos, stepping through tutorials, and documenta- tion. It's a big commitment but you will need to do it. e same goes for anyone who is look- ing to get a new job or contract with a com- pany that has a different ECAD tool that you haven't used before. e next milestone can be in tandem with the first one: Tour a PCB fabricator followed by an assembler. If there isn't one close to you, do the next best thing and watch some video tours on YouTube. Many of the best fabricators and assembly service providers have video playlists which will walk you step-by-step through the entire start-to-finish process. is step is criti- cal. Too many engineers are designing hard- ware and the PCBs are far less than optimal or even have errors that require redesign, because the designer did not have a clear understand- ing of the manufacturing processes involved or the manufacturing limitations. Finally, with a few actual working designs under your belt, get certified. is is the final goal because it confirms you know what you're doing, and you can be counted on to design boards that work right, and usually without revisions. ere are two certifications avail- able. For the longest time, the only one avail- able was the IPC CID and CID+ (advanced). If you take that route, you will want to do CID first, with CID+ done a minimum of six months later. Basically, the CID+ was built by the most respected and experienced design gurus in the industry. I highly recommend it (I've taken it myself ). Your newer second option for certifi- cation is with PCEA. Because the association is so new, not as many employers are aware of it or asking for this certification. However, it is a newer consolidated version of CID+ done by mostly the same people, now separated from IPC. Certifications cost $2,000 to $3,000, but it's worth it. e knowledge you gain in certi- fication classes can't be learned anywhere but through the school of hard knocks. I see it this way: You could do a Udemy elec- tronics course for $12, spend another $2,000 Ben Jordan