Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1457913
MARCH 2022 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 41 • Establish a workflow: Gremlins also seem to flourish in chaos and confusion. Whether by user error or a true computer glitch, work will get deleted, items will be forgotten, and data will be corrupted. You can help mitigate these gremlins by developing an established workflow which will ensure that each milestone is accom- plished and checked off as you go. is will help reduce the confusion and give you tangible recovery points that you can go back to if necessary. • Communicate: Make sure that you and your co-workers are on the same page. Many times, the problems in the work- place attributed to gremlins are more human in origin. Missing files and lost data may have simply been a case of the project being re-homed by another designer. • Ask questions: Technical support is a wonderful thing, but there are many other channels of information available to you as well. FAQs, designer forums, white papers, and blogs are all available to you and can oen provide quick answers to resolve some of these annoyances. • When in doubt, document it: Keep track of your technical issues. Maybe you will find a common thread that will help diagnose a reoccurring gremlin, or at the very least, back you up in the event of a truly unknown gremlin. Trying to blame a missed deadline on a computer glitch without proof is sort of like saying the dog ate your homework. Document it. ankfully, improvements are being made all the time in the tools we are using and in design workflows. is month's edition of Design007 Magazine is full of examples of advances, opportunities, and new tool technologies to help PCB designers ascend to higher levels of excellence in their roles. With all the enhance- ments that are coming down the line, who knows but maybe we'll finally chase the grem- lins out of the workplace for good. I have one last piece of advice that might be helpful. Sometimes those pesky gremlins aren't supernatural apparitions at all, but instead are a simple mistake. Always take the time to check and double-check these glitches before you do anything rash. It can save you a lot of trouble, like starting over a design from scratch because you didn't realize that the database was simply in a different directory (my hand is up on this one). Remember the gremlin that attacked my truck in the form of a faulty alarm system? As it turns out, when the shop first installed the new door switch, no one noticed they had been given the wrong part from their supplier. e door switch was the same size and shape as the original part, but it was slightly different internally, causing it to behave intermittently. But since the shop had ruled out a bad switch as the source of the problem by replacing it, they proceeded to search for other causes. It was only aer I brought the truck back the second time and they started the diagnostic process all over from the beginning that they discovered they had the wrong door switch. e truck works great now, my money was refunded, and my mechanic has a new step in their workflow to double-check incoming part numbers. So don't be hasty when con- fronted with a gremlin and work through the problem thoroughly. Until next time, every- one, keep on designing. DESIGN007 Tim Haag writes technical, thought-leadership content for First Page Sage on his longtime career as a PCB designer and EDA technologist. To read past columns or contact Haag, click here.