Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1494346
MARCH 2023 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 55 plexity, and the broadest range of features and methodologies. Adam orvaldson of Innovex came in second. Adam also had a good amount of design complexity and features, so it was very close. Kelly Dack: Kris, were these designs graded on manufacturability? Yes, that was one of the criteria, and we gave them some rules up front. e bulk of the design rules were provided to them already in the design because of the time limitations, but we said, "Here's the range of via sizes you can make. You can make microvias for the BGA escape routing all the way up to larger, higher- current vias for the power distribution, etc." We said that this had to meet IPC Class 3. e finalists were provided access to the appropri- ate IPC standards through Heat 1 and Heat 2. It was up to them to know how to use the stan- dards to ensure that the features they created met those Class 3 performance, classification, and manufacturability concerns. Dack: Were there any notes or documenta- tion criteria that they needed to fill in? Not for this. is one was straight routing design, again because of the time limitations. But in Heat 1 last fall, they had a whole month, and we gave them an entire schematic. But Heat 2 was purely board routing. ere wasn't even silkscreen clean-up. It wasn't any of that for the finalists; it was purely routing, the key aspect of board design. You can make silk- screen as pretty as you want, but if the copper's not done right, it doesn't work. Dack: Last year's design was very simple, and this year's design was more complex. For next year, will we have the Goldilocks syndrome, where the design is just right? is year, I don't think it was so much the com- plexity of the design, but the allotment of time for completion. What we're really looking at is the time allowance. Dack: What advice would you give future contestants to better prepare for this design competition? Be familiar with the IPC design standards, especially the IPC-2220 series. Know what we mean when we specify Class 3, Level 8 pro- ducibility. Become proficient with the various tools. Part of that's on us to make sure that we have a standardized platform. Shaughnessy: That's good. Would you do anything differently for next year? It's still early, but maybe. For next year, I will be talking to Patrick Crawford (IPC member of design programs) about several different concepts we might do for next year. We'll have more understanding aer Patrick and I flesh it out, but we're looking at some ideas for next year. Shaughnessy: Thanks for speaking with us, Kris. No problem. ank you. DESIGN007 MARCH 2023 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 55