Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1500943
26 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2023 What issue should PCB designers be more aware of? Designers continuously learn how to improve their designs. A significant contribution to this process is information related to manufactur- ing, actual materials used, and the way that the product is used in the market. e issue here is that context is very important. Results of customer feedback, warranty claims, and reli- ability of the product in the market are affected by several variables which design does not cur- rently have visibility of nor control over. e same product may be manufactured at several different locations, with different con- figurations and settings, all of which alter the manufacturing performance. e choice of materials oen deviates from expectations, as material shortages or increased costs trigger the use of local or more cost-effective materi- als. ese may perform differently in certain conditions. Customers may use, and abuse, products in certain applications. How can all these factors be measured? Understanding the results of product design decisions means that detailed context of manufacturing, materials, and use-case information is essential if we are to create better designs that reduce the cost of manufacturing, poor quality, and exceptions occurring in the market. e use of solutions around an interoperable digital twin architec- ture standard, such as IPC-2551, may be the way forward. What problem should PCB designers be more aware of? Designers hold a very important key, the first step in the digital transformation of manufac- turing and the supply chain. Habitually press- ing the "Output Gerber" button in design tools is crippling the Smart manufacturing effort. e problem is that designers are uncomfort- able in considering potential inefficiencies and security risks in their current way of opera- tion. Designers must be aware that modern, Smart product data formats, such as IPC-2581, in the hands of the right manufacturing engi- neering tools, eliminate the need for manual data manipulation. is inevitably causes long lead-times, wasted costs, and risk of mistakes, all of which are common with a Gerber-cen- tric output. A single file format, such as IPC- 2581, can be more easily secured, need not be opened or seen by a human, and contains only the necessary data needed to manufacture the product. Going forward, with the utilization of another IPC standard, IPC-2591 CFX, solu- tions can be possible that allow manufactur- ing of products without the disclosure of the design data in any holistic form. e problem is that, statistically, design management has their heads in the sand when it comes to Smart data flows that are essential for the success of digital manufacturing. Qandeel Sheikh Whizz Systems What is your main concern for PCB designers? Understanding the purpose and application of the PCB. Designing a PCB involves more than just creating a layout. It's essential to con- sider the purpose and application of the board. is includes its interfaces, technology, form factor, and electronics circuit design. When designing high-density applications with very fine-pitch components such as 0.4-mm BGAs, it is important for the designer to have a clear understanding of fan-out techniques such as stacked microvias, laser vias, skip vias, HDI, and VIPPO (vertical interconnect process with plated over) that are used to escape out and route such components on the PCB. PCB designers should have a sufficient understanding of the electronics circuit design and schematics to ensure that the board layout aligns with its intended purpose. For instance, a PCB designed for a communication system will have different requirements than the one for a power supply system.