Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1500943
JUNE 2023 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 23 years. To read past columns, click here. for designers to visit board shops and assembly providers—and visit them oen. When was the last time you toured a board shop? On a related topic, communication got plenty of shout-outs this month, with fabrica- tors pointing the fickle finger of fate at design- ers for not working with board shops until it's too late. But the reverse also holds true: Designers noted that many (not all) fabrica- tors are reluctant to share their most up-to- date manufacturing capabilities, and that fab- ricators' websites oen don't have the info a designer needs for a complex design. Data was also mentioned by designers, fab- ricators, and assembly providers alike this month. Many pointed to the need to move on from Gerber and embrace Smart data trans- fer formats such as ODB++ or IPC-2581. Not surprisingly, some EMS folks stressed the need for more designers to become familiar with the CFX manufacturing format, which is now interfaced with IPC-2581 in the IPC-2591 format. In this issue, we share the top PCB design challenges from a variety of viewpoints—PCB designers, fabricators, and assembly providers. Weighing in, alphabetically, are Dan Beeker, Charlie Capers, Kelly Dack, Michael Ford, David Hoover, Jen Kolar, Dana Korf, Scott Miller, Barry Olney, Gerry Partida, Qandeel Sheikh, Matt Stevenson, Mark ompson, and Mark Wolfe. We also bring you articles by Frank Xu, Mark Gallant, and Mike Morando, as well as columns from John Coonrod and Joe Fjelstad. We think you'll find this compilation of design challenges useful. Remember: Slow and steady wins the race. DESIGN007 A printed circuit board design engineer oversees the creation of printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in phones, computers, and most other electronic devices. As a PCB designer, your responsibilities include designing the layout of the unit to incorporate the appropri- ate components, making recommendations to improve existing designs, and overseeing the actual manufacturing of these products to ensure they meet industry and company standards. These boards are the backbone of modern-day electronics, acting as the cen- tral unit of anything that runs on a microchip or CPU. You must design the board in such a way that it meets the specific needs of each product. PCB design engineers must design and implement various circuit boards and per- form revisions to apply changes that are based on the specifications of customers and engineers. They need to collaborate with the companies that fabricate and assemble PCBs to discuss the quality, cost-effective, and timely deliveries of PCBs. PCB designers must also use AutoCAD software to design schematics for the PCB systems. Learn more. What Does a PCB Designer Do?