Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1511130
70 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2023 established design rules. While manual routing is oen necessary for critical or sensitive sig- nals, auto-routing can handle simpler connec- tions and save you time in the design phase. Testing I decided some years ago that testing is somewhat of a necessary evil. It really doesn't provide any value ("first do the right things and then do those things right"), how- ever, until we can col- lectively believe in and execute on that precept there will likely be a need to make some allowance for test points and their access to troubleshoot when things go sideways. Some Like It Hot Electronics get hot in opera- tion. It is a fact of life (and phys- ics), has always been an issue, and it is becoming increasingly critical as design densities, operat- ing frequencies, and speeds increase. It is therefore necessary for the designer to be familiar with thermal management struc- tures and their uses. ese include properly- sized heatsinks, and the design, construction, and use of thermal vias, thermal pads, and the like to maintain a stable operating temperature for temperature-sensitive components and to enhance product longevity. Maintaining a good and traceable paper trail for your design and providing comprehensive documentation of the design are both impor- tant to assure that learning is captured for future efforts. us, maintaining detailed sche- matics, layout files, and version control is vital for capturing the effort as a learning tool for reference and use with future revisions. Seek Feedback Finally, one should not shy away from get- ting feedback from colleagues, design gurus, and mentors on your efforts. We are all, to one extent or another, teachers and students of each other, so getting feedback can serve to provide fresh perspectives and solutions to simplify and improve your future designs. Keep learning. In summary, interconnection design, be it rigid or flexible, is oen a daunting task but the task can be simplified by using good strat- egies and the right tools. e simple steps described here are more of an overview than a complete prescription, but it is believed sufficient to set the attentive designer on the road to suc- cess. Last ly, don't ever stop advancing your education. Tr y to keep current with the technology. ere are new approaches t o I C d e s i g n a n d manufacture entering the playing field on a regular basis, because technol- ogy never sleeps and new problems cannot always be solved with old methods. Embrace change and the future because they will always be there. DESIGN007 Joe Fjelstad is founder and CEO of Verdant Electron- ics and an international authority and innovator in the field of electronic inter- connection and packaging technologies with more than 185 patents issued or pending. To read past columns or contact Fjelstad, click here. Download your free copy of Fjelstad's book Flexible Circuit Technology, 4th Edition, and watch his in-depth workshop series "Flexible Circuit Technology." Embrace change and the future because they will always be there.