Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1511130
NOVEMBER 2023 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 39 work for themselves is in this realm, where the most common design mistake is to create split grounds or split planes, then try to link them back together with a ferrite, capacitor, or some other EMI-inducing craziness. Even if you applied isolation correctly, it creates new routing and placement constraints that can't always be clearly defined in some CAD systems. Another common instance here is a stitch- ing via near a signal via. It is true that stitching vias are needed when changing layers or refer- ences, but do you really need to painstakingly add this manually to every signal via? Find the main single-ended signals that really need it, such as your SPI bus. Noise margins on your configuration lines are very oen large enough that you don't need to throw a stitching via on these. ink about the context of the rule; don't just follow it blindly. Keep it Simple, Save the Headache e trick to stepping up your design game is not about knowing advanced design tech- niques but knowing when to implement them. I've met some designers who are decades my senior but still fall victim to this mistake. ose of us who educate designers have to take a bit of responsibility for this. It's our job to provide context for these rules so our peers can avoid the Ferrari problem. When you do find that you need your design techniques, learn to leverage your tools for these engineering problems. Higher-end CAD programs have the automation tools needed to create more advanced design constraints. Take time to learn these techniques and you will set yourself up for success. DESIGN007 Zach Peterson is the founder of Northwest Engineering Solutions as well as a PCB design instructor and podcast host. Eleven-year-old girls hold many interests, from sports and playing games, to learning how to make more complex decisions and finding com- monalties with friends and loved ones. While Brandy Tharp may have been doing all those things at that age, she was also learn- ing a new skill that most of her friends probably weren't—how to solder. It lit a fire in this young girl who enjoyed math, helping others, and find- ing ways to harness her energy. "My mom taught me how to solder on recharge- able battery units that she built," says Brandy, director of education at IPC. "It was something I grew up with. Everybody kind of fell into some facet of the field." When she started college, Brandy also worked for a telecommunications equipment manufac- turer doing hand insertion manual assembly, then learning how to run a wave solder machine because she could work a weekend shift. "But I'm not the kind of person who can sit still," she says. "I like to know a little bit about everything." Because the company was short on operators, Brandy learned how to program and run more lines and equipment, working her way through each department. That led to a posi- tion in the training department and launched a career in training and certification. Continue reading in IPC Community. Brandy Tharp: A Passion for Helping Others