Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523825
48 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 It can be risky to take the stand in your own defense during a trial. You never know what could get brought up, and you might not be prepared. In PCB design, ignorantia juris non excusat ("ignorance excuses no one"). No one is above the laws set by the "court" of design for performance, manufacturability, and test (DFX). Let's lay out some of the facts of this case. First, the PCB design industry is constantly changing, as new designers don't know what they don't know, and old-timers think that no one knows as much as they do. How can this range of PCB designers oper- ate under the PCB design system I've suggested? While everyone makes mistakes, per- fection in the PCB design and manufactur- ing industry is found within our industry standards, which provide the foundation for mea- surable producibility. ese standards define what is acceptable and non-conforming regarding material, process, part, or assembly performance and have been developed by a wide cross-section of industry representation. Yet, we've all had experiences when people break the rules. I've broken my fair share as well. We admit our mistakes, learn the rules, and move on. However, some are unwilling Taking the Stand at Your Own Design Review to learn and admit error. ey just don't care about established standards and expect the entire industry to adjust and revolve around them. In their own eyes, their designs are per- fect. ey don't break the design rule checks (DRC) because they never set them. at's a big difference. Sins of Commission Can you imagine a designer selfishly releas- ing a PCB layout and CAM data solely to meet a schedule with- out having incorporated all the requirements defined by a project team? is could be considered a sin of commission: unconcerned with robbing fellow proj- ect stakeholders of their capability to perform their project steps for success. en imagine a PCB designer making conces- sions to a fab supplier—per- hap s due to a design error— w ithout informing the rest of the team. Aer working for many decades in the PCB design and manufacturing industry, I've seen this happen a lot. W h e n a m a n u f a c t u r i n g stakeholder sends an engineering query to a PCB designer stating that features on a design are impossible Target Condition by Kelly Dack, CIT, CID+