62 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2024
As a PCB design engineer, your focus is on
creating innovative, cost-effective designs.
However, the financial aspects behind your
designs—such as depreciation—play a sig-
nificant role in the overall business. Most
people don't fully understand the meaning of
depreciation, especially young engineers and
designers entering the field, yet when it comes
to calculating the total cost to manufacture
or the total cost to operate, it is an important
financial piece of the total manufacturing cost
algorithm. Here's a breakdown of depreciation
from a financial controller's perspective, aimed
at those less familiar with accounting.
Just because
a "rule of
thumb"
is usually
based on
experience
instead of
precise facts doesn't negate its value. For
instance, when I told my kids that a good rule
of thumb was not to back-talk to their mother,
they discovered very quickly how accurate my
advice was once they crossed that line.
The infamous "rules of thumb" are simple guidelines
that help you make decisions based on experience, not
exact facts. They're like shortcuts we use because they
work most of the time. For example, if you want to know
if spaghetti is done cooking, a common rule of thumb is
to grab a spaghetti strand and throw it against the wall
to see if it sticks.
The printed circuit board (PCB) design software
market is evolving rapidly as the global demand
for semiconductors and electronic devices contin-
ues to surge. PCB design software is critical in the
electronics industry, allowing engineers to design,
simulate, and optimize PCBs used in a variety of
devices, including consumer electronics, automotive systems, medical devices, and communi-
cation equipment.
TOP TEN
PCB Design Software Market
Expected to Hit $9.2B by 2031
PCB Layout Rules of Thumb
for Consideration
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Rules of Thumb—
Guidelines vs. Principles for PCB Design
EDITOR'S
PICKS
Understanding Depreciation
for Electronic Manufacturers