Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1530269
60 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2024 electron movement and the enemy of product reliability. is requires attention early on, not as an aerthought. I have been developing ways to integrate ther- mal management into electronic assemblies and solve the thermal problem up front. is espouses ways to minimize heat damage to electronics by reversing the manufacturing process. Rather than building a printed circuit and assembling compo- nents on them, build heat-spreading component boards and then build circuits on them. is is one of the iconoclastic/heretical ideas alluded to earlier. It could be simpler and cheaper, how- ever, it will also require more care up front and in the manufacturing process because rework and repair will be more challenging, if not impos- sible. Just as the nascent aerospace industry was oen dangerous and even fatal, I believe we will adjust to deliver the promise through learned and shared experience. Change your thinking, change your outlook. For the foreseeable future, signal integrity and timing constraint management will also require attention. With signals now nearing their practical limits based on physics, factors such as crosstalk, impedance mismatch, and delay variations are critical, and strict manage- ment of timing needs requires the designer to carefully consider things that were once of lit- tle concern. Matching trace lengths, via design, placement, construction, and even power plane design, is consequential. ere are also concerns related to layer count. e number of layers in a PCB stackup and material selection can directly impact signal and power integrity, and thermal performance. Moreover, layer sequencing—the arrangement of signal, power, and ground layers—done incorrectly can cre- ate many signaling problems. Done correctly, it can minimize crosstalk, reduce impedance variations, and help control unwanted noise. On the bright side, electronic design automa- tion and validation tools are rapidly evolving, and with increased availability and adaptation of AI to the design process, improvements will continue to accelerate. Changes are coming at an accelerated pace. We must try to stay ahead of them or get run over. We must be the masters of our future rather than its victims. e long-standing rules of PCB design are insufficient to address the challenges posed by current trends and new developments. As a result, new design methodologies, simula- tion tools, and manufacturing techniques are emerging to meet these requirements. To make it all work, we will need to engage in improved practices, including: Creating a closer collaboration between PCB and system designers, packaging engi- neers, and manufacturing experts to ensure early design optimization. Several years ago, I wrote that it will be essential to optimize the design from the outset. To achieve this, we should design with manufacturing, rather than for manufacturing—DWM instead of DFM. Using advanced simulation tools to analyze signal and power integrity, and thermal perfor- mance will help identify and mitigate potential issues early in the design process. Everyone in the electronics industry will need to adapt to the rapid changes. Given the industry's breakneck speed of development, staying up to date with the latest technolo- gies and design techniques will be essential to remaining competitive. By embracing these evolving principles and leveraging advanced technologies, PCB designers can push the boundaries of performance and innovation and have a great time while doing so. DESIGN007 Joe Fjelstad is founder and CEO of Verdant Electronics and an international authority and innovator in the field of electronic interconnection 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."