Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1532278
30 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2025 us youngsters would never learn to design a board because the tool was doing all of the work. Now, it's our turn to judge, as boomers wonder if Gen Z (zoomer) designers will be savvy enough to understand all the elements of DFx without going through all the tech changes we experienced. is industry seems to again be in transi- tion. Because of misin- formation, many young designers are wondering what DFx is; some of you think that DFx is already achieved with the default settings in your EDA tools. Pardon us if we begin each story, "Back in my day, there were no internets. We used X-Acto knives, and we were always bleeding." So, I have a query for our zoomer designers, the digital natives born between 1996 and 2009 who don't remember a time without cellphones: Where will you be in 45 years? What will it be like? What will you be like? I have no idea. I can only cheer you on and encourage you to strap in and enjoy the ride. Electronic technol- ogies will continue to evolve faster than ever. Like the successful companies still presenting their wares at trade shows, you too will have to evolve, navigate, and adapt to survive. Design Education is Your Responsibility Take every opportunity to educate yourself. Learn everything you can about this industry and prepare to defend your designs. Much like our PCB artwork film needed to be exposed four decades ago, you should expose yourself to what is trending now and invest in your future. Read technical publications constantly and attend trade shows and conferences whenever you can. I've been attending PCB design con- ferences and trade shows since 1992. Consider attending IPC APEX EXPO 2025 in March. Absorb knowledge. Bring your experience back to the office. Take the lead and share it. Seek out and collabo- rate with electronics industry folks who are well known experts and of good character. I'll never forget one of my favorite mentors, Rick Hartley, pounding his fist on a lectern, emphasizing to the audience the need to invest in their design education, buy their own books, and always ques- tion component data sheets. It was a defining moment for me, and I've practiced that philoso- phy ever since. As Rick said, if your company will not send you for advanced design training, you'll have to take care of it yourself. Now, my manager sends me to trade shows to find out more about cer- tain technologies or to identify potential man- ufacturing partners, but with previous employ- ers, I used PTO or vacation days to attend con- ferences and trade shows. Do whatever you have to do to continue your design education. Communicating with designers and design engineers outside of your company can help you avoid relying upon "tribal knowledge" that flourishes within each company. is "intellec- tual inbreeding" can occur when young PCB designers work at one company for decades, oen learning only one way to design a board. Learn how other designers approach their designs and be sure to avoid relying on the same "silos" of information.