Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1533085
36 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2025 Feature Article by Stephen V. Chavez Siemens EDA With today's advanced EDA tools, designing complex PCBs in the virtual world does not necessarily mean they can be built in the real world. is makes the relationship between a PCB designer and a fabricator pivotal to the suc- cess of a project. In keeping with solid design for manufacturing (DFM) practices, clear and frequent communication is needed to dial and lock in design constraints that meet expecta- tions while addressing manufacturing concerns. If there isn't early and continued collabora- tion between engineering and fabrication, the potential for downstream issues in manufac- turing can come back to haunt you at the worst possible time. Issues can be catastrophic to the point where a total redesign is required, cost- ing additional unaccounted for project time and expense. In the worst-case scenario, you may miss the window of opportunity to get your product to market. Insufficient communications can also lead to unnecessary delays in the form of techni- cal queries (TQs). Many may say that a TQ is a manufacturing issue, but it's not. It's an engi- neering issue or concern in the design that has either been overlooked, ignored or simply missed and that has been passed on to manu- facturing. TQs range from incomplete and Bridging the Gap Between PCB Designers and Fabricators