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JANUARY 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 35 Manufacturability, Yield, and Statistical Design At gigahertz frequencies, manufacturing tolerances directly influence functionality. Variations in trace width, dielectric thickness, and via geometry can push systems beyond their already narrow margins. The challenge is no longer simply designing a board that works, but designing one that works across fabri- cation vendors, material lots, temperature and aging, and at production scale and acceptance yield. This requires tighter collaboration with manufac- turers and greater reliance on statistical margins and design-for-manufacturability principles, which is why the industry's best practice for designing today's complex PCBs is close collaboration with your fabricator at the earliest stages and throughout the entire design process. Toolchain and Human Complexity Limits Modern PCB design spans SI/PI simulation, ther- mal modeling, EMI compliance, DFM/DFA checks, and supply chain considerations (supply chain resil- ience). No single engineer can manually reason and/or analyze about all interactions. As a result, future PCB design difficulty increasingly lies in managing complexity, not just solving physics prob- lems. Constraint-driven design, automation, and AI-assisted optimization are becoming essential tools for maintaining predictability and reducing risk. Navigating the Complexity Overcoming SI and PI challenges requires a sophisticated toolkit: • Advanced simulation tools: Moving from physical prototypes to virtual ones, using electromagnetic field solvers and power integrity simulators • Materials science: Developing new PCB lam- inates with better dielectric properties and thermal conductivity • High density interconnect (HDI) and any- layer HDI: Utilizing microvias and stacked vias to create incredibly dense routing • Collaborative design: Closer interaction between electrical, mechanical, and thermal engineers from the very beginning of a project The convergence of these difficulties is most pronounced in: • AI accelerators and data centers, where bandwidth and power density dominate • High-speed networking and RF systems, sen- sitive to layout and material choices • Automotive ADAS and EV platforms, combin- ing high-speed digital, power electronics, and safety requirements • Aerospace, defense, and medical electronics, demanding predictable performance under extreme conditions In all of these domains, PCB design quality directly limits system capability, reliability, and certi- fication success. Final Thoughts The most difficult challenge in modern PCB design is fundamentally predicting and control- ling electromagnetic behavior across an increas- ingly constrained physical platform. Success now requires deep expertise in SI, PI, materials science, and manufacturing processes, which is why SI and PI will continue to be the most challenging aspects to address in PCB design. However, the defining difficulty of future PCB development will be achiev- ing predictable, certifiable performance across electrical, thermal, mechanical, and manufacturing domains simultaneously. PCB design has evolved from a layout-centric task into a multiphysics, system-level engineer- ing discipline, where errors are costly, margins are thin, and the board itself is a critical compo- nent of system performance. Success is no longer measured solely by whether a board functions, but by whether it performs reliably, repeatably, and economically at scale. In this sense, the great- est challenge in PCB design is no longer just designing the board, but designing confidence into the system. DESIGN007 Stephen V. Chavez is chair of PCEA, a senior manager at Siemens EDA, and a PCB design instructor.