IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1544398
48 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2026 This is where co-design becomes essential, not just collaboration, but true integration across domains. Why the Digital Thread Matters More Than Ever As complexity increases, disconnected workflows start to break down. The digital thread becomes critical because it connects design and simulation, design and manufacturing, and engineering deci- sions across teams. That continuity enables something extremely valuable: a reliable digital twin. This isn't just a static model either. It evolves as you run simula- tions, build prototypes, and validate performance. Over time, it becomes a much more accurate rep- resentation of the product and a powerful tool for decision-making. Simulation, Prototyping, and Learning Faster In traditional design flows, success often means getting it right the first time. In innovative designs, success comes down to how quickly you can learn. Simulation helps you explore ideas before build- ing. Prototyping helps you validate what simulation can't predict. The teams that move fastest today aren't the ones who avoid mistakes, but learn from them the fastest. A Real-World Example Take a next-generation AI accelerator board. You're dealing with extremely high data rates, tight power and thermal constraints, and complex pack- aging interactions. Traditional spacing rules and stackup guidelines only get you so far. At some point, you have to define new constraints, rely heavily on simulation, and iterate through prototypes. You're not optimizing a known design; you're figuring out what the design even needs to be. The Organizational Challenge Most People Overlook Here's something we don't talk about enough. Designing without a rulebook is hard both techni- cally and organizationally. It challenges schedules, budgets, and expectations around predictability. Many teams struggle not because they lack en- gineering talent, but because their processes are built for repeatability, not exploration. Innovation fails because the organization isn't set up to sup- port how innovation actually works. What This Means for Leadership For engineering leaders, this shift is significant. If your organization is focused only on efficiency, you will run into problems. What matters more is how quickly your team can iterate, how well decisions are connected across domains, and how effec- tively you capture and reuse what you learn. This is where investments in constraint-driven design, digital thread infrastructure, and digital twin capa- bilities start to pay off; not just in one project, but across the entire organization. A New Mindset for Designers For PCB designers, this shift changes their role in a meaningful way. You're no longer just imple- menting a design; you are helping define it. That requires becoming more comfortable with uncer- tainty, more collaborative across disciplines, and more grounded in first principles. Because at the end of the day, you don't optimize what's never been built, you discover it. Final Thoughts Designing without a rulebook isn't about throw- ing away everything we know. It's about knowing when those rules no longer apply, and having the tools, mindset, and processes to move forward anyway. It's challenging, no question. But it's also where the most meaningful innovation is happen- ing in our industry today. For those ready to em- brace it, it's an opportunity to not just build better boards but to help define what we can do next. I-CONNECT007 Stephen V. Chavez is principal technical product marketing manager at Siemens EDA, and chair of PCEA.