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54 The PCB Design Magazine • April 2014 other mechanical features that fully utilize the available 3D real estate. MCAD features such as cross-section views and interference checks help ensure that there will not be any future fit issues when prototypes are built. keith Richman, president of Simplified Solutions, said: Generating a virtual 3D representation of PCB geometry within MCAD tools has historically been a time consuming task. Intermediate Data Format (IDF) has been around for 20+ years, but in the earlier days of IDF, the labor involved to create 3D PCB representations was time consuming and cost- ly. In 2014, many tools are available to help expe- dite the 3D PCB process. Manufacturers and online services now provide 3D STEP models that can help populate a 3D PCB. In addition, some solutions contain integrated 3D component libraries that al- low the 3D geometry task to be completed in just hours. 3D printer technology can then be utilized to generate a geometric 3D representation of PCB geometry prior to the more expensive manufacture of PCB prototypes. Speaking of component libraries, the amount of information needed on thousands of different components threatens to over- whelm even the most organised professional. A challenge for board designers with this sort article THE INTERNET OF THINGS DRIVES NEW PCB DESIGN APPROACH continues Figure 2: schematic of the Arduino Mega 2560 reference design.