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February 2015 • The PCB Design Magazine 9 this will be a really interesting talk. The day wraps up with the newly retired (but will he ever really retire?) Rick Hartley discussing ways to achieve success by controlling cost and quali- ty. And isn't cost and quality what it's all about? IPC Design Programs Update You may have heard that the IPC Certified Interconnect De- signer program (CID and the CID+ advanced course) has been updated. Course con- tent has been fine-tuned pe- riodically since the program was introduced 20 years ago, but the 2015 edition is a com- pletely refreshed program. CID and CID+ tutorials and exam take place Feb. 20-22 at the convention center. I spoke with Anne Marie Mulvihill, director of educa- tion programs at IPC, and asked her about the technical offerings for PCB designers. "If I look tired at the show, it's because I've proofed the new edition about 87 times," she laughed. "This material isn't easier; it's just easier to digest, and or- ganized to synch up CID to CID+ for better flow of information. Designers who are already cer- tified won't require recertification to this 2015 edition, but they should consider reviewing the new study guides, just to stay current with best practices." She pointed out how designers can use the CID study guide to show their bosses and team- mates what they've been studying, and what their job entails. "Nobody puts baby in the corner, but de- signers still wind up there. Designers are not getting the respect they deserve, and new hires need formal training," Anne Marie said. "So, let your boss see this study guide. Make a 10-min- ute appointment to show your boss just a sam- ple of what you're doing, or schedule time at your next department meeting for a brief pre- sentation to your whole team. Communication can really pay off." For certified designers who want to take their professional development to the next level, she recommends DFX - Design For Excel- lence: DFM, DFA, DFT, and more. This full-day DFX course takes place Sunday, Feb. 22 at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. "The DFX course debuted in late 2013, and it's been a door-buster ever since. It provides all teams a better understanding of all phases of the product lifecycle. Not just design, but manufac- turing, all the way through to test phase," she added. "And if you can't get to San Diego, we're bringing the DFX course to a theater near you! We're holding DFX courses in Texas in May, Chicago in June, Min - neapolis in October, and Ra- leigh in December." The DFX class can be pro- vided on-demand for inter- ested companies or Designers Council chapters. The second component of the IPC DFX program is an industry guideline in develop- ment now, and scheduled for pub- lication this fall. Anne Marie expressed special thanks to the core members of the DFX Document Committee for their work develop- ing this course: Don Dupriest of Lockheed Mar- tin, Karen McConnell of Northrup Grumman, Dale Lee of Plexus, and Cheryl Tulkoff of DfR Solutions. Cheryl and Dale are the instructors for the DFX course. For more information on IPC courses in 2015, click here. For a list of IPC-licensed train- ing centers click here. See you at APEX and the Design Forum. PCBDESIgn Andy shaughnessy is manag- ing editor of The PCB Design Magazine. he has been cover- ing PCB design for 15 years. he can be reached by clicking here. the shaughnessy report IPC UPDATES CID, AnD DFX TAKES OFF continues "nobody puts baby in the corner, but designers still wind up there. designers are not getting the respect they deserve, and new hires need formal training," anne Marie said. "so, let your boss see this study guide. " "