64 The PCB Design Magazine • September 2016
1
Brooks' Bits: Your Traces
Have Hot Spots!
Your traces have hot spots. At
least, those that carry a moder-
ate current do. Surprised? Well,
Douglas G. Brooks was a little
surprised, too, when he looked
at this issue a little more closely.
One chapter in Doug's latest
book focuses on fusing currents, and this month
he breaks out the thermocouple.
2
Mentor Graphics Launches
New Xpedition Enterprise
Platform
Mentor Graph-
ics Corporation
has announced
the first phase
of the new Xpe-
dition PCB flow to address the increasing com-
plexity of today's advanced systems designs. To
efficiently manage the density and performance
requirements for advanced PCB systems, the new
Xpedition flow provides advanced technologies
to enable design and verification of 3D rigid-flex
structures, and to automate layout of high-speed
topologies with advanced constraints.
3
It's Only Common Sense:
Mike Wilson, World's Greatest
Design Salesman, Has Died
My great friend and
business associate,
Mike Wilson, passed
away last week after a
short illness. Mike was
indeed the world's
greatest PCB design salesperson. Man, he knew
everyone in the design world and everyone knew
him. The world will be a little less interesting with-
out Mike. For the 25 years I knew Mike, he was al-
ways up to something. Mike would say something
like, "There's a guy we have to talk to," or "What
do you think about doing this?"
4
Beyond Design: The Rise
of the Independent Engineer
With the changing demograph-
ics, the old-timers in our indus-
try—the master PCB designers—
are about to retire and hand over
the exacting job of PCB design to
the Gen-X and Ys. These genera-
tions, shaped by technology, will tackle the most
demanding designs without possessing the expe-
rience that we veterans benefit from.
TOP
TEN
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