Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Nolan's Notes: The Next Killer App in Component Manufacturing
The PCB Designer of the Future: Blending Innovation, Technology, and Sustainability
February 3, 2025 | Stephen V. Chavez, Siemens EDAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The global demand for electronics is skyrocketing, fueled by rapid technological advancements and groundbreaking innovations across many industries, including automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, and consumer electronics. PCB design is the foundation of electronic hardware and lies at the heart of this evolution.
PCB design has always existed in a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape, but in the past few decades, the pace of transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary. It drives everything from smartphones and medical equipment to industrial automation and aerospace technology. PCB design is pivotal in propelling technological progress and innovation forward. This evolution in PCB design has produced multiple specialties, but I want to focus on a specific specialist known as the PCB designer (aka the printed circuit engineer). I strongly believe this profession is the true master of this domain and plays a crucial role in designing a PCB.
I have experienced the dramatic evolution of the profession and role of the PCB designer over the past few decades. I was fortunate to enter the field in the late 1980s, which means that I have never had to experience “hand taping” a PCB design. The role of the PCB designer and the PCB design process have come a long way from manual hand-taping and drafting to sophisticated computer-aided design. Today's designers are part of a high-tech field requiring technical expertise, collaborative abilities, and creative problem-solving. If I were to look into a crystal ball, I would see that the next 10 years promise even more profound changes in the tools, responsibilities, and challenges PCB designers will face.
The Changing Role of PCB Designers
PCB designers of the future will create not just layouts or place components; they will serve as system-level architects. Their work will encompass a broader range of responsibilities, requiring collaboration with hardware, software, and mechanical engineering teams. Key shifts include:
- AI-augmented creativity: AI will handle routine tasks like auto-routing and optimization, freeing designers to focus on system integration, trade-offs, what-if scenarios, and innovation.
- Sustainability advocacy: Designers will prioritize eco-friendly PCBs by selecting recyclable materials, optimizing layouts for energy efficiency, and balancing layout solvability, performance, and manufacturing with environmental concerns.
- Interdisciplinary expertise: Combining knowledge from electrical and mechanical engineering, materials science, manufacturing, and software development will be essential to navigate the complexities of next-generation technologies.
Read the rest of this article in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Innovative Technology Advancements in Test: HATS² Technology and Its Impact on Reliability Testing
05/13/2025 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Ensuring the reliability of printed circuit boards (PCBs) has become increasingly difficult and critical, yet the development of advanced testing methodologies is essential to meeting industry demands and addressing persistent challenges. One significant innovation is the High Acceleration Thermal Shock (HATS²) test system, which transforms how reliability testing is conducted. After 40 years in the testing business at Microtek, Bob Neves is beginning a new journey with his company, Reliability Assessment Solutions Inc. (RAS).
Facing the Future: The Role of 5G and Beyond in Shaping PCB Demand
05/13/2025 | Prashant Patel -- Column: Facing the FutureInnovations that push the boundaries of connectivity shape the future of technology, processing power, and miniaturization. 5G and emerging 6G technologies are critical in transforming industries from telecommunications and healthcare to autonomous systems. This affects the printed circuit board (PCB) industry, where demand for high-performance, miniaturized, and advanced PCBs is surging. This column explores the key applications of 5G and beyond, the challenges in designing high-frequency PCBs, the effects of miniaturization, industry collaborations, and opportunities for North American companies in this space.
Accurate Circuit Engineering: Be Nimble, Quick, and Open to Change
05/12/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineJames Hofer, general manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE) in Southern California, shares his insights about his specialty, quick-turn company, the market, and the interesting times in which we find ourselves. James remains optimistic about bringing manufacturing back to the United States and takes great pride in the work that ACE does to support military, defense, and aerospace. As James looks toward a prosperous 2025, he reflects on his 40 years in the business and learning that the secret to success is not trying to be everything to everyone.
The Shaughnessy Report: Solving the Data Package Puzzle
05/12/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportIf you ask fabricators about their biggest challenges, they’ll often point at PCB designers—the readers of this magazine. Yes, you! Why is it so difficult to create the ideal data package? It’s a fairly straightforward task. But this part of the design process keeps tripping up designers, even those who started in the industry before Pink Floyd split up.
ASC Acquires Cutting-Edge High Vacuum Plugging Machine CF 200 to Expand Via Fill Capabilities
05/12/2025 | American Standard CircuitsAnaya Vardya, President and CEO of American Standard Circuits and ASC Sunstone Circuits, has announced that the company has acquired and installed a state-of-the-art ITC Intercircuit CF 200 high vacuum plugging machine at its West Chicago manufacturing facility. This latest investment further strengthens ASC’s ongoing commitment to advanced manufacturing, precision engineering, and industry-leading process automation.