Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
Connect the Dots: Evolution of PCB Manufacturing—Lamination
EDA Analyst Gary Smith Dead at 74
July 8, 2015 | Andy Shaughnessy, PCBDesign007Estimated reading time: Less than a minute
Longtime EDA analyst Gary Smith died July 3 in Flagstaff, Arizona at the age of 74. He had been ill with pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, Lori Kate, his son, Casey, and granddaughters Rachel and Shannon.
Gary worked at Dataquest from 1994 to 2006, and later founded Gary Smith EDA. He knew more about the EDA market than anyone I’ve ever known.
I once asked Gary, “How many PCB design seats do you think are in China?” He sent me numbers for all of Asia and broke them down by country. He really loved EDA.
Gary was also a great bass player. He was a member of the Full Disclosure blues band, whose members included Synopsys CEO Aart DeGeus and Sonics CEO Grant Pierce. I was fortunate enough to play with him a few times when he jammed with the Porch Dawgs at the Design Automation Conferences. He will be missed.
A memorial service is set for Sunday, July 12 at 11 am at the DoubleTree San Jose in San Jose, California.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Mouser Electronics Celebrates Its 2025 Best-in-Class Award Winners
10/01/2025 | BUSINESS WIREMouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader™ empowering innovation, is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the Mouser Best-in-Class Awards.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
10/01/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonFor the September 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine on signal integrity, I explored how the PCB is similar to a military obstacle course: walls that sap energy like impedance mismatches, barbed wire that cuts like crosstalk, and mud pits that drag a signal down like attenuation. The takeaway was clear that a PCB is not a flat drawing; it's an electromagnetic ecosystem filled with hazards that test every signal that dares to cross it. The real danger lies not in the obstacles themselves, but in the fact that many designers never see them.
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
10/01/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionMarie Antoinette is attributed with saying, “Let them eat cake,” but historians now agree she likely never said it. It was probably revolutionary propaganda to paint her as out of touch with the starving masses. Yet, the phrase still lingers, and oddly enough, it applies to the world of PCB design.
Connect the Dots: Evolution of PCB Manufacturing—Lamination
10/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsWhen I wrote The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to...™ Designing for Reality, it was not a one-and-done effort. Technology is advancing rapidly. Designing for the reality of PCB manufacturing will continue to evolve. That’s why I encourage designers to stay on top of the tools and processes used during production, to ensure their designs capitalize on the capabilities of their manufacturing partner.
Siemens, ASE Collaborate on Workflows for ASE’s VIPack Advanced Packaging Platform
09/25/2025 | SiemensSiemens Digital Industries Software announced that it is collaborating with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (ASE), the leading global provider of semiconductor manufacturing services in assembly and test, to develop 3Dblox-based workflows for the ASE VIPack™ platform using Siemens’ Innovator3D IC™ solution, which is fully certified for the 3Dblox standard..