Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Tim’s Takeaways: One for the Archives

Well over 10 years ago, I was looking for a new hobby to fill in the gaps of my free time. As a kid, I used to build all kinds of models, including cars, tanks, airplanes, and rockets. Many of those assembly skills helped shape my career in PCB design and manufacturing. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to return to my roots and revisit the world of model building.

Being a fan of old science fiction shows, I decided to build “Seaview,” the submarine from the movie and TV show “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.” I chose the original eight-window version of the sub, and at 39 inches in length, I knew it would be a challenge for my atrophied modeling skills. To make it even more difficult, I decided to go all in on this project and detail it with paint and lights.

The first step was to build up a breadboard with LEDs and a power supply to configure the necessary lighting. That meant a trip down to the local Radio Shack for parts. As I entered the store and made my way back to the components section, I purposely tried to avoid the attention of the eager sales personnel, but it didn’t work. A young sales lady locked on me, practically vaulted over the counter, and rapidly closed the distance between us, only to lose control at the finish. I’m not making this up, folks. She really did slide into a floor display, sending its products flying. After shaking off the shock of this incident and helping her back to her feet, I wanted nothing more than to leave as quickly as possible with the parts I needed. But unfortunately, she kept badgering me all the way to the register, trying to sell me phones, batteries, etc., anything to increase her commission.

I was so annoyed that I went home and wrote a paper on what good customer support should be. After all, in any field, we should employ good customer support practices to maintain healthy business relationships—and not scare patrons out of the store.

This “paper” I wrote was only meant to vent my frustrations, but in an amazing turn of events it was picked up by Design007 Magazine, and Managing Editor Andy Shaughnessy asked me to write a regular column for the magazine. With that, “Tim’s Takeaways” was born, and “Customer Support: Not Just for Customers Anymore” was the inaugural entry.

That was a whole lot of years ago, and it is amazing to think of everything that changed during that time. The unfinished Seaview model got put on the shelf as I focused on writing. I’ve been producing these columns every other month or so, and it has been a ball. But as the poet says, “All good things must come to an end.” I have decided to lower the curtain on Tim’s Takeaways. So, if you don’t mind a trip down memory lane, I’ll use this last column to journey back through the last 10 years and explore the topics these missives have covered.

First, let’s look at the technology of our industry.

The Technology of Circuit Board Design
We’ve looked at many aspects of PCB design and manufacturing over the years and have discussed everything from layout tips and tricks to specific design types. Some of the earliest of these included parts one, two, and three of hybrid design principles, layout tools for RF boards, and, more recently, some of the uses for rigid-flex circuits. We’ve also looked at the importance of design data management and how to communicate effectively with PCB manufacturers through fabrication and assembly files. In “Design Rule Checks,” “Rules Keep You from Crossing the Line,” and “Take it From Scotty: Simple Really is Better,” we talked about the importance of setting up, managing, and using your CAD system’s design rules. However, DRCs weren’t the only design-related topics we covered. Here are some of the other PCB layout processes we examined:

• Design standards
• Components
• Layer stackup
• Thermal management
• Vias
• Routing
• Power and high voltage

We could continue with topics like PCB design tools, creating helpful documentation, and how to work best with your manufacturer, but technology is just one side of the coin for PCB designers. The flip side of that coin is how to use and manage this technology into achieving the goal—a successfully designed and manufactured printed circuit board.

How to Succeed in the PCB Design Industry

One of the most important keys to success for a designer is working well with others, whether it is a boss, a client, or co-workers. I first explored this topic in the inaugural customer support piece, and again talking about how best to provide that support. I also looked at support from the perspective of what designers want for success. Supporting each other naturally leads to learning and growing in our profession, as well as taking responsibility to ensure the job gets done right.

Communication is also critical for success, and I examined the following as it relates to successful PCB design:

• Communication is key
• Avoiding communication interference
• The collaborative PCB design process
• Tactics to avoid problems and increase productivity
• The pros and cons of tribal knowledge

Another important skill for designers is to be prepared for what you are getting into. Whether it is learning how to use the tools or gathering the necessary information before starting a design, PCB layout can sink or swim depending on how well a designer is prepared for it. Over the past 10 years, I’ve looked at some of the tips and tricks that designers should have in their tool belts, some recommended practices when looking for work, and then not working past your breaking point while on the job. Being prepared also means surrounding yourself with people who will help support you and, as we’ve seen over the past handful of years, how to successfully work from home. It also means being fully committed to what you want, preparing for changes in the industry, looking into what we need to know as designers, and learning advanced design strategies. Speaking of the future, we also talked about what kinds of layout technologies will attract the next generation of PCB designers, hiring designers, what it takes to be a CAD instructor, and who will take these roles going forward.

Lastly, we spent a lot of time exploring who are we as PCB designers, and what makes us all tick. What is it that compels us to spend long hours into the evening ensuring a layout passes design rule checks, or that the manufacturer has everything they need to successfully build the board? Here are some column topics that talked about who we are and why I’m so proud to be part of this industry:

• Being a role model as a designer
• Being willing to take a risk
• Successfully dealing with the inevitable failures in life
• Don’t yield to negative expectations
• Looking out for one another
• Stepping into the great unknown
• What you do as a designer really does matter
• A job worth doing is worth doing well
• Success begins with confidence
• Stepping up to the plate

I mean it with all my heart when I say that writing Tim’s Takeaways for designers and about the PCB design industry has been an honor and a privilege. I hope that this column has been helpful to all who have read it. But there is another part that is near and dear to me, and that is the stories that I have been able to tell.

The Stories
Like sitting around the campfire, I have shared a lot of personal stories about my family, interests, and even some stupid things that I’ve done in the past through this column. Take, for instance, my dog Henry. We lost him many years ago, but for a long time, his antics helped illustrate key points about the realm of PCB layout and the role of designers. Henry was a great example of how not to communicate and the importance of stepping back and smelling the roses every now and then. Henry was just the tip of the iceberg as I related dozens and dozens of stories to bring life to the topics at hand. Here are some examples that you might enjoy, starting with my family:

• My loving family threw me out of the family room once because of baseball
• How our new furnace helped me understand the importance of customer support
• How our visit to the Hanford nuclear reactor left a glow on our faces
• My mother-in-law’s battle with cancer and how technology stepped up
• Do you really know just how many scissors there are for cutting fabric? Well, my wife sure did
• The trials and tribulations of moving day when all our shrubbery was unexpectedly ripped up

For those of you who have followed this column for a while, you know that I am a big fan of aviation. Whether it is stories about the history of flying or my own experiences in the air, I certainly have not shied away from this topic. For instance, we’ve looked at flyers throughout history, including Charles Lindbergh, Tommy McGuire, Bert Christman, and Bruno Gaido—men who made history and whose stories serve as examples we can learn from. The story of Captain Sullenberger’s brilliant landing of a disabled US Airways flight in the Hudson River showed just how important being prepared for any contingency is. There were my own stories, including my first solo flight and a ride in a WWII B17 bomber that got a little “interesting.” Oh, and there also was that little incident where I almost flew into the side of a mountain, but let’s not dwell on the past.

Another area that interests me is entertainment, and I dipped into that well a few times too. Tony Stark’s Iron Man gave us a glimpse into the design tools of tomorrow while a racehorse named Seabiscuit helped illustrate the hiring process. I drew a correlation between PCB vias and Stargate’s wormhole through space, used the special effects of Star Trek’s transporter to explain manufacturing efficiency, and quoted chief engineer Scotty in analyzing why simple is often better.

Then there were the stories about me. Looking back on them, I’m kind of surprised that I’ve made it as far in life as I have. Events like almost flying an airplane into the side of a mountain tend to rewrite a person’s life insurance actuary tables, and there were other dumb moments in my life that I talked about:

• I once disabled the audio at a television studio during a broadcast
• I nearly cooked my eyebrows off with a BBQ fire
• I used to think that coffee cake was made from real coffee
• I never saw the biggest fish that I almost caught, but I sure heard about it
• I tend to hoard old tax documentation

Okay, enough of those embarrassing stories. Thankfully there have been plenty of more positive moments that balance them out. I’ve told you about the life of a trade show warrior, my first attempt to bake a cake, and how I triumphed over horrible documentation when building an adult trike. You also heard about some of my old school stories that helped me later in my career, met my grandson, and even saw a picture of the very first circuit board I ever created.

As I said, it has been an honor and a privilege, and a whole lot of fun, too.

The Final Story
I hope you will indulge me for just a moment, but to finish this out, I would like to express my thanks to some people, starting with I-Connect007. I am extremely grateful to you folks for publishing my work over the past 10 years. Thank you, Andy Shaughnessy, for taking a chance on me and inviting me to be a regular columnist for Design007 Magazine as well as being just a great person to work with. Of course, a great many thanks to Michelle Te and the other editors who have made my work readable over the years.

There are also some family members I would like to thank, starting with Lexie, Luca, Lily, and Lucia—my grandchildren, who are a constant delight and inspiration. I am also very blessed to have three amazing daughters-in-law, Holli, Kayla, and Fernanda, who, in spite of a constant barrage of dad jokes, still seem to love and support me. My sons Peter, Bryan, and Spencer have taught me far more about what’s important in life than I could ever teach them, but that’s one of the wonderful things about being a father (even if they are yelling at you to leave the living room during a baseball game). Finally, thank you to my wife Lois. Even though she has dealt with the late nights and frustrations that are common to writers, she has always patiently reviewed and helped improve my work. You are my ultimate muse, sweetheart.

That’s about it, it’s time to close the curtain on this, or, as my friend and fellow designer Todd would say, “Let’s put this one in the archives.” I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the column, and I hope it has been both helpful and entertaining for you. As for me, I think I’m finally going to have time to finish that Seaview model now. To the rest of you, let me say it one last time: Keep on designing.

This column originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine.