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As technical director at NXP Semiconductors, Dan Beeker specializes in EMC and signal integrity design techniques. He’s known for his field-based design classes; you may remember the cover of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” that Dan and his daughter Breezy released in 2015 titled “All About The Space.” Check it out on YouTube; it’s funny, and it definitely gets the point across.
As we begin 2025, I contacted Dan to get his thoughts about the design engineers of the future. What will their jobs look like?
Andy Shaughnessy: Dan, how will the typical PCB design engineer’s job evolve over the next five to 10 years?
Dan Beeker: The challenges will be driven by the changes in technology. Smaller IC geometries for transistors and packages and increased power supply requirements make the basic functional design more challenging. Evolving standards for reduced allowable radiated emission levels and increased levels of immunity will impact compliance.
A solid understanding of the underlying science of electromagnetic physics will be more critical than ever. Improvements in the design tool space may help, but until the tools are dielectric-aware and can manage the entire three-dimensional structure of the electronic control system, they will only provide false hope. Careful empirical evaluation of each design will still be the primary method for designing good PCBs.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
