Elementary, Mr. Watson: Rules of Thumb—Guidelines vs. Principles for PCB Design
Beyond Design: High-speed Rules of Thumb
Global PCB Connections: A Technical Overview of Long-flex Printed Circuit Boards
Space: Still the Final Frontier
October 10, 2016 | Andy Shaughnessy, PCBDesign007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
If this doesn’t make you feel like a “seasoned citizen,” I don’t know what will: Star Trek first aired 50 years ago, on Sept. 8, 1966. What were you doing at the time? I was probably trying to avoid eating my peas. But I loved Star Trek; I thought it was a live TV show that followed a spacecraft.
No one—not even the actors—thought the show would last, and it only ran for three seasons, drawing average ratings. But Captain Kirk and company are more popular than ever on their Golden Anniversary. Star Trek tapped into our primal need to know more about our universe.
Much has changed since 1966. Fifty years ago, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were engaged in the Cold War, fighting a proxy war in Vietnam and racing to get the first man on the moon. But later the U.S. partnered with Russia on numerous space missions. I guess you could call our two countries “frenemies” now, which might be the best-case scenario.
Most of the world has abandoned their space programs. But the U.S. plans to keep exploring the “final frontier,” even as NASA adjusts to budgetary restraints. NASA is indeed tightening its belt; the agency’s $19 billion budget request for the fiscal year 2017 is $300 million lower than the previous year’s enacted budget.
That figure still amounts to only about half of 1% of the total U.S. budget. It’s difficult to put a dollar figure on the benefits of a space program. Just looking at it from an educational standpoint, I wonder how many young people decided to get a degree in one of the STEM disciplines after following the Mars Rover’s progress on NASA’s interactive website?
In our own industry, one segment that’s evolved in the past 50 years is flexible circuitry. Not too long ago, flex was considered too expensive for most applications. When I first started covering PCB design in 1999, I kept hearing, “Well, flex is cool, but it’s just too expensive for us. You don’t see flex in many consumer products, except digital cameras and printers.”
Now, most PCB design tools include flex design functionality. And flex has turned out to be the perfect circuitry for space applications. It withstands harsh environments, extreme temperatures, and shock, and flex can last a long time.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the September 2016 issue of The PCB Design Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
PCB Layout Rules of Thumb for Consideration
11/25/2024 | Patrick Davis, Cadence Design SystemsJust because a “rule of thumb” is usually based on experience instead of precise facts doesn’t negate its value. For instance, when I told my kids that a good rule of thumb was not to back-talk to their mother, they discovered very quickly how accurate my advice was once they crossed that line. There are a lot of rules of thumb that we rely on daily, including those that apply to PCB design.
HPC Customer Engages Sondrel for High End Chip Design
11/25/2024 | SondrelSondrel, a leading provider of ultra-complex custom chips, has announced that it has started front end, RTL design and verification work on a high-performance computing (HPC) chip project for a major new customer.
Rules of Thumb for PCB Layout
11/21/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007The dictionary defines a “rule of thumb” as “a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience or practice rather than theory.” Rules of thumb are often the foundation of a PCB designer’s thought process when tackling a layout. Ultimately, a product spec or design guideline will provide the detailed design guidance, but rules of thumb can help to provide the general guidance that will help to streamline the layout process and avoid design or manufacturing issues.
PCB Design Software Market Expected to Hit $9.2B by 2031
11/21/2024 | openPRThis report provides an overview of the PCB design software market, detailing key market drivers, challenges, technological advancements, regional dynamics, and future trends. With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4% from 2024 to 2031, the market is expected to grow from $3.9 billion in 2024 to $9.2 billion by 2031.
KYZEN to Spotlight KYZEN E5631, AQUANOX A4618 and Process Control at SMTA Silicon Valley Expo and Tech Forum
11/21/2024 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Silicon Valley Expo & Tech Forum on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at the Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley in Fremont, CA.