Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
Connect the Dots: Evolution of PCB Manufacturing—Lamination
The Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Specialties of PCB Design
March 19, 2024 | Stephen V. Chavez, Siemens EDAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
We’ve witnessed a progression of the various roles in PCB design over the decades due to the ever-evolving field of electronics. These roles, which are key to PCB design, can be described as the all-encompassing domain of printed circuit engineering (PCE), which involves multiple disciplines and their respective domains, and plays a pivotal role in shaping the technology landscape. As technological advancements accelerate, the multi-disciplines within PCE face myriad challenges while simultaneously encountering exciting and promising opportunities.
What were once specialties have become more generalized over time—PCB designers must learn about design automation, signal integrity (SI), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), complex high-speed design, mechanical design, and manufacturability/producibility. Design engineers must learn about layout, simulation, and supply chains—and in their place new specialties have emerged, like multi-gigabit SerDes channel design, advanced manufacturing, IoT, and multi-physics system verification. Across the board (no pun intended), good engineering teams have learned to collaborate outside their siloed specialties, which increases their individual and collective value. Yet, it’s not only designers grappling with this evolution but also numerous tech companies across several industries that must bolster their engineering resources to close the growing talent gap.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
New Class: Designing for the Future, Designing for Sustainability
10/07/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007If you have not yet taken a class from Fil Arzola, you are missing out. While one of the best PCB design minds we have, he is also fun and engaging, offering easy insights that might even surprise you. In late October, Fil will be instructing "Building Sustainable Model-Based PCBs," speaking from the design perspective. I had the pleasure of catching this course at last year's IPC APEX EXPO, and I walked away with a lot to think about. He entertained me with a quick Q&A recently, on design, sustainability, and his upcoming course. Registration is open now.
American Standard Circuits to Exhibit at SMTA International
10/06/2025 | American Standard CircuitsAnaya Vardya, President, and CEO of American Standard Circuits/ASC Sunstone Circuits has announced that his company will once again exhibit at SMTA International 2025 to be held at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois on October 19th through the 23rd, 2025.
ESD Alliance Reports Electronic System Design Industry Posts $5.1 Billion in Revenue in Q2 2025
10/06/2025 | SEMIElectronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 8.6% to $5,089.4 million in the second quarter of 2025 from the $4,685.5 million registered in the second quarter of 2024, the ESD Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community, announced in its latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report.
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.