-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueAll About That Route
Most designers favor manual routing, but today's interactive autorouters may be changing designers' minds by allowing users more direct control. In this issue, our expert contributors discuss a variety of manual and autorouting strategies.
Creating the Ideal Data Package
Why is it so difficult to create the ideal data package? Many of these simple errors can be alleviated by paying attention to detail—and knowing what issues to look out for. So, this month, our experts weigh in on the best practices for creating the ideal design data package for your design.
Designing Through the Noise
Our experts discuss the constantly evolving world of RF design, including the many tradeoffs, material considerations, and design tips and techniques that designers and design engineers need to know to succeed in this high-frequency realm.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Design Community Town Hall Review
April 11, 2024 | Kelly Dack, CID+, EPTACEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

There’s been a lot of work going on at IPC related to PCB design training and education. This week, many new members of IPC’s design groups met up in person at IPC APEX EXPO.
The Design Community Town Hall took place on the afternoon of April 10, 2024. I was fortunate to attend this event, which marked an opportunity for members of some newly found design groups to get together and exchange ideas. Peter Tranitz, senior director of solutions for IPC, opened the session with a slide presentation introducing these new groups and members within the solutions department.
The Design Leadership Council includes 14 members:
Steve Watt (Zuken), Steven Roy (Optimum Design Associates), Dale Lee (Plexus), Pietro Vergine (Leading Edge), Savita Ganjigatti (Sienna ECAD Technologies), Thomas Romant (IPC Designers Council France), Ellefen Jiang (NCAB), Kevin Kusiak (Lockheed Martin), Susan Kayesar (Siemens), Jesus Castane (MBDA), John Watson (Altium), Igor Bulavitchi (Flex), Flayover Guo, and Huseyin Ariac.
The Global IPC Internal Design Team (GIDT) includes 16 members:
Matt Kelly (Sponsor), Mike Milostan (Marketing), Barry Matties (I-Connect007), Andy Shaughnessy (I-Connect007), Carlos Plaza (Education), Teresa Rowe (Standards), Kelly Scanlon (Sustainability), John Perry (Standards), Peter Tranitz (Initiative Coordinator), Patrick Crawford (Standards), Francisco Fourcade (Standards), Andres Ojalill (Standards), Kris Moyer (Education), Lorena Villanueva (Mexico), Shine Yang (China/Asia), and Saurabh Saxena (India).
These new groups are poised to tackle a variety of challenges as IPC pivots to fill gaps in the design and manufacturing knowledge pool due to the ongoing retirement of our senior subject matter experts.
Tranitz then extended “kudos” to these group members. He emphasized that their “1,000 years of combined knowledge” will come in handy as the groups work and collaborate going forward. He emphasized the need to address critically needed updates in educational training programs as well as design and manufacturing standards and guidelines.
The second half of the meeting included a panel discussion moderated by Susan Kayesar, product manager for PCBflow at Siemens. The panel focused on some soon-to-be published white papers on several key design topics involving CAD data, DFM and stakeholder usage and accessibility. The event wrapped up with a rousing Q&A session. PCB designers and design engineers in the audience were not shy about sharing their opinions.
If you’re a subject matter expert on PCB design, consider getting involved with IPC’s design teams. They will welcome you with open arms, and you’ll probably learn something along the way.
Suggested Items
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Connect the Dots: The Future of PCB Design and Manufacturing
07/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsFor some time, I have been discussing the increasing complexity of PCBs and how designers can address the constantly evolving design requirements associated with them. My book, "The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality," details best practices for creating manufacturable boards in a modern production environment.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
06/24/2025 | SiemensAt the 2025 Design Automation Conference, Siemens Digital Industries Software today unveiled its AI-enhanced toolset for the EDA design flow.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?