-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSignal Integrity
If you don’t have signal integrity problems now, you will eventually. This month, our expert contributors share a variety of SI techniques that can help designers avoid ground bounce, crosstalk, parasitic issues, and much more.
Proper Floor Planning
Floor planning decisions can make or break performance, manufacturability, and timelines. This month’s contributors weigh in with their best practices for proper floor planning and specific strategies to get it right.
Showing Some Constraint
A strong design constraint strategy carefully balances a wide range of electrical and manufacturing trade-offs. This month, we explore the key requirements, common challenges, and best practices behind building an effective constraint strategy.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
PCB Designers: ‘Level Up’ IC, Packaging Knowledge
September 16, 2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Soo Lan Cheah is kind of a unicorn in the industry. She is an IPC instructor based in Malaysia, and she has years of experience designing integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. I knew I had to get her thoughts for this issue on silicon-to-systems. I asked Soo Lan to discuss her cross-discipline background and what silicon-to-systems means to her.
Andy Shaughnessy: Please tell us a little about your background. It’s rare to meet someone with experience designing ICs and PCBs.
Soo Lan Cheah: I am currently an instructor for IPC PCB design certification in Asia and instructor-led online training. I’ve spent the past 20 years in Malaysia in engineering education and training, designing technical curricula for professional development, as well as national projects for upskilling local graduates and engineers in the semiconductor industry. Before this, I worked in Singapore as an engineer, for 15 years in the data communication network, doing R&D for the National Computing Center, Defense Advanced Electronics Laboratory, and Microelectronics Institute.
I started PCB design as a team member working on signal integrity simulations and test board designs for advanced PCB board products in the defense industry. I acquired electromagnetic field solver knowledge and techniques at the microelectronics institute while working on semiconductor IC package electrical design. The PCB and IC design’s formal certification for training came under a local training center in Malaysia, with a technology transfer program (PCB, IC design, and IC testing) from Japan to Malaysia. My contributions include developing the IC package design course for training and updating the PCB design and IC design courses.
I am fortunate to have been given numerous opportunities to upskill myself and be introduced to IPC design certifications. I owe a huge thank you to Tan Beng Teong. I am also grateful to my IPC mentors Dieter Bergman and Gary Ferrari for their guidance, patience, and generosity in the learning process that has inspired me to continue to update and guide new learners in the industry through IPC.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the September 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Accelerating Embedded Innovation: Orthogone Becomes Texas Instruments Design Partner
09/17/2025 | PRNewswireOrthogone Technologies Inc., a leader in advanced embedded systems and FPGA development, is proud to announce its official designation as a Texas Instruments (TI) Design Services Partner.
BLT Joins Microchip Partner Program as Design Partner
09/17/2025 | BUSINESS WIREBLT, a U.S.-owned and operated engineering design services firm announced it has joined the Microchip Design Partner Program.
Staying on Top of Signal Integrity Challenges
09/16/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineOver the years, Kris Moyer has taught a variety of advanced PCB design classes, both online IPC courses and in-person classes at California State University-Sacramento, where he earned his degrees in electrical engineering. Much of his advanced curriculum focuses on signal integrity, so we asked Kris to discuss the trends he’s seeing in signal integrity today, the SI challenges facing PCB designers, and his go-to techniques for controlling or completely eliminating SI problems.
American Standard Circuits to Exhibit and Host Lunch & Learn at PCB West 2025
09/17/2025 | American Standard CircuitsAnaya Vardya, President, and CEO of American Standard Circuits/ASC Sunstone Circuits has announced that his company will once again be exhibiting at PCB West 2025 to be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
ASM Technologies Limited signs MoU with the Guidance, Government of Tamilnadu to Expand Design-Led Manufacturing capabilities for ESDM
09/15/2025 | ASM TechnologiesASM Technologies Limited, a pioneer in Design- Led Manufacturing in the semiconductor and automotive industries, announced signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guidance, Government of Tamilnadu whereby it will invest Rs. 250 crores in the state to expand its ESDM related Design-Led Manufacturing and precision engineering capacity. ASM Technologies will acquire 5 acres of land from the Government of Tamilnadu to set up a state-of-the-art design facility in Tamil Nadu's growing technology manufacturing ecosystem, providing a strong strategic advantage and long-term benefits for ASM.