Connect the Dots: Designing for the Future of Manufacturing Reality—Surface Finish
The Pulse: Caught in the Crosshatch—A Cautionary Tale of Detective Work
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
EDA Tools and the Designer of the Future
January 28, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
We’re seeing new, young technologists moving into the PCB design and design engineering segment, and it’s just in time; many veteran designers are headed to retirement.
At the same time, there have been various recent advances in EDA tools. What will the PCB designer’s job—and the designer’s software tools—look like in the next five years?
Bob Potock, vice president of marketing for Zuken USA, weighs in on the PCB designers of tomorrow, and the EDA tools that will take them into an evermore complex future.
Andy Shaughnessy: I imagine Zuken has a “profile” of its typical user. How do you see this their job and its requirements evolving over the next few years?
Bob Potock: At Zuken, we believe that the PCB design and layout market is evolving. Today’s tools are mature, powerful, and easy to use. However, what's changing in the design process is how the tools are used and by whom. The standard hand-off from the design engineer to the PCB layout designer is becoming a thing of the past. A board with average complexity is more commonly designed, placed, and routed by the same individual: the hardware engineer. The modern hardware engineer will be an electrical engineer who can learn how to do PCB layout on the job. Moderately complex board designs now and in the future will see the traditional PCB layout function moving to the hardware engineer.
The high-complexity PCB market is different. The tools are more powerful, and the designs have more critical requirements. IC packaging may become part of the PCB layout activity at this complexity level. The traditional design engineer hand-off to the PCB layout designer may still exist. However, this modern PCB layout designer is an electrical engineer with training in power integrity, signal integrity, manufacturing, and IC packaging.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Zhen Ding April 2026 Revenue Hits Record High on Strong AI Demand
05/07/2026 | Zhen Ding TechnologyZhen Ding Technology Holding Limited, a global leading PCB manufacturer, reported April 2026 revenue of NT$15,196 million, up 11.83% YoY, reaching a record high for the same period in the company’s history.
ICAPE Group Reports Q1 2026 Revenue of €51.5 Million
05/06/2026 | ICAPE GroupQ1 2026 revenue of €51.5 million, up 2.2% compared to Q1 2025 (up +20% compared to Q1 2024), and up 4.6% compared to Q4 2025
Designing Without a Rulebook: When Engineering Becomes Innovation
05/05/2026 | Stephen V. Chavez, Siemens EDAWhat if the very rules that made you successful as a PCB designer are the ones now holding you back? This reminds me of walking the floor and attending sessions at both PCB West 2025 and APEX EXPO 2026, where one common theme stood out: More designs with traditional PCB “best practices” simply don’t apply. It’s not because they’re wrong, but because the problems we’re solving have fundamentally changed. In some cases, those best practices can actually limit performance. This is where PCB design moves beyond optimization and into something far more challenging: designing without a rulebook.
Zhen Ding, Chung Yuan University Establish Green AI-PCB Co-Definition Laboratory
05/05/2026 | Zhen DingDriven by global AI demand and the imperative of green sustainability, Zhen Ding Technology Holding Limited held a donation and talent cultivation ceremony with Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) to establish the "Green AI-PCB Co-Definition Laboratory."
AdvancedPCB Advances Precision Drilling Capabilities Across Two U.S. Facilities with Schmoll
05/05/2026 | AdvancedPCBAdvancedPCB has completed the installation of two Falcon small-hole drilling systems from Schmoll Maschinen GmbH at its U.S. facilities in Maple Grove, Wisconsin and Santa Clara, California.