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Flexible Thinking: Mind-tapping into January

It’s January again, and our beleaguered planet has completed yet another trip around the sun. The Romans named January in honor of their god Janus, who is usually depicted as a bearded old man with two faces—one looking back to the past and the other looking forward to the future. People venerated Janus as the god of beginnings and endings, transitions, and the passage of time. With that in mind, I’ll look 10 years into the future—hopefully with a bit of inspiration from Janus—and prognosticate what might be happening in electronic design.

As I have often said here on my little soapbox (with a tip of the hat to the ancient philosophers, especially Heraclitus), change is the only constant, and predicting the future is a bit of a fool’s errand. My crystal ball is likely to be no more accurate than the next individual’s. Renowned computer scientist Alan Kay said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” However, to do that, we need to use today’s tools and look back, because whatever we invent must be built on today’s foundation.

PCB design was originally the domain of mechanical draftsmen provided with schematics that defined where connections were required, and a list of components and their physical descriptions and pin assignments that they needed to connect. As time passed, mechanical design alone was insufficient, and PCB designers engaged in improving the process and making electronic products better, denser, higher performing, and more reliable. Today, PCB designers are largely “the tip of the spear” in electronics and the drum majors of PCB manufacturing. The decisions and designs they deliver to manufacturing will often make or break the success of the product.

As products have increased in complexity over the past couple of decades, computer-aided design (CAD) and CAD tools have evolved to assist designers. Today, they are indispensable and are likely to become even more so in the next 10 years.

Here are a few predictions of what might be on the horizon:

You cannot escape artificial intelligence (AI). It’s constantly being referenced in the press and increasingly in electronic design. We can expect AI-driven tools to assist PCB designers by automating much of the layout process. Advanced design software will optimize board designs for performance, cost, and manufacturability with minimal human input. AI will iterate designs at lightning speed, running simulations, and eliminating design flaws. It is questionable whether AI will fully replace the human designer because humans are highly creative and have the ability to make nonlinear leaps of inspiration. However, AI might be useful in sourcing components based on criteria such as price, availability, and energy requirements.

That said, as circuit designs increase in complexity, the design task will probably become more multidisciplinary and PCB designers will need to collaborate more closely with their colleagues in process-related disciplines, including electrical/electronic, mechanical, and thermal engineers and software tool developers. They will be involved in the entire product lifecycle, from concept to manufacturing, ensuring smooth integration between various subsystems.

As discussed here in the past, the industry will continue to focus on understanding advanced materials and manufacturing processes to keep pace with rapid new product development. HDI, UHDI, and three-dimensional manufacturing through 3D printing technologies should continue to drive the evolution of the design process, enabling product developers to bring their visionary ideas to life. This means designers will need to become more familiar with the manufacturing process, something I call DWM— designing with manufacturing rather than designing for manufacturing (DFM). This may include more attention to digital twins designed to root out problematic designs as early as possible, giving the designer a chance to correct them as early as possible.

Other guesses? The continuing progress in quantum computing shows promise in solving complex problems. Photos of first-generation quantum computers depict what appear to be Rube Goldberg-like hand-built structures reminiscent of things created by early PCB experimentalists. These devices will undoubtedly mature and will probably tap into the legacy electronics manufacturing industry’s capabilities.

Sustainability is becoming a greater concern globally and will probably be a major checkpoint for PCB designers. The environmental impact of electronics manufacturing, particularly around e-waste, will probably drive designers to pay attention to some of the “green” alternatives, such as biodegradable PCBs and recyclable materials, as well as coming up with more energy-efficient designs.

It’s also important to discuss workforce development. Who will educate and source the next generation of designers, and how will they be prepared? Industry watchers have noted that as the old guard of the PCB industry (yours truly included) retires, there will be a pressing need to replace them. Initially, PCB technology was largely being invented and reinvented on the fly, and PCB design was as much an art as a science. With today’s near-daily technological advances, PCB designers will need to continue to learn and update their skills. Some of the next generation’s PCB designers may emerge from interdisciplinary backgrounds, combining knowledge of electronics, software development, data science, and material engineering. Start-ups might employ them, but there will probably be a growing reliance on universities, local community colleges, and online learning platforms offering specialized training to prepare future PCB designers for these developing roles. Curricula are also likely to focus on AI, quantum computing, and sustainable electronics.

Future PCB designers will probably need to be high-tech, multidisciplinary experts capable of working in cutting-edge industries. They will need a deep understanding of the growing hardware, software, and PCB manufacturing processes. They will probably play key roles in high-tech teams, collaborating with distributed teams worldwide. Leveraging their diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives, they will probably work together to integrate advanced technologies and push the boundaries of future electronics.

All of this should be exhilarating and, of course, fun.

Joe Fjelstad is founder and CEO of Verdant Electronics and an international authority and innovator in the field of electronic interconnection and packaging technologies with more than 185 patents issued or pending. To read past columns or contact Fjelstad, click here. Download your free copy of Fjelstad’s book Flexible Circuit Technology, 4th Edition, and watch his in-depth workshop series “Flexible Circuit Technology.”

This column originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine.