The Government Circuit: Three Inescapable Conclusions About Global Trade Policies
Global Citizenship: The Global Push for Digital Inclusion
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Addressing End-of-life Component Solderability Issues, Part 4
Dan Beeker on the Design Engineer of the Future
February 7, 2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
As technical director at NXP Semiconductors, Dan Beeker specializes in EMC and signal integrity design techniques. He’s known for his field-based design classes; you may remember the cover of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” that Dan and his daughter Breezy released in 2015 titled “All About The Space.” Check it out on YouTube; it’s funny, and it definitely gets the point across.
As we begin 2025, I contacted Dan to get his thoughts about the design engineers of the future. What will their jobs look like?
Andy Shaughnessy: Dan, how will the typical PCB design engineer’s job evolve over the next five to 10 years?
Dan Beeker: The challenges will be driven by the changes in technology. Smaller IC geometries for transistors and packages and increased power supply requirements make the basic functional design more challenging. Evolving standards for reduced allowable radiated emission levels and increased levels of immunity will impact compliance.
A solid understanding of the underlying science of electromagnetic physics will be more critical than ever. Improvements in the design tool space may help, but until the tools are dielectric-aware and can manage the entire three-dimensional structure of the electronic control system, they will only provide false hope. Careful empirical evaluation of each design will still be the primary method for designing good PCBs.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the January 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
PCBAA Wins Summit Silver Award from the American Society of Association Executives
07/18/2025 | PCBAAPCBAA was one of 38 associations that earned Silver Awards for outstanding contributions for an entry titled: Chips Don’t Float: More Printed Circuit Boards Must be Made in America.
INSPECTIS AB ‘Makes it a Meal’ with Series U50s Advanced Kit
07/18/2025 | INSPECTIS ABFamous chefs the world over maintain that an entrée doesn’t make a great meal without side dishes. At INSPECTIS, we call those ‘sides’ an Advanced Kit.
July 2025 PCB007 Magazine: Sales—From Pitch to PO
07/18/2025 |Though all parts of a company are essential for holistic success, it is a foundational truth that a company lives and dies by its sales. If there are no sales, the company eventually ceases to exist, or as Henry Ford says, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” In the July issue of PCB007 Magazine, we break down the sales stack and provide a guide to up your sales game.
Silicon Mountain Contract Services Enhances SMT Capabilities with New HELLER Reflow Oven
07/17/2025 | Silicon Mountain Contract ServicesSilicon Mountain Contract Services, a leading provider of custom electronics manufacturing solutions, is proud to announce a significant upgrade to its SMT production capability with the addition of a HELLER 2043 MK5 10‑zone reflow oven to its Nampa facility.
KONIG Launches KP400: Advanced 3D Digital Conformal Coating System for High-Density Electronics
07/15/2025 | KONIGKONIG, a leader in electronic packaging protection solutions, is proud to announce the launch of the KP400 3D Digital Packaging Solution—a breakthrough conformal coating system that brings new levels of precision, speed, and material efficiency to electronics manufacturing.