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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.
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DigiKey Announces Sponsorship of KiCad to Support Open-Source EDA Development
March 26, 2025 | DigiKeyEstimated reading time: 1 minute
DigiKey, a leading global commerce distributor offering the largest selection of technical components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment, is proud to announce its continued sponsorship of KiCad, the leading open-source Electronic Design Automation (EDA) suite, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing open-source tools for the electrical engineering community.
DigiKey is proud to continue its sponsorship of the KiCad open-source Electronic Design Automation suite.
KiCad’s mission is to provide the best possible cross platform electronics design application for professional electronics designers. The organization has been instrumental in providing an accessible, approachable program, enabling engineers, students and professionals to design printed circuit boards (PCBs) without the constraints of costly software licenses. DigiKey has been supporting KiCad for seven years, including past fund-drives, promotions and securing the kicad.org domain to ensure the project’s continued accessibility to the global engineering community.
“DigiKey is thrilled to once again support KiCad, which provides an essential tool for electronics designers worldwide,” said Cody Walseth, digital product owner at DigiKey. “At DigiKey, we believe that accessible, open-source design tools are vital to fostering creativity, and advancing technology and our sponsorship of KiCad reaffirms our commitment to providing engineers with the best resources to bring their ideas to life.”
Through the fund-drive donation match campaign, DigiKey continues supporting the KiCad platform and community, helping to increase community-submitted donations to contribute to critical feature enhancements, usability improvements and long-term sustainability of KiCad version 10.
“KiCad is grateful for our longstanding partnership with DigiKey,” said Wayne Stambaugh, project leader at KiCad. “DigiKey’s continued support has helped the project to grow substantially over the years, and we look forward to many more years of bringing open-source electronic design to engineers around the world.”
As engineers and innovators continue to push the boundaries of electronics design, KiCad remains steadfast in its mission to support accessible, high-quality design tools, while DigiKey continues to be the leading source of products, helping shorten the design cycle and accelerate progress.
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Ansys 2025 R2 Enables Next-Level Productivity by Leveraging AI, Smart Automation, and Broader On-Demand Capabilities
07/30/2025 | PRNewswireAnsys, now part of Synopsys, announced 2025 R2, featuring new AI-powered capabilities across the portfolio that accelerate simulation and expand accessibility.
Target Condition: The 5 Ws of PCB Design Constraints
07/29/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionHave you ever sat down to define PCB design constraints and found yourself staring at a settings window with more checkboxes than a tax form? You’re not alone. For many designers—especially those newer to the layout world—the task of setting up design constraints can feel like trying to write a novel in a language you just started learning.
Zuken to Showcase Defence & Security-Focused Electronic Systems Design Solutions at DSEI 2025
07/24/2025 | ZukenZuken, a global leader in electronic and electrical design automation, will showcase its latest innovations for defence and security systems at DSEI 2025, taking place at ExCeL London from 9–12 September 2025.
Creating a Design Constraint Strategy
07/24/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamMost designers learn how to set their design constraints through trial and error. EDA vendors’ guidelines explain how to use their particular tools’ constraints, and IPC standards offer a roadmap, but PCB designers usually develop their own unique styles for setting constraints. Is there a set of best practices for setting constraints? That’s what I asked Global Electronics Association design instructor Kris Moyer, who covers design constraints in his classes.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Closing the Gap Between Design and Manufacturing
07/23/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonModern PCB designers are not merely engineers or technicians. I believe that PCB design, at its core, is an art form, and modern PCB designers should be considered artists. Beyond the technical calculations and engineering rules lies a creative process that involves vision, balance, and a passion for what we do. Like any artist who works with brush and canvas or chisel and stone, a PCB designer shapes invisible pathways that bring ideas to life. Each trace, layer, and component placement reflects thoughtful decisions that blend form, fit, and function.