-
-
News
News Highlights
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueSilicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
Cost Drivers
In this month’s issue of Design007 Magazine, our expert contributors explain the impact of cost drivers on PCB designs and the need to consider a design budget. They discuss the myriad design cycle cost adders—hidden and not so hidden—and ways to add value.
Mechatronics
Our expert contributors discuss the advent of mechatronics in PCB design, the challenges and opportunities this creates for circuit board designers, and the benefits—to the employee and the company—of becoming a mechatronics engineer.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Setting Goals for Your PCB Design Education
March 30, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
For our March issue of Design007 Magazine on planning your design education, we spoke with Bill Brooks of Nordson ASYMTEK, a long-time PCB designer, CID instructor, and fantastic sculptor. He is also one of the first to ever teach standalone PCB design courses in a college.
After he earned his certification to teach the IPC CID workshops, Bill served as an adjunct instructor at Palomar College near San Diego, teaching beginning and advanced PCB design classes for 10 years. I asked Bill to share his thoughts on setting up a PCB design education career plan, and the need to stay on top of your game as a PCB designer.
Andy Shaughnessy: You’ve had experience teaching PCB design at the college level, as well as decades of industry experience. When you were teaching, how did you help your students plan their educational objectives?
Bill Brooks: When I was teaching at Palomar College, each student wanted something different out of the education and curriculum. Some students were looking to enhance their existing experience by adding PCB design to their electronics knowledge base. Some were trying to gain the necessary skills to get a specific job designing PCBs in the electronics industry, and some were taking my classes to fill out a degree program at the college without ever using the knowledge in our industry.
We helped them define their personal objectives by asking questions about their personal goals. Then we offered the entire class the goal of achieving certification though the IPC Designers Council. Before you start a journey, it’s a good idea to know where you want to go, develop a plan to get there, execute that plan, evaluate your progress, and make any adjustments make along the way.
Shaughnessy: What would you advise to PCB designers who want to set up their own strategic learning plans and educational objectives?
Brooks: Understand where the industry is headed and prepare for the skills you will need to place yourself as an asset in the industry. Ask questions of the experts in the field, connect with others who are going the same direction. Never stop learning; be curious.
Shaughnessy: What criteria should designers keep in mind when evaluating their educational needs to stay on top of their game in the industry?
Brooks: Printed circuit design methods and knowledge are not static. Learn about the resources available from authors, industry experts, manufacturers, and assembly houses. Help educate yourself and then stay connected.
Shaughnessy: When I first started covering PCB design in the late ‘90s, there were no “critical paths” to becoming a designer. Is an engineering degree becoming the critical path for future designers?
Brooks: No. Though many aspects of PCB design are engineering tasks, an engineering degree is not required for much of what we do. There are good tools out there to help and having an interest in solving puzzles is more useful than knowing transistor theory.
Shaughnessy: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Brooks: Get to work.
Shaughnessy: Good advice. Thanks, Bill.
Brooks: Thank you, Andy.
This conversation originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Design007 Magazine.
Suggested Items
Innovative NORDTECH R&D Projects Selected to Receive $30M in Federal Awards from U.S. Department of Defense
09/19/2024 | NORDTECHNortheast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH), a regional consortium of government labs, defense companies, academic institutions, and technology manufacturing organizations in New York State and one of eight hubs composing the U.S. Microelectronics Commons program, is proud to announce that four innovative projects have been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to receive significant federal funding.
EDA Market to Grow $8.7 Billion (2024-2028) with AI's Rising Impact on Trends
09/19/2024 | PRNewswireThe market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.26% during the forecast period. Growing significance of eda in electronic design process is driving market growth, with a trend towards machine learning disrupting global eda market
Taiwan's PCB Industry Sees Growth, Optimism for Q2 2024
09/18/2024 | TPCATaiwan’s PCB industry recorded a total output value of NT$372.2 billion in the first half of 2024, bolstered by strong demand in AI servers, satellite communications, and vehicle electronics. Industry experts remain optimistic about continued growth for the remainder of the year.
Marcy's Musings: Charting the Future
09/17/2024 | Marcy LaRont -- Column: Marcy's MusingsI’m sure we all remember the days when driving somewhere new meant pulling out our handy atlas, or writing down all the specific instructions on how to get there before we left on our trips. Now, modern navigation systems are so sophisticated that they talk you through the process, reroute when you make a wrong turn, and tell you exactly what time you’ll arrive. One of the most beneficial aspects of these maps is hearing your next required move before you get there so you don’t miss a turn or go in the wrong direction. Wouldn’t it be nice if our technology roadmaps did the same, helping prevent missteps and avoid hazards? But deciding where to go and how to get there is completely in our own hands, as is ensuring we actually take the twists and turns we have so carefully laid out in our roadmaps. Therein, I believe, lies the biggest challenge of all.
Altus Hosts Record-Breaking 'Factory of the Future' Event
09/17/2024 | Altus GroupAltus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, in partnership with Fuji Corp., recently held its second ‘Factory of the Future’ event at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC) in Coventry.