Transform Your Constraint Engineering PCB Designs

Download the syllabus.

WEEK 1

Lecture #1: PCB Design History & The New Scheme of Things Engineering Baseline

• A brief history of PCB design methodologies and the need for something better.
• What exactly does it mean to “transform your designs.”
• Capture schematic diagrams that meet troubleshooting engineering ideals.
• Define an Special Routing Instructions (SRI) for your design to enable the beginning of the constraint process.
• Develop techniques that will transform engineering baselines for all board types.
• Understand the need for an ECAD/MCAD model leading to a PCB model database.
• Embrace producibility standards for stack-ups and DFM/A as a strict design baseline.
• Generate board design notebooks that enable stable process flow of your designs.

Lecture #2: Pre-routing schemes & Model-base Methodologies

• 7-min round table discussion on Lecture #1.
• Let’s understand ECAD/MCAD model relationships and interface tactics.
• An introduction to producibility methodologies.
• Design and understand via structures and space minimization methods.
• Apply component placement methodologies incorporating DFM/A concepts.
• Understand and adapt general and complex routing features to your designs.
• Establish local and global constraint management tools to engineer your PCB designs.
• Unify ECAD/MCAD models to deliver an engineered and producible PCB Model-based database.

WEEK 2

Lecture #3: A Sample Model to Show Us How to Transform Through Constraints

• 7-min round table discussion on Lecture #2.
• Introduction to our sample PCB Design Model.
• Schematic + Housing + Layout = PCB Design Model-based database.
• Develop and shape the mechanical model to the PCB design model.
• Learn methodologies to control the PCB Design model.
• Utilize PCB design “visions” to enable process constraint management practices.
• Understand PCB fabrication and assembly processes that maximize design constraints.
• Prioritize producibility guidelines to establish proper design flows of routing.
• Update and engineer our sample PCB Design Model.

Lecture #4: Continuing Motivation to Engineer Your Designs

• 7-min round table discussion on Lecture #3.
• Review an upper level of engineering our design methodologies and process flow.
• Establish producibility and DFE and DFM/A concepts as winning design drivers.
• Apply producibility concepts: Route to meet design engineering baselines.
• Drive an Interactive Design Review Process with your design team.
• Develop a design meeting and fabrication review process with your vendors.
• Conduct pre-final producibility and vendor check.
• Identify and address problems revealed by a mechanical check.
• Drive and develop a 2-D/3-D electronic mechanical check process.

WEEK 3
Lecture #5: Looking at All Board Types & Complex RF/COB Designs – Part One

• 7-min round table discussion on Lecture #4
• Do all board types have the same process flow and constraint methodologies?
• Identify various board design types and their common features.
• Simplify and categorize designs based on features and constraints.
• Utilize the model-based structure to engineer the grouping of board types.
• Manage mounting holes and via sizing within designated DFE groups.
• Organize the non-metal features for each design type group.
• Recognize that all board design types have specific features critical for their success.
• Develop Constraint Management rules/features for each board design type.

Lecture #6: Looking at All Board Types & Complex RF/COB Designs – Part Two

• Let’s go back to our sample model design and review the RF/COB circuits.
• Confirm the PCB design is ready for RF/COB design.
• Utilize model-base ideals to define the RF/COB baseline engineering scheme.
• Organize Strict Baselines/How-To/Guidelines to help Model RF/COB designs.
• Develop a separate design engineering skill set for complex RF and COB designs.
• Develop a process to update and fix broken RF/COB designs.
• Our RF/COB Model is broken – Let’s fix it.
• Summary and Final Thoughts.