Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine

Best Practices

Stephen V. Chavez Securing PCB design collaboration through tiered access controls and secure cloud environments.

In today's interconnected world, engineering teams are increasingly global, collaborating across time zones and continents to bring complex products to market faster. This collaborative spirit, while driving innovation, introduces significant security challenges, particularly in sensitive fields like printed circuit board (PCB) design. Protecting intellectual property and customer data is paramount, demanding sophisticated solutions that balance accessibility with stringent security.

Read more: Navigating Collaboration and Confidentiality in PCB Design

Stephen Chavez Real-time breakdowns cost more than you think.

Before I get into how cloud-based collaboration is transforming PCB design workflows, allow me to paint a fictional example of a scenario where cloud collaboration was not implemented in a PCB flow, leading to costly mistakes and potential damage to industry reputation. Note that this example is a collage of real-world scenarios I’ve encountered throughout my career.

Read more: Cloud Collaboration: Avoiding PCB Design Chaos

Digital tools enhance collaborative problem-solving.

The PCB design team gathers in the conference room for its weekly project review, but the atmosphere is tense and somber. Everyone feels the pressure as they realize the project is not meeting the planned timelines. Stress is palpable in the room as colleagues exchange worried glances and fidget with their notebooks and pens.

Read more: Eliminating Silos in Electronic Systems Design

How tools are advancing the speed with which highly computational tasks are performed.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into printed circuit board (PCB) design is no longer a vision for the future; it is a reality. Advanced electronic design automation (EDA) tools now incorporate AI-driven solutions, providing a competitive edge for those ready to embrace this transformative technology. Yet, despite its availability and potential, many remain reluctant to adopt AI.

Given the current shortage and fierce competition for talent, the number of skilled engineers entering the industry is simply not enough, a workforce gap that continues to grow. Companies are addressing this issue as best they can. Current engineers are forced to do more with less, as well as cross-pollinate in disciplines outside their specialty in the quest for project success. New engineers must get up to speed faster, assuming more tasks while learning on the fly, which adds stress and concerns to the project as well as to each individual team member.

Read more: AI in PCB Design: It’s Already Here