Words of Advice: What are Your Biggest Problems Related to Flex Design?

July 11, 2019 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 Magazine

In a recent survey, we asked the following question: What are your biggest problems related to flex design? Here are a few of the answers, edited slightly for clarity.

Tim's Takeaways: Clear Communication Takes the Cake

July 10, 2019 | Tim Haag, Consultant

Whether baking a cake or building a circuit board, it’s all about clear communication. If the person writing the recipe had not made the choice to clearly communicate what their intentions were for baking that cake, I would have been lost. A missing ingredient here or an incorrect oven temperature there and my birthday surprise would have ended up in the garbage in the same way a successfully built circuit board starts with clear communication from the designer. Circuit board manufacturers want to create a perfect PCB for you, but they can only do so to the extent of the instructions that you give them.

The Shaughnessy Report: Everything Starts with the Designer

June 20, 2019 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007

We may think that the days of throwing the design “over the wall” are over. But communication is still a big problem; many designers never speak to their fabricator until they get that Friday evening phone call. But many...

Tim's Takeaways: Rules Keep You from Crossing the Line

June 20, 2019 | Tim Haag, Consultant

Driving rules are designed to keep drivers between the lines of traffic instead of crossing over those lines into dangerous situations. Similarly, design rules are also intended to keep PCB trace routing between the lines instead of...

Thermal Management: Why It Should Be High on Your Circuit Protection Agenda

June 6, 2019 | Team Electrolube, Electrolube

In my previous column, Jade Bridges highlighted a few cautionary notes on the pain points associated with thermal management products, particularly the choices that you will be confronted with, such as which material or product type...