Improving your personal performance is a large topic. But a critical area is high-frequency electrical performance for the board in both signals and plane PDN. Other new trends are incremental design/validation methodologies and the improved use of constraint-autorouting, as well as re-use of circuits and DfT. More on this in future BLOGS.
Here is where I suggest that you start looking for where you can learn these new topics. First, if you have not downloaded my new HDI HANDBOOK, this is a good place to start. The 631 page e-Book is FREE, so there is no excuse not to have it. You can download it from my BLOG at http://communities.mentor.com/mgcx/community/pcb/pcb_blogs/happy_holden . My Chapter-4 “HDI Electrical Performance” is written by Dr. Eric Bogatin, and Dr. Bogatin has many more resources available for learning. His past Web Series on “No MYTHS Allowed” can be downloaded from www.gigatest.com/Publications/PubsIndex.jsp This site has 105 documents, lectures and tutorials available from Dr. Bogatin. Figure 1 shows a typical slide form one of his lectures. Dr. Bogatin’s current Internet Site is http://www.BeTheSignal.com and it also has many free tutorials on it .
Another very useful design ‘Toolkit’ is provided by Kenneth Wood, owner of Saturn PCB Design in Deltona, FL.[3] His Toolkit is shown in Figure 2 and provides software to calculate physical and electrical characteristics of vias and conductors; signal bandwidth and max. lengths; differential-pair impedances; padstack designs; drill/wire gauge conversions; min conductor spacing for voltages; and microstrip/stripline impedances. This can be downloaded at: (http://www.saturnpcb.com )
Another source of training and learning is to use Google and Yahoo to search the Internet for college classes in signal integrity, EMI Compliance, Design for Manufacturing or high-speed design. One such search yielded the “EE166: High-Speed PCB Design” course at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. HMC has the distinction of being awarded “One of the Top Undergraduate Engineering Schools in the US”. In this case it was the lecture notes and labs by Prof. Sarah Harris -(www3.hmc.edu/~sharris/class/e166/)[4].
The IPC Designers Council and the IEEE are constantly running courses for designers.
Last, to reduce schedules is one of “Push Left”, “Do it right the first time” and distribute more activities in parallel. Move critical activities and checks/audits up earlier in the design process. Find any problems or mistakes early. IF [errors] found in manufacturing, critical schedules and costs are bound to be impacted. Now is the time to “learn to use the autorouter correctly” and “how to apply signal and power integrity”!
Finally, if you are “surplused”, “made redundant”, “sacked”, “displaced”, “sacrificed” or just “let GO”, Mentor has the “Displaced Worker Program”. [5] You may take Mentor classes on a “Space Available” basis, for free, and that includes online courses as well as in-class courses in Austin, Boston (Marlborough, MA), Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver (Longmont, CO), Portland (Wilsonville, OR) and San Jose. Go to http://www.mentor.com/training_and_services/training/dwp to check on availability.
REFERENCES
1. HDI Handbook and other tech papers, tutorials at http://communities.mentor.com/mgcx/community/pcb/pcb_blogs/happy_holden
2. Eric Bogatin’s “No MYTHS Allowed” at GigaTest Labs, there is 105 doc. www.gigatest.com/Publications/PubsIndex.jsp & www.bethesignal.com
3. Free PCB Tools (www.saturnpcb.com) –vias, conductors, signals, diff pairs, padstacks, min. conductor Spacing & impedance.
4. University course lectures (like EE166 High Speed PCB Design by Dr. Sarah Harris of Harvey Mudd College-(www3.hmc.edu/~sharris/class/e166/)
5. If ‘out of work’, Mentor has the “Displaced Workers Program” allows you to audit our training for free, go to http://www.mentor.com/training_and_services/training/dwp