A Career in PCB Design?

[John]

Hi!

I'm thinking of switching career from Analog IC Design to PCB Design.

Can an experienced PCB design Engineer give a description of the job?
What skills does he/she needs and how different it is from analog IC
design?

Thanks!

 

[Ban]

Hi!

I'm thinking of switching career from Analog IC Design to PCB Design.

Can an experienced PCB design Engineer give a description of the job?
What skills does he/she needs and how different it is from analog IC
design?

Thanks!

Really ?,
we have a tech doing this work, of course I sit next to him and give
instructions when there are critical analog boards to be made. The digital
stuff he usually does alone, since the digital designers know less than him
about good design rules

ciao Ban

 

[Kevin Aylward]

Hi!

I'm thinking of switching career from Analog IC Design to PCB Design.

Can an experienced PCB design Engineer give a description of the job?
What skills does he/she needs and how different it is from analog IC
design?

Wow... are you real serious!!! You mean you claim that you are an
Analogue IC Designer but do not know how this differs from a PCB design
engineer. I would guess that you are using the wrong term here. A PCB
designer is someone who designs the physical *layout* of the physical
board, i.e. places the components and wires them up. A design engineer
actually figures out how a circuit should be designed. A PCB designer is
a technician level job. An analogue designer engineer needs a good math
background, and in-depth knowledge of electronics.

What I suspect you really mean is a design engineer that designs
circuits that are manufactured on pcbs, rather than in i.c.s

Number one, and I mean number 1, is that "board level" analogue design
engineers can expect a much reduced salary. Possible as much as only
half. Most board level design is not at the discrete transistor level,
it is designing systems using i.c. chips from the main vendors. You need
much more detailed general electronic knowledge, e.g filters, signal
integrity over feet of wire, component characteristics, availability of
parts etc. In i.c design you can often get away with only the knowledge
of circuit configurations, and the associated knowledge.

I personally, think its a very bad career move to go from i.c. level
design to board level design. In fact, its insane, imo. I shall say no
more

Kevin Aylward
[email protected]
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.

 

[Frank Bemelman]

[email protected] (John) wrote in message

The major difference is that is pays a lot less.

Money isn't everything. I just quit my job, sitting home now, which
pays nothing

 

[Winfield Hill]

Frank Bemelman wrote...

Money isn't everything. I just quit my job, sitting
home now, which pays nothing

OK, Frank, I'll bite, why'd you go and do that?

Thanks,
- Win

 

[Genome]

Now Ban, stop picking on the digits. They actual amaze me with their
superficial knowledge of electronics and how deep they can paint themselves
into a corner. Fearless until they see smoke.

regards
harry

I think both of you should shut the **** up.

That sort of "sun shines out of my arse'ole" attitude is indicative of a
level of anal retentiveness commensurate with a company environment as
defined by people such as yourselves that talk 'configuration' and hand over
the white shirt to the small woman to get the brown stains off the elbows.

As 'proper' design engineers working with people happens to be part of your
responsibility. That responsibility also includes an ability to interface
with and teach or provide training for the people who do your 'donkey work'
for you.

Treat them like shit and you needn't be surprised if they piss in your
coffee cup. Whether or not you find out about it is another matter.

If I got a hint of the sort of attitude you have just managed to display my
first question would be 'What am I doing wrong?' Oh dear, now it's become
personal.

Then I'd ask you.

If your explanation wasn't good enough I'd make you squirm in public and
then I'd 5s your useless arses off the register and out of the building


DNA

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Frank Bemelman wrote...

OK, Frank, I'll bite, why'd you go and do that?

An asshole for a boss and total lack of appreciation
for what I do. After 4 years I was fed up with that.
The money wasn't bad though, but as I said, it's not
everything.

I'm still a bit pissed off, but that will wear off,
no doubt. Feels strange, to have all the time to
do nothing. My wife is now looking at all kinds of
holiday trips. Las Vegas & Hawai are on the top of
the list, I think

 

[Harry Dellamano]

I think both of you should shut the **** up.

That sort of "sun shines out of my arse'ole" attitude is indicative of a
level of anal retentiveness commensurate with a company environment as
defined by people such as yourselves that talk 'configuration' and hand over
the white shirt to the small woman to get the brown stains off the elbows.

As 'proper' design engineers working with people happens to be part of your
responsibility. That responsibility also includes an ability to interface
with and teach or provide training for the people who do your 'donkey work'
for you.

Treat them like shit and you needn't be surprised if they piss in your
coffee cup. Whether or not you find out about it is another matter.

If I got a hint of the sort of attitude you have just managed to display my
first question would be 'What am I doing wrong?' Oh dear, now it's become
personal.

Then I'd ask you.

If your explanation wasn't good enough I'd make you squirm in public and
then I'd 5s your useless arses off the register and out of the building


DNA

Agreed, vented some things that I should not have.
I always considered you an analog guru but sounds like you are working in
HR now. That's like stepping from analog design to PCB design.
Have I not heard you vent a few times?
Come on DNA, let's design something, you and me, one on one, the one with
the most parts used and least smoke wins.

regards
harry

 

[Genome]

Agreed, vented some things that I should not have.

Don't vent downwards, vent upwards.

I always considered you an analog guru

I don't think I could piss on the target if it was more than three foot
away.

but sounds like you are working in HR now.

Huey.... now we're talking throwup scatter chunking. Hey... people matter.
Seriously... That's playing dirty

That's like stepping from analog design to PCB design.

Whoopsie, next thing you'll accuse me of assembling PCB's. That might form
part of a natural progression.

Have I not heard you vent a few times?

I did go back for a look after the multiple events, when I was sober. And I
thought 'Fair Enough'. Since I am non-sober at the moment I will say
(correct me if I'm wrong) I was the original ventor or otherwise suitably
prompted. Now I might be standing on dangerous ground.

Come on DNA, let's design something, you and me, one on one, the one with
the most parts used and least smoke wins.

Oooh, a challenge. Go on then, empty the clinkers out of your underwear and
watch me dissapear.

regards
harry

Likewise

DNA

 

[John Larkin]

That sort of "sun shines out of my arse'ole" attitude is indicative of a
level of anal retentiveness commensurate with a company environment as
defined by people such as yourselves that talk 'configuration' and hand over
the white shirt to the small woman to get the brown stains off the elbows.

I find dark grey or blue t-shirts to be the most durable engineering
attire. The blue barely shows ink stains. Oh, yes, velcro shoes are
great, too.


John

 

[Kevin Aylward]

An asshole for a boss and total lack of appreciation
for what I do. After 4 years I was fed up with that.
The money wasn't bad though, but as I said, it's not
everything.

I'm still a bit pissed off, but that will wear off,
no doubt. Feels strange, to have all the time to
do nothing. My wife is now looking at all kinds of
holiday trips. Las Vegas & Hawai are on the top of
the list, I think

"Life is what happens while your busy making other plans" - John Lennon.

Your consciousness is going to cease to exit, so, try an enjoy yourself
as much as you can while you can....hint...try shagging as many birds as
you can....

Kevin Aylward
[email protected]
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.

 

[Dana Raymond]

John... I know you didn't ask for this, but please let me throw in a
comment.

Unfortunately, PCB designers are not as well respected or as well paid as
circuit designers. Circuit designers have a long career path in that it
takes years to actually get to design something, you'll be doing layout or
verification before you get anywhere near archetecture or design. But, the
atmosphere is more collegial.

PCB designers tend to do the entire board, which gets 'out there' in the
hundreds or thousands. Circuit designers typically get to do a piece of a
part that may go into the millions.

Dana Frank Raymond

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Frank, if you get down to the Disneyworld area, look me up.

Thanks, actually been there some 10 years ago. Made a nice tour
through Florida, and visited not only Disney World, but also
MGM studios, Sea World (that was very *nice*), Epcot, and a few
others. Very impressive and very entertaining. Stayed another
week at Miami, and a night at Key West. Had a great time.

 

[Frank Bemelman]

"Life is what happens while your busy making other plans" - John Lennon.

Your consciousness is going to cease to exit, so, try an enjoy yourself
as much as you can while you can....hint...try shagging as many birds as
you can....

"Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it" - Monty Python. Thanks
for the hint

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

I find dark grey or blue t-shirts to be the most durable engineering
attire. The blue barely shows ink stains. Oh, yes, velcro shoes are
great, too.

Especially in the anti-gravity lab.

 

[ånønÿmøu§]

I'm thinking of switching career from Analog IC Design to PCB Design.

Maybe you should start to think of PCB Design as part of your Analog IC
Design? The physic behind PCB and IC design physical layout, inductance,
capacitance and cross-over parasitics, isn't that far away from one another.

Can an experienced PCB design Engineer give a description of the job?

Attend planning meetings, Design Phase, Parasitic and Trace Simulation,
Schematic Capture, create a BOM, get a Bid from the FAB House, write a
PO, Placement or Physical Layout of all Parts, Route the Board, create
Gerber files. get it Signed Off and Baby-sit the project until completed.

What skills does he/she needs and how different it is from analog IC
design?

Attend planning meetings, Design Phase, enter design into "System",
Simulate (or have the Intern do it!), show off design in a Project Design
meeting, write layout instructions, review the layout (or play the back
9 at the nearest golf course), complain that the parts are FAB'ed but
the PCB aren't ready yet and hold a Party when the first parts come
back and are running perfectly in the Lab.

This kind'a of covers it.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Thanks, actually been there some 10 years ago. Made a nice tour
through Florida, and visited not only Disney World, but also
MGM studios, Sea World (that was very *nice*), Epcot, and a few
others. Very impressive and very entertaining. Stayed another
week at Miami, and a night at Key West. Had a great time.

Have you ever been to Silver Springs Florida with the glass bottom
boats? BTW, it is where most of the old "Tarzan" movies were made, and
some of the monkeys escaped. It took years to gather them and all their
offspring up to send to zoos.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

They missed a few- they live in the neighborhood a couple of miles over.

Cheers!

Chip Shults
My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip

Not to mention the couple who ran the last place I worked.

At one time they were just going to shoot the monkeys on sight. What
a waste. they would make perfectly good "Pointy Haired Bosses" ;-)

 

[Bill Sloman]

Money isn't everything. I just quit my job, sitting home now, which
pays nothing

I haven't got enough to do myself - e-mail me (my e-mail address above is valid).

 

[DesignElect]

I'm thinking of switching career from Analog IC Design to PCB Design.

Seems an odd move to me..... but it does make me wonder. I've been self
employed for about 6 years now, designing all sorts of things and have learnt
more in these years than I did in the previous 10 or so when I worked for a
large company. But, the problems and stress levels can be quite high dealing
with customers who are slow to pay and taxes and such. I've been wondering
whether to go back to a normal 9 to 5:30 design or support type job instead.

I was just wondering what the pay is like these days in the south east of
England for a design engineer or a support engineer and if there's a big
difference between being permanently employed or sub-contracted.

Thanks for any info,

Pete