Comment devenir un PCB ingénieur de conception

From dedicated hardware engineers to various technicians and support personnel, PCB design involves many different roles:

Hardware engineers: These engineers are responsible for circuit design. They usually do this by drawing circuit schematics on a CAD system designated for schematic capture, and they will usually do the physical layout of the PCB as well.

Layout Engineers: These engineers are specialized layout specialists who will arrange the physical layout of the electrical components on the board and connect all their electrical signals with metal wiring. Cela se fait également sur un système de CAO dédié à la mise en page physique, qui crée ensuite un fichier spécifique à envoyer au fabricant de PCB.

Mechanical Engineers: These engineers are responsible for designing the mechanical aspects of the circuit board, such as size and shape, in order to fit it into the designed device housing with other PCBS.

Ingénieurs logiciels : ces ingénieurs sont les créateurs de tout logiciel nécessaire au fonctionnement de la carte.

Test and rework technicians: These specialists work with manufactured boards to debug and verify that they work properly, and make corrections or repairs for errors as needed.

In addition to these specific roles, there are manufacturing and assembly personnel who will be responsible for making the circuit boards and many others along the way.

Most of these positions require an engineering degree, whether it’s electrical, mechanical or software. However, many technical positions require only an associate’s degree to enable the personnel in those positions to learn and eventually grow into engineering positions. Avec des niveaux élevés de motivation et d’éducation, le domaine de carrière des ingénieurs de conception est en effet très brillant.

PCB design process

Considering the different types of design engineers involved in PCB design, there are many options when considering the career path to follow. To help you decide which way to go, here’s a brief overview of the PCB design process and how these different engineers fit into the workflow:

Concept : Vous devez concevoir avant de pouvoir concevoir. Sometimes it is the product of a new invention, and sometimes it is part of a larger development process of the whole system. Typically, marketing professionals determine the requirements and functions of a product, and then pass the information on to the design engineering department.

Conception du système : concevez l’ensemble du système ici et déterminez quels PCB spécifiques sont nécessaires et comment les combiner tous dans le système complet.

Capture schématique : les ingénieurs en matériel ou en électricité peuvent désormais concevoir des circuits pour un seul PCB. This will involve placing symbols on schematics and connecting wires to pins called networks for electrical connections. Un autre aspect de la capture schématique est la simulation. Simulation tools allow design engineers to identify problems in the design of the actual PCB before working on its layout and manufacture.

Développement de bibliothèque : tous les outils de CAO ont besoin de pièces de bibliothèque à utiliser. Pour les schémas, il y aura des symboles, pour les mises en page, il y aura des formes de superposition physiques de composants, et pour les machines, il y aura des modèles 3D de caractéristiques mécaniques. In some cases, these sections will be imported into the library from external sources, while others will be created by engineers.

Conception mécanique : Avec le développement de la conception mécanique du système, la taille et la forme de chaque PCB seront déterminées. The design will also include the placement of connectors, brackets, switches and displays, as well as interfaces between the system housing and the PCB.

PCB layout: After schematic and mechanical design is completed, this data will be forwarded to the PCB layout tool. L’ingénieur d’implantation placera les composants spécifiés dans le schéma tout en respectant les contraintes physiques spécifiées dans la conception mécanique. Once the components are in place, the grid on the schematic will be connected together using thin wires that will eventually become metal wiring on the board. Certains PCBS peuvent avoir des milliers de ces connexions, et le routage de tous ces fils pour se conformer aux limitations de dégagement et de performance peut être une tâche intimidante.

Développement de logiciels : Développer des logiciels tout en réalisant tous les autres aspects du projet de conception. Using functional specifications developed by the market and components and electrical specifications engineered by the hardware, the software team will create the code that makes the board work.

Fabrication de circuits imprimés : une fois la conception de la configuration terminée, le document final sera envoyé pour la fabrication. The PCB manufacturer will create the bare board, while the PCB assembler will weld all the parts onto the board.

Testing and validation: Once the manufacturer confirms that the board works, the design team goes through a series of tests to debug the board. This process usually reveals areas of the board that need to be corrected and sent back for redesign. Once all tests are successfully completed, the board is ready for production and service.

As you can see, there are many different aspects of printed circuit board design, involving several different expertise. Une fois que vous avez commencé à travailler en tant qu’ingénieur de conception, vous pouvez examiner ces différents postes et décider sur quels domaines vous souhaitez vous concentrer le plus.