During the COVID-19 lockdown, I attempted to make pizza several times. It was fascinating how much thought went into the baking process itself. As I consider myself more of an intuitive cook than a baker, the science of yeasted dough was difficult.
When I’m packing for vacations, I tend to overpack. Especially when camping, I like to make sure I have any tool I could need. Unfortunately, I built up my gear by purchasing items that serve one purpose instead of a multi-use functionality. While I have the tools to perform the tasks I need, my bags can get heavy with so many single-use tools. Lately, I’ve learned to lighten my load with multi-use tools.
A competitive PCB software market benefits end-users, but getting started picking software may be daunting. As with most things in the consumer world, users are saturated with choice. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it deters beginners or startup companies looking to prepare their designs for manufacturing. Professional PCB software licenses are not cheap. These design suites are packed with more tools and functions than even the most expert designer will use, along with many features that appeal to a wide range of users.
When it comes to cooking and baking, one often hears the delineation: the former is an art, while the latter is a science. If that’s true, consider me a jazz musician in the kitchen – I work from mental fragments of recipes, adjusting the quantity based on what’s on hand and substituting items with impunity. This strategy allows for significant tinkering with cooking time, spices, and ingredients, allowing me to construct a dish as I see fit and as tastes evolve.
A board has passed through the final assembly process and culminated in a finalized, realized product that is likely months of combined design from engineering through manufacturing. While this stage represents a significant milestone, there is still apprehension about whether the board will pass through quality assurance. In reality, the board has already moved through some critical checkpoints to reach this stage. However, there are still numerous tests before a board is considered ready to ship.
Designing a board may be challenging, but even more so getting a product successfully to market. Competition is fierce in any field, and established companies can commit millions to firms that assuage consumers’ interest in features. In the event of competing releases, perhaps there is no more relevant adage than “the early bird gets the worm”: except for drastic performance or price differences, most customers will flock to what’s available when it’s available.
