I am a junior PCB drsigner and I need your help

[Pankh]

Hello, here is my story:
My interest in electronics started on high school five years ago, so I got basics done and I understand them. Since then I designed a lot of PCBs, started with basic flashing LEDs with transistors, 555 IC, then I moved to audio, power supplies (both linear and SMPS), just normal casual things.
I am junior PCB designer right now, I got a job where I am designing PCBs professionally. Just some low speed, max 4 layer PCBs, embedded systems, measuring devices. Ethernet, USB (also 3.0, yay), camera signals. Actually it helped and taught me a lot although I work there for only half a year. It helped me cross the line between analog (which I was doing before I got the job) and digital design.Speed Test Scrabble Word Finder Solitaire But I feel that I am stucked on one level and I am not improing my skills as much as I want to. I do not know what to do next, what I should start learning, what I should study. I would like to get into the point where I can design some cool high speed, 12 layer PCBs, something around xGHz processors, motherboards and embedded systems, SATA, HDMI, high speed ethernet, PCIe, USB 3.0, DDR3/4/5 and so on. One day I would like to become a freelancer and my big dream is to design a PCB which will fly to the outer space. It may sound ridiculous, but I know that it will be a long a tough journey, but I am willing to make it real.

[Paul van Avesaath]

Hi Pank,

Nothing weird about having a dream.. I always wanted to work for space industries as wel.. got the job offer a few years back.. but declined.. (had to move to Finland for it..) but don't think what they send up to speed is flashy highspeed stuff all the time.. it's more robust will never fail and is tested to hell and back. but keep dreaming it.. it will come..

since you are working now for half a year.. don't think you will be able to do all the highspeed stuff in an instance.. experience is what you need.. and a good undestanding of all processes in between.. so not only PCB design. but also: schematic design, simulation of design, library managment, production knowledge, PCB material knowledge, knowing the manufacturing company and their capabilities. that just akes some time! i know i must sound like the "old dewd" here.. but give it a few years.. try and get the most out of what your doing right now.. aim for the sky, dont loose the dream, but take it just a bit slower to get there than hopping on the big ass rockets..

also if you dream about it.. just send a good email to Elon explaning you will design his next gen rockets controllers and maybe you will get lucky,.


to become a freelancer you do not need that much experience. because you can select the jobs you are comfertable with,.

as to the steps you can currently do.. read lots of stuff.there is a lot of highspeed stuff on the internet..
also keep on designing.. if you have a cloud license.. jsut install altium at home, and log into it.. push every button there is and see what is happening.. also check out other peoples designs..
and ask questions, talk with the designers in your company, try and learn other stuff like programming uP, or FPGA.

also practise.. a lot.. if you have done the design and think it's good.. save it,, and start again. try some different angles.. you might find a better way.. ( have have design boards multiple times before i was happy enough)
try a DDR design to re create.. there wil come a lot of questions. and you can ask the forum for help any time!

so hope this helps

good luck!

[robertferanec]

You are on the right track. In the next step find a job in a company which is designing boards what you like (e.g. industrial computers). I took very similar PATH.