TABLE OF CONTENTS A printed circuit assembly (PCA) design organization s structure and the guidance and supervision of its activities have a significant impact on how effectively its efforts will satisfy cost, schedule, and quality performance requirements. Regardless of the size of a company, if PCAs are designed internally for its products, an identifiable function should be established that is responsible for performing all related activities.
Design of PCAs requires the use of a unique set of methods, processes, and related tools to effectively accomplish the following activities:
Circuit board layout
Design library management
Documentation and data generation
Checking and verification
Tool and equipment support
Documentation and maintenance of operating procedures
Training
Interfacing with other functions
These tasks may all be accomplished by one person or by a very large group of people. In either case, an organizational structure and associated operational procedures that support that structure are needed to ensure design consistency and quality.
Companies are configured in many different ways, some managing their engineering and development efforts as independent programs and some performing them within functional organizations. Most, however, have a centralized circuit board design operation that services all program requirements.
The primary features of a typical organization are derived from the key activities and tasks that are associated with developing and documenting a PCA design. The basic processes used to produce a design are standard throughout the electronics industry...
