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Design Basics: Acceptance Test Plan

By Ray Burney, Jr., Stilwell Baker

When is a project done? It’s a simple question, but deceptively difficult to answer. It’s tempting to say that the engineering is done when the device works, but the reality is more subtle. What does it mean for a device to “work”? How does one ascertain that the functional spec is met? Ideally, there should be a rigorous set of quantitative tests in place before commencement of a project—an Acceptance Test Plan (ATP).
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Design Basics: The Acceptance Test Plan (as a pdf)

 

Bringing Elegant Solutions to PCB Layout Design

By Jon Lewis, Stilwell Baker

	Executed elegance in a complex design

In his book In Pursuit of Elegance, Matthew May says that elegant solutions “have the unique and elusive combination of unusual simplicity and surprising power.”  Elegant design goes beyond simple functionality to create products that are intuitive, cost-effective, and beautiful.

Elegant solutions in printed circuit board design can lead to better circuit performance, higher yields, and ease in implementing design changes. At Stilwell Baker, Elegant Design is more than a methodology—it’s a philosophy employed by talented designers when the customer is striving for a better product.
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Bringing Elegant Solutions to PCB Layout Design (as a pdf)

 

Third-Pilot Upgrades: Erickson turns to newcomer to bring automatic flight controls to Aircrane

By Michael Mecham, Aviation Week & Space Technology, September 21, 2009

Portland-based Erickson Air-Crane has spent five months working with Stilwell Baker, an electrical engineering design specialist from Portland, to develop an automatic flight control system (AFCS) for the S-64F Aircrane heavy-lift helicopter.

Aviation Week subscribers may read the complete article online.

 

5 Basic Steps to a Successful PCB Layout

Often times PCB layout becomes the sponge that absorbs all the schedule slips in the R&D process. But a great design, with a poorly executed layout, can be lethal to your product development schedule and budget. We know that we should take the time to review a design prior to layout and resolve any issues early. The problem is finding time to do it. So no matter how compressed your schedule, pay attention to these 5 basic steps for a successful PCB layout.

5 Basic Steps to a Successful PCB Layout (pdf)

 

Successful Electronics Outsourcing: An Old Concept with a New Twist

By Joe Zaccari, Stilwell Baker

In a continually contracting environment, many OEMs are experiencing significant challenges in outsourcing product manufacturing. Inability to outsource manufacturing efficiently without outsourcing some of the engineering tasks associated with a design has become prevalent. Moreover, in the case of large OEMs, outsourcing manufacturing often leads to shedding of manufacturing engineering resources, leaving the OEM engineer in a supporting role in the manufacturing process. How can an electronics OEM transition designs to volume manufacturing with the least amount of risk?

Read this Surface Mount Technology Online Article