In the present scenario, AI has taken the lead in the technology industry. It is easier to put to action without much man-force requirement. Dependence on AI has started to increase exponentially.
When most industries are motivated to use AI to enhance their services, why will the PCB industry stay behind?
Talking about PCB, also known as Printed Circuit Board, a board composed of several electronic components connected through pathways. Such electric components placed on top of a board connected marks a device's functionality.
Integrating AI in designing a PCB can be a helpful idea considering the number of difficulties it will lessen. AI-based auto-routing function for designing a PCB can be helpful, and it has various other benefits as well.
However, integration of AI in PCB design is not that easy of a task. It would be best if you were careful, and there are several things one must consider. Thus, before integrating AI in your PCB design, you must have adequate knowledge about some requirements or conditions to consider before doing it.
Again, AI Integration can have different effects on the workforce– both negative and positive. However, how a worker takes it; depends upon themselves.
Then again, the knowledge of AI is necessary. If you don't know what AI is, how will you integrate it into your PCB design? Let's get into the details of AI and discuss AI and PCB design integration.
What Is AI?
AI is the acronym for Artificial Intelligence. AI means stimulating machines so that they can think and perform in a similar way to that of humans. Any machine that possesses some human traits such as learning, problem-solving, or decision–making can be called AI.
To achieve a specific goal, AI performs rational thinking and puts it to action. As it has become popular, the usage of AI has increased in many industries around the globe.
Thus, in simpler terms, AI is a machine-simulation of human intelligence to work like a human having better performance rates. It includes reasoning, learning, and perception of the goals.
Integrating AI into EDA Tools
Before learning about the integration of AI in EDA tools, it is essential to know EDA tools.
In short, EDA or Electronic Designing Automation tools are a part of the designing process of a PCB. You can design your PCB or any integrated circuit boards using EDA Tools.
In such processes, manual routing comes to use– specifying the signal routing's path manually. Through the Manual routing process, one can plan the route for the silicon track manually. No matter how beneficial the process may seem, it has quite complications since it is time-consuming. You would have loads of difficulties while manual routing a PCB design, and it will take loads of time.
Now that we live in an era where people always want their work to be fast and efficient, the manual routing process may seem to be a burden. However, this is the reason for the existence of AIs. AI is made to make your work simpler and less time-consuming.
AI can help simplify the design process of a PCB as well. Thus, a new concept in PCB designing is introduced– auto-routing.
Designers use auto-routers that are an innovation based on Artificial intelligence or, rather, a routing engine based on AI. How does it work?
Such a routing engine has artificial intelligence through which it can continue the routing process of a PCB that has been happening manually (before the auto-routing). It learns from human intelligence and then routes effectively without consuming much time.
They use the previous examples of how a PCB routine is done and work accordingly to ensure efficiency. It is also worth assuming that such a process is better than manual routing. It even makes design decisions based on the ones a human designer could create.
Benefits Of Integrating AI In PCB Design
Integration of AI in PCB design can be a lot helpful and beneficial for you. There are several ways through which it can help in PCB designing; some of them are as follows:
Less Time-consumption
The process for PCB design can become fast-paced as a result of AI integration. Since it is faster than humans, it can do the work a human designer can do in a considerably short period. In this manner, you can manufacture the PCB earlier than you used to manufacture before AI addition.
Better Outputs
When designing PCB, the main thing that matters is the resulting product after such efforts put into the process. AI can produce better results once integrated with the PCB design. The resulting output would be better-functioning as a result of artificial intelligence's integration.
Reduction In Cost
Integrating AI can help in lessening the incurred costs. It can be highly beneficial for you. Since the AI works on its own, you would save labor cost, extra operational cost, and the cost of human expertise as well.
Moreover, it is less likely for your designing process to go to waste after AI integration. It means that you are unlikely to redesign a PCB if you have already integrated AI. AI is built in a manner that doesn't make mistakes. So you will be safe from designing a PCB all over again.
Thus, you will also be free from such types of costs.
**Efficient And Accurate PCB Designers/Manufacturers
You can now turn your PCB business into a better, efficient, and accurate aspect. It means that your resulting PCB will be much more efficient, reliable, and accurately designed– all through Artificial intelligence integration.
Such a thing can improve your sales rates and make your business better than before– All through AI. The word in itself is short, but its results are incredible and effective.
Things To Consider While Integrating AI In PCB Design
No matter how beneficial AI can be in PCB design, there are certain factors that you must look into before proceeding further. Thus, you should consider the points which are as follows-
Pay Attention To Data:
Machine learning is an important aspect of AI. It can help make the PCB designing process much easier than that of human expertise. However, the accurate information of the supply and quantity of data is a crucial factor here.
AI does have the ability to detect mistakes and quality defects in a PCB design. But it is impossible without accurate data input. Accurate data input results in higher accuracy by AI in pointing out the defects and scanning for any necessary PCB design changes.
Expertise In AI:
The results of AI may be advantageous. However, without proper knowledge of AI and PCB, it would not be easy to integrate them. Thus, before integrating AI in PCB design, you must have adequate knowledge of AI and PCB.
Lack of knowledge and expertise in such matters may lead to problems in the future.
If you or your PCB experts don't have technical expertise in AI, then it is better to get advanced training regarding the subject. It may cost some resources. However, it will show better results in the future.
**Improvements:
One thing you should do with AI integration is kept looking for improvement opportunities. AI always has room for improvement. Thus, you can research more and look out for improvements that will enhance the PCB designing process.
If you do it, then the performance of AI would be better, leading to better results.
AI Integration In PCB Design- Effects On Workers
Integration of AI in PCB design can positively and negatively impact the workforce or human experts.
They may fear the loss of work which in turn will lead to loss of income as well. On the contrary, human workers may be positively affected since they help better their work accuracy. The effect relies on the worker.
According to Dr. Paul Musto in an interview by Andy Shaughnessy, AI is to gain a role of crucial importance in product development.
When considering the effects of AI in Musto's perspective, there are several merits and demerits of AI Integration with PCB design.
People may think that AI may replace human expertise or workforce. However, Musto is of the alternate view on this matter. Since electronic content is increasing day-by-day and its designing process, it is hardly possible for AI alone.
What AI does is focusing and improving this aspect which the human workforce and difficulties are maintaining. AI helps the designing process to have better innovation initiatives and simulation techniques.
What's required here is not the elimination of the human workforce but their intervention. Human workers can provide more help in the design process if they get AI help. There would be an increment in their productivity level with the addition of AI. The upcoming technologies on AI and PCB design will require human intervention.
Conclusion
Integration of AI in PCB design is a great way to achieve accurate results in PCB outputs. It can replace the manual routing process with an auto-routing process which makes the PCB designing process easier.
It can provide great benefits to integrate AI with PCB design since you will incur fewer costs, less time-consumption, and accurate results.
It can also affect the human workforce in one way or another. It might pose a negative effect if they lose their work or income. Or it might help them to increase their productivity levels.
Author Bio:
Ken works as Sales Engineer at Technotronix. He brings 15 years of experience in Print Circuit board Sales and Technical client Service. Feel free to get in touch with him on Twitter.