Designing electronic circuit layouts using CAD tools

This standard identifies the competences you need to design printed circuit boards, semi-conductor layouts, or thick, thin or flexible film circuits, using computer-aided design (CAD) hardware and software tools, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to access the relevant design requirements and to extract all necessary information in order to carry out circuit layout operations. You will be required to use CAD tools to complete circuit layout designs, ensuring that the operational and design for manufacture requirements are met. In your CAD design work, you will be expected to take into account all relevant fit, form and function aspects of the specified design, such as physical dimensions, materials to be used, position of circuit elements, access space for connectors/test points, connections between components and any special labelling.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the CAD activities undertaken and to report any problems with these activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant person. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.

Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work and will provide an informed approach to applying design procedures for the circuit types described above. You will understand the CAD design process and its application and will know about the circuit production processes in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the CAD design activities to the required specification.

You will understand the safety precautions required when using CAD equipment and tools. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

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P1    work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines

P2    follow relevant instructions and specifications for designs

P3    produce designs that meet agreed requirements and timescales

P4    check completed designs meet specifications 

P5    deal with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

P6    complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements

P7    leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the activities, as per organisational requirements

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K1    how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines

K2    the hazards associated with the activities and how to minimise them and reduce risks

K3    the importance of wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and of keeping the work area clean and tidy

K4    how to access, use and maintain information to comply with organisational requirements and legislation

K5    the methods and procedures used to minimise the chances of infecting a computer with a virus

K6    the potential damage that can be caused by computer viruses and procedures to follow to deal with viruses

K7    the principles of electronic circuit layout design

K8    how electronic circuit designs should embrace fit, form and function principles

K9    the types of drawing that can be produced by the CAD software (component drawings, assembly drawings, circuit diagrams, schematics, block diagrams, wiring diagrams, circuit board designs)

K10    the symbols and abbreviations used in the design process

K11    how to set out the track designs

K12    how to use the CAD equipment design packages and tools to assist with the circuit design processes (default settings and auto design rules)

K13    the characteristics of the components and materials that are used in circuit designs

K14    the manufacturing processes for making unpopulated electronic circuits and semi-conductor fabrications

K15    the manufacturing processes for populating circuits with components and the processes used to finish the complete assembly

K16    the difficulties that poor design can create for manufacturing processes

K17    international guidelines/standards on good circuit layout practice

K18    failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA)

K19    how the finished circuit will be used by the customer

K20    how to meet the requirements set out in the design specification

K21    the organisational procedures, standards and guidelines to be followed for CAD-based electronic circuit design

K22    how to access, recognise and use a wide range of standard electronic component symbol libraries from the CAD equipment

K23    current national and international legislation, statutory and non-statutory regulations, industry and national standards, industry guidelines and professional codes that apply to CAD-based electronic design activities

K24    the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve

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1. Produce CAD circuit designs which meet all of the following requirements:
   1. the target dimensions of the circuit
   2. has built in test points (where applicable)
   3. can facilitate access for local repair/maintenance
   4. has appropriate connections required to/from the circuit
   5. uses pitches appropriate to the specified components
   6. has tracks of an appropriate thickness and width
   7. has appropriate separation between conductive tracks
   8. has bends in the tracks, of appropriate radius to the circuit requirements (such as speed, current)
   9. meets required signal integrity parameters (such as capacitance, inductance, resistance, insulation voltages, EMC/EMI)
   10. meets specified operating conditions (such as temperature, humidity, shock and vibration)
   11. takes account of component orientation
   12. takes into account any assembly schedule constraints (such as proximity of sensitive components to hot running items)
   13. takes into account any financial constraints on the type of circuit or components to be used
2. Produce designs for one of the following types of circuit:
   1. printed circuit board
   2. semi-conductor layouts
   3. flexible circuit
   4. thick film circuit
   5. thin film circuit
3. Produce one of the following circuit configurations:
   1. single sided
   2. double sided
   3. multi-layer
   4. flexi-rigid
   5. silicon wafer
4. Ensure the CAD design is compatible with one of the following production systems:
   1. re-flow or wave soldering
   2. hand soldering
   3. semi-conductor die assembly
5. Check that designs comply with one of the following standards:
   1. organisational guidelines and codes of practice
   2. current industry standards and codes of practice
   3. CAD software standards
   4. other international standards

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4

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2029

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Current

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Original

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Enginuity

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SEMEEE3-04

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Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Engineering Technicians, Maintenance Team Technician, Manufacturing Technologies, Production and Process Engineers

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2124

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Engineering; manufacturing; electrical; electronic; designing; circuit board; layout; semi-conductors; CAD tools; film circuits; configuration; process

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