An automotive design engineer is working on a concept for a “smart” windshield. He draws out what appears on paper to be the perfect design, and tests the solution using advanced analysis software. The results look good, and the design engineer builds a prototype. But, when testing the prototype, things don’t run as expected. Signal interference hinders the windshield’s performance, and excessive heat spawned by PCB components threatens to shut the system down completely. This is the “oh no” moment.
In the past decade, automobiles have rapidly evolved. Once comprised largely of mechanical components, cars are now “smart,” and have sensors and complex electronic components all over them. From advanced driver-assistance systems to headlights with PCB boards to bumpers with sensors, nearly every area of a car requires a high level of design engineering innovation. This innovation poses great benefits to drivers – but creates new complexities for engineers.
For one, to enhance performance of the “smart” features, engineers must fit more powerful components into tight spaces on PCBs. These components produce large amounts of heat, forcing engineers to get creative to dissipate this heat within limited real estate. Further, 5G is pushing frequencies into the millimeter wave range, making the solutions engineers once used to mitigate electromagnetic interference at lower frequencies obsolete. And the solutions engineers develop must be easily replicable to keep manufacturing costs under control. These issues that accompany the rapid pace of innovation in the automotive industry make the “oh no” moment more common. Here are some ways design engineers can overcome these unprecedented challenges:
1. Prioritize system-level design
Today, electromagnetic interference and heat issues are more intertwined than ever before. A heat sink can create signal issues, for example. So, the solution the thermal team adds to a board can create problems for an EMI-focused engineer, and vice versa. When design engineers work in silos, the final prototype can have unexpected signal, heat or structural issues – and, in the worst cases, exceed limits during testing. A system-level approach that brings these teams together early in the design process allows design engineers to work together and solve problems holistically, incorporating solutions that solve multiple issues and freeing up space on the board.
2. Lean on your resources
Design engineers can sometimes be hesitant to involve third parties until they are absolutely needed to solve a problem. However, third-party vendors are more than salespeople. They often have experience and knowledge that can help design engineers pre-empt structural, signal or heat problems and, in the end, bring a product to market more quickly. Soliciting these individuals’ input early in the design process can potentially prevent months of tests and failures – and lead to a successful solution earlier.
3. Embrace automation
A groundbreaking solution that is costly and difficult to manufacture repeatedly will be difficult to sell to an automotive manufacturer. So, design engineers must marry innovation with replicability. One way to do this is to embrace automation wherever possible. At Laird Performance Materials, we’ve spearheaded the automated application of thermal interface materials, which helps design teams easily apply all types of thermal interface materials – from dispensable TIMs to phase-change materials to gap filler pads – efficiently, improve yields and control costs. Design engineers should look for opportunities to inject automated processes into their designs to ensure their solutions end up on vehicles.
Designers of automotive electronics play a crucial role in propelling innovation forward in the industry. As cars continue to become “smarter,” and require more powerful components in smaller spaces on boards, design engineers will face increasingly complex challenges. Those engineers that think holistically, use all the resources available to them and prioritize the manufacturability of their design will be best prepared to avoid the “oh no” moments.
