Designing smarter, not harder: Embracing PCB design automation in PCB engineering

Previously on the premiere episode of Season 3 of the Printed Circuit Podcast, host Steph Chavez sat down with John Medina, owner of High Speed Design Services, to explore one of the most transformative forces in modern electronics: PCB design automation. With over 30 years of experience across PCB and package design, Medina brings insights from working with leading companies like Apple, Intel, Cisco, and Northrop Grumman—and a deep-rooted belief that automation is no longer optional, but essential.

PCB design automation as a mindset

“The moment I have to do something more than three times manually, I write a script or create a hotkey,” said Medina. From his early days generating Gerber and drill files through clunky workflows, he saw firsthand the productivity gap—and solved it. “It should be a button push,” he explained, recalling how he scripted a full post-processing output to streamline redundant tasks.

For Chavez, the revelation came under deadline pressure while consulting. Reluctantly embracing auto-routing, he was shocked by the time saved. “It was really eye-opening for me,” he said. “From that moment on, I embraced it and ran with it.”

Still, at conferences like PCB Carolina, Chavez noted many PCB design designers remain resistant. “I asked how many of you in the audience utilized automation, like auto-router or auto-placement, and not a single hand went up,” he said. The tools exist, but the adoption gap remains wide.

Real-world PCB design challenges: The high pin count problem

“Let’s say you have a 1,500-pin BGA. You can break that out one pin at a time… or do it in seconds with automation,” said Medina. High-density interconnects (HDIs), via-in-pad strategies, and signal integrity constraints require rapid iteration—and manual fan-outs no longer scale. “It’s not just about doing the work. It’s about planning the breakout pattern, considering SerDes placement, reflections, and power delivery,” he added.

Chavez emphasized strategic fan-outs: “Sometimes a quadrant approach isn’t good enough. Sometimes, you need via-in-pad or direct top-layer routing to preserve signal integrity.”

PCB design tools that work together

Medina highlighted a few design automation standouts that enable what he calls the “automation of hand routing”:

• Sketch Planner + Trunk Router: “You plan before dropping a trace,” Medina said. This visual-first approach lets teams review breakouts and routing strategy before implementation.
  
  
• Multi-Plow and Multi-Hug Routing: For routing full buses or complex flex contours, Medina uses these features to route dozens of lines in a single keystroke.
  
  
• Physical Reuse + Complex Vias: “I break out a BGA with a reuse block, route to termination resistors, and use sketch routing between them,” he said. It’s modular, repeatable, and fast.
  
  

And when changes inevitably come? “Manual routing means two steps back, one step forward,” Chavez noted. “With automation, it’s just a pause and re-engage.”

Design automation skeptics often cite quality concerns. Medina’s response? “I don’t preach—I listen,” he said. When consulting, he watches engineers route and tune manually. Then he replicates their process using automation. “If I can save hours and still meet constraints, the results speak for themselves.” He emphasized that PCB design automation is not a shortcut, but a planning tool. “Even if the sketch router doesn’t work exactly as expected, at least you’ve done a ‘dipstick route.’ You know the layers and roadblocks before committing.”

The role of the modern PCB designer

Despite fears about AI replacing jobs, Medina is confident: “PCB design won’t fade away. It’s necessary.” The future lies not in replacement, but in evolution. Designers must embrace advanced constraints (like PCIe Gen5 or DDR5), understand SI/PI fundamentals, and learn from the packaging world—what Medina calls “the Wild West.”

“A lot of PCB designers are retiring, and we’ve lost training pipelines,” Medina warned. He’s passionate about filling that vacuum through education and mentorship. “A designer needs to understand not just routing, but manufacturing, materials, and long-term producibility.”

Advice to the next generation

“Do everything manually first,” he said. “Understand what’s under the hood of automation.” His first layout was done with tape on Mylar—an experience that instilled a respect for precision and process.

“You’ve got to have a solid foundation,” Chavez echoed. “If you don’t understand board design, the best tools in the world won’t save you.”

Conclusion

In a rapidly evolving industry defined by tighter timelines and higher complexity, automation in PCB design is no longer a luxury—it’s a competitive advantage. As Chavez put it: “Try to get 18 hours of effort in an eight-hour day, not by working longer, but by working smarter.”

With tools like Siemens Xpedition, HyperLynx, and advanced co-design flows, PCB designers like John Medina are leading a shift—from manual grind to intelligent planning. The future belongs to those who don’t just route faster, but route smarter.

For more information, visit our Design Automation Best Practices or check out the full podcast episode.