| Company | Artistic Licence |
| Role | PCB Design Engineer |
| Projects | Ethernet, High Power Dimmer, Standards Compliance, DMX & DALI Control, Prototype Build and Testing, Small Scale Manufacture |
| Software | Altium, LT Spice |
I spent my industrial placement year working full-time at Artistic Licence, a small company specialising in the design and manufacture of lighting control equipment, in particular, those using DMX, DALI and ArtNet Protocols. My role was as the PCB Designer working on a variety of projects from high power dimmer units to Gigabit speed input modules. Due to the small size of the company I also spent time hand-soldering and testings boards for prototypes and production runs. I have continued working remotely whilst studying at university.
N.B. Project specifics are confidential
Users were requesting an option on an existing product to allow the connection of SFP Fiber cables. This would allow high speed, long distance connections in excess of the 100m available over ethernet, key for projects such as skyscrapers and bridges. The challenge was to design a module that could be fitted as an option without having to modify any of the existing casing.
Research was done into a number of SFP compatible switch ICs before a decision was made on which to use. Gigabit design guidelines had to be followed when designing the PCB whilst trying to work around components placed on the main board.
A key success was being able to route the indicator LEDs through and keeping the same configuration as on the existing product meaning that there was no need for a redesign of the silkscreen.
After testing the product fully, the design was sent for manufacture and is now available as an option for customers.
In order to assist on production I was given soldering training, this started with passives down to 0402 size progressing to 100 pin TQFP and QFN devices. This also helped with my PCB design skills by putting a focus on what is simple to solder by hand, something I was able to utilise in later designs.
A fault occurring in an existing reverse phase dimmer design was causing MOSFET failure under certain conditions. Initial testing found the root-cause of the failure leading to additional research being done on how to avoid this. The result was the addition of multiple features to the board and a redesign focusing on track spacing.
After solving the main issue, smaller issues were detectable allowing full testing of the device, during these tests various components were used to find the optimal configuration for a rugged product. This was done in conjunction with the software being updated.
After a rigorous program of testing was completed and updates were made to the software, the product was suitable to be shipped.
Due to the relevant standard for company products being superseded a plan was needed to ensure compliance on products going forwards.
The first step was to gain an understanding of the standard and which elements were applicable. This involved defining use cases and looking at the materials used on products. An internal document was produced with this information to detail this work as a guideline for new products.
An examination of which products would not comply with the new standard was then carried out. Updates were made to the design of these and the acceptable usage of existing stock was updated in the user guide.
The result of the project was a smooth transition to the new standard with no non-compliance or wasted stock. Additionally a guide was created to make compliance and documentation easier in the future.
On top of PCB Design, Production, and Testing I had other roles within the company. A key role was working with manufacturers and suppliers to deal with issues arising in production such as part shortage and design questions. I also provided technical support for customers over the phone, provided soldering training and created a series of videos on the PCB design process for internal use.
