PCB designers to vie for design champion title at IPC APEX EXPO 2023

The IPC Design Competition is composed of two heats – a virtual preliminary heat and an in-person layout final for the three top competitors on January 24, 2023 at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego, California.

“This year, we're kicking things up a notch with more advanced designs, travel stipends for finalists, and cash prizes,” said Patrick Crawford, Manager, Design Standards and Related Industry Programmes. “Anyone with an interest in board design can register, but we’re recommending the hobbyists and professionals alike have several years of experience designing boards and a familiarity with and ability to implement IPC standards requirements. Access to an ECAD tool is a must for the first heat,” added Crawford.

The preliminary heat will be held October 17 to November 18, 2022, allowing designers to use their preferred tools to complete a full board buildup within 25 days.

Provided with only a schematic, a BOM (bill of materials) and a scope of work document, competitors will be responsible for returning a Gerber file package of a completed design and judged against their interpretation and implementation of design per IPC standards and general DFX (design for excellence) principles.

Three finalists will be invited to participate in the four-hour layout final at IPC APEX EXPO 2023. In the final round, competitors will be given a partially complete Altium Design project file and will have four hours to complete a layout including design rule specification, routing, and component placement.

Registration for the IPC Design Competition is free and closes October 13, 2022. For more information, including eligibility requirements, information on preliminary and final heats and registration form, visit www.ipc.org/standards-ipc-design/ipc-design-competition-2023.