Thermal design

PCB Design & Manufacture

Skill owner: Dr Ali Mohammadi

Purpose: Modern electronic systems are compact at different levels, i.e., billions of transistors are packed in less than a few millimetres square chip area and several chips can be implemented on a small PCB. The heat generated by these electronic elements increases by the density of electronic components dissipating electrical power. Thermal design skills in PCB allows electronic systems to operate within safe temperature margins.

Requirements: To claim this skill, your page should include the following evidence. All screenshots of the PCB must show your username in the etch layer.

  1. Screenshot of multilayer board layout designed in accordance with manufacturing guidelines only.
  2. Screenshot of a revised layout considering thermal design considerations.
  3. Explanation of the rules of thumb and calculations for thermal resistance (50-100 words).
  4. Verification of the design by running thermal simulation in ANSYS if applicable.

Skills Framework Levels

The purpose of this Skills Framework is to evidence your acquisition of important engineering skills. Thus, it combines a combination of technical and transferable skills in eleven broad categories. It is designed so that the final portfolio can be used as a showcase of your skills attainment.

To reflect the differing levels of skills attainment, each of the skills in this framework can be demonstrated at three different levels:
Knowledge: Achieved when you follow instructions to demonstrate the skill.
Application: Achieved when you demonstrate the skill at request without instructions, and you have reflected on the skill's success. A critical reflection demonstrates your understanding of the skill by highlighting what went well and what could be improved (50-100 words).
Synthesis: Achieved when you have demonstrated the skill without guidance or instruction for a specific project, justifying your choice of using the skill and you have reflected on the skill's success (see above). Your justification should include an explanation of why you have used the skill to contribute towards a defined objective for a whole system / project. The choice of the skill must be supported by evidence showing that it is the best solution compared to other options. This allows you to demonstrate your understanding of when this skill is appropriate and how it fits within a wider context (50-100 words). There is also an expectation that you are demonstrating this skill effectively to achieve synthesis.

Each skill will have specific requirements for the skill to be satisfactorily endorsed. In addition, there are overarching requirements for all pages of your ePortfolio. If any page does not satisfy these requirements, the page will not be considered in any further detail.

  1. The page comprises an introduction that summarises all the digital artefacts on the page.
  2. Every digital artefact (e.g. photos, figures, videos and other non-text items) must clearly show the username of everyone contributing to the work in such a way as to authenticate the intellectual ownership of the artefact.
  3. All the skills being claimed are arranged below a 'Skills Mapping' block at the bottom of the page, as per the template.
    4. n
  4. Within the annotation block you have clearly specified what skill level you are claiming and why.</li>
  5. The page is of sufficient quality to present to people external to the University.
  6. The page has fewer than 5 errors such as spelling mistakes or other typographical errors.
  7. Any evidence in audio format must be recorded in a quiet, stable environment, with clear speech at a moderate pace, to ensure clarity and comprehensibility.
    8. </ol> # Labs Demonstrating This Skill

Citations