It’s almost here! The best conference for chip, board, and systems design engineers around the world.

You are going, right?

Ah wait, you probably have a boss, and who knows what you need to say to convince him to let you out of the office for a day or two.  We’ve got you covered with three reasons that are bound to convince even the most stubborn of bosses to let you attend DesignCon 2017.

Wait, What is DesignCon?

Here’s a quick rundown on why you need to be there. DesignCon has been running for the past 22 years in the heart of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, CA. It’s probably the largest gathering electrical engineering specialists in one location. If you have a sprinkling of interest in learning about the latest techniques, applications, and theories in electronics design then you seriously need to think about attending. Here’s just a sampling of the topics you’ll find at DesignCon:

• Power and signal integrity
• Jitter and crosstalk
• High-speed serial design
• Test and measurement tools
• Parallel and memory interface design
• And a whole lot more!

In short, DesignCon is an amazing opportunity both for your career and your employer, and you’ll likely walk away with some new skills and engineering friends to boast about. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this video about what people had to say about a previous DesignCon in only 3 words!

Now, let’s get to the justification you need to send to your boss!

Reason 1 – Free Knowledge

DesignCon 2017 is going to kick off with a ton of technical knowledge tracks, taught by the best group of engineers around. Attending just one of these sessions might help you to solve a challenge that your company is facing, all without your boss having to spend a dime. With 14 technical tracks to choose from, there’s a lot to like, including:

• Overcoming Chip & Package Challenges In Signal/Power Integrity
• Analog and Mixed-Signal Modeling and Simulation Solutions
• Integrating Photonic and Electronic Signaling
• System Co-Design Modeling, Correlation, and Simulation
• Advances In Materials and Processing for PCBS, Modules, and Packages
• Applying PCB Design And Simulation Tools
• Advanced IO Interface Design for Memory and 2.5d/3d/Sip Integrations
• Optimizing High-Speed Serial Design
• Measuring and Simulating Jitter, Noise, and Timing In Serial Links To Minimize BER
• High-Speed Signal Processing For Equalization and Coding
• Power Integrity In Power Distribution Networks
• Electromagnetic Compatibility/Mitigating Interference
• Apply Test and Measurement Methodology
• Modeling and Analysis of Interconnects

Reason 2 – Free Training

Who can say no to free training? At DesignCon 2017 you’ll be able to dive into a rigorous, day-long training boot camp with the industry’s most respected instructors including Lee Ritchey (a high-speed design master) and Michael Steinberger, DesignCon 2015 Engineer of the Year. Here are two boot camps to look forward to:

Pragmatic Signal Integrity

 by Michael Steinberger

This day-long boot camp will provide both seasoned and new engineers with all the knowledge they need to know about signal integrity. This boot camp will run through several interactive demos, covering the development of a typical signal integrity project. You’ll learn how to tackle typical SI problems and manage the complexity involved in an SI analysis that typically includes a dozen models and multiple analysis and simulation methods.

PCB Fabrication and Materials

 by Lee Ritchey

If you have ever wanted to know more about the PCB fabrication process and the available material options, then this boot camp is for you. Lee Ritchey, one of the most well-respected authorities on high-speed PCB and system design will be covering PCB laminate and manufacturing properties, fabrication, and how to design a PCB stackup for various applications.

Reason 3 – (Almost) Free PCB Design Software

We’ve saved the best for last, of course – we will be at DesignCon 2017! We’re leaving our nest to travel to DesignCon for the first time, and we’d love to show you all of the new PCB design software technologies we packed into Autodesk EAGLE. The best part – You can stop having your boss waste thousands of dollars on overpriced ECAD software. Here are three new technologies you can look forward to seeing at our booth:

Brand New Routing Engine

Our developers have put the EAGLE PCB routing engine under the microscope and overhauled it completely. You’ll find a number of new, interactive routing features inside that make it easy to design beautifully precise PCB layouts.

Time Saving BGA Fanout

Now there’s a much faster path to routing. Hours spent fanning out high pin-count BGAs, now turn into seconds as our advanced algorithm fans out every net on your BGA exactly where it needs to go.

Modular Design Blocks

Why start from scratch when you already have an entire block of circuitry you want to reuse in another project? Modular Design Blocks in Autodesk EAGLE allow you to quickly replicate sections of circuitry between multiple projects. Even better, any change you make stays synchronized between your schematic and PCB.

We’ll See You There!

So there you have it, 3 solid reasons to pitch to your boss to let you out of the office for a day or two. And now you won’t need to have an anxiety attack trying to figure out how to justify the expense! We hope to see you at DesignCon 2017. You can find us at Booth 300, come stop by and see why the future of EAGLE is looking so great!  Go ahead and register for your free DesignCon 2017 pass.