About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of EMC testing in PCB design and the impact of AI on hardware design processes.

EMC testing is one of the toughest hurdles in PCB design, with industry pass rates often falling below 50% and every failure triggering expensive respins. In this OnTrack Podcast episode, host Zach Peterson sits down with Andy Eadie—owner of EMC FastPass and founder of Engentica—to unpack why so many products fail electromagnetic compatibility testing on the first attempt, and what designers can do to get it right up front instead of budgeting for inevitable rework. The conversation digs into the growing role of AI in hardware design: where machine learning genuinely accelerates simulation, signal integrity, and power integrity work, and why a fully generative "design my circuit board" tool is still a long way off. Andy also demos Engentica, an AI-powered design co-pilot that runs compliance-focused checks on schematics and layout, lets engineers investigate EMC risks in natural language, and scales hardware design expertise across an organization. Whether you're a hardware engineer, EMC consultant, or software founder building your first custom PCB, this episode is packed with practical insight on respins, pre-compliance testing, and the future of electronics design. 👉…

Topics covered

• EMC testing
• PCB design
• AI in hardware design
• respins
• pre-compliance testing
• signal integrity
• power integrity

More episodes of OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

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• Altium API Deep Dive: Opening PCB Data to Developers · July 7, 2026 · 47 min
• Code-Based PCB Design with AI: Inside atopile · June 23, 2026 · 45 min
• 70% of PCBs FAIL EMC Testing (And AI Is Making It Worse) · June 15, 2026 · 44 min

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