# Solving PCB Library Issues: Expert Advice from Elizabeth Bustamante

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2025-04-19
- Length: 50m
- Episode: 293
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante/

## Summary

Elizabeth Bustamante, a CAD technical consultant at Altium, explains that inconsistent PCB libraries lead to costly manufacturing errors and project delays due to a lack of unified standards for footprints and land patterns. She highlights that while tools like Altium Designer’s Footprint Wizard offer transparency, many third-party libraries lack traceability regarding input parameters like fabrication tolerances, causing significant variance in pad sizes and courtyard definitions. Bustamante advises teams to rigorously verify third-party sources against internal checklists and standardize adjustments to ensure consistency, noting that failing to do so can result in failed prototypes and wasted budget.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=0) Introduction: Elizabeth Bustamante and Altium
- [1:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=106) Elizabeth Bustamante's Background in Electronics
- [6:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=367) Lack of Unified Standards for PCB Footprints
- [12:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=759) Traceability and Input Parameters in CAD Models
- [18:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=1126) Resource Misallocation Without Dedicated Librarians
- [24:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=1451) Challenges of Cross-Tool Library Translation
- [30:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=1841) Manual and Automated Verification Processes
- [35:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante#t=2144) Verifying Third-Party Library Sources

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Altium (company)
- IPC 7351B (other)
- Eagle (tool)
- Altium Designer (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [I've bitten myself](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-05-21-ive-bitten-myself) (The Amp Hour)
- [Footprints and Symbols with Natasha Baker](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-02-22-footprints-and-symbols-with-natasha-baker) (The Amp Hour)
- [Layout Review with Zachariah Peterson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-11-layout-review-with-zachariah-peterson) (The Amp Hour)
- [Your Mind Is The Tool](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-11-06-your-mind-is-the-tool) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Two Person Rule](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-06-01-the-two-person-rule) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-19-solving-pcb-library-issues-expert-advice-from-elizabeth-bustamante. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to OnTrack.