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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
December 9, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
We’re into December, and the new year is around the corner. Things are looking pretty good for our industry. Trade show attendance is back up to pre-COVID levels, and a lot of companies are having banner years. Has the virtual trade show gone the way of the dodo bird? Let’s hope!
This week, our must-reads include articles and news items on the decline of R&D, STEM education for kids, why vias do not heat up, the need for more DFT, and the lack of movement toward intelligent data transfer. Designers just love their Gerbers, but Dana Korf has a few ideas about how to make Gerbers obsolete.
Have a good weekend!
R&D Takes Back Seat Amidst Chip Shortage—But It Shouldn’t
Published December 8
R&D has been in a precarious position ever since the demise of the old captive system, and the recent supply chain brouhaha has put a squeeze on the remaining research and development. Malcolm Thompson of NextFlex explains why this doesn’t have to be the case, and what can be done to get the white-coated folks in this industry back to their microscopes.
Dana on Data: PCB Data Transfer Non-evolution
Published December 8
Columnist Dana Korf has made it his mission to spearhead the switch to intelligent data transfer, since many of the errors found by CAM are the result of inefficient data transfer. In this column, Dana points out that many PCB designers are now transferred on scanned copies of paper documents, and he offers a few suggestions for ways to jump-start the move to a completely intelligent data transfer.
Siemens’ Hour of Engineering to Spark Middle School Interest in STEM
Published December 7
We always say, “Get the kids interested in STEM when they’re young.” Well, Siemens is doing just that, taking their show on the road to middle schools. At 11 and 12 years old, they’re able to grasp concepts like this, and it just might get them thinking about a career in STEM as they go through high school and college. And they can probably sit through one hour. We need to do more to reach the K-12 students.
Electronics vs. Physics: Why Vias Don’t Get Hot
Published December 6
Why don’t vias get hot? It seems like they would heat up, since they connect multiple layers full of traces that do heat up. But that’s not the case, as Doug Brooks and Johannes Adam report in this article. They explain why vias don’t heat up, why thermal vias don’t work, and which parts of IPC-2152 are out of date regarding vias and temperatures. You might wind up understanding Joule heating!
The Test Connection: Spreading the Word About DFT
Published December 7
The drive for DFT is picking up steam now, after years of being seen as an unnecessary option. Increasing signal speeds and shrinking features have made DFT a necessity now. At PCB Carolina, I spoke with Bert Horner of The Test Connection about the need for designers to keep test in mind, and why DFT can’t be considered an afterthought for most of today’s designs.
Suggested Items
North American EMS Industry Down 4% in March
04/29/2024 | IPCIPC announced the March 2024 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.31.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: A Global Presence in PCB Manufacturing
04/29/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPORob DiGiovanni, VP of sales for the Americas at STARTEAM Global, discusses the company's global presence in PCB manufacturing. As he explains, the firm operates facilities across Europe, Asia, and North America, specializing in serving contract manufacturers in the automotive and medical industries. They emphasize quality and meeting OEM standards, focusing on offshore supply and non-Chinese factories in the North American market. The company has grown through acquisitions and rebranding to offer multiple products.
EIPC Issues Letter of Urgency
04/29/2024 | Alun Morgan, EIPCAlun Morgan, president of EIPC, issued a letter last week in an effort to raise awareness of the state of PCB manufacturing in Europe. He writes, "The European PCB manufacturing industry and its supply base has been steadily shrinking since the dot com crash at the start of the millennium. European demand for PCBs and assemblies has, however, continued to grow, thus creating an ever-widening gap between European domestic capacity and consumption. The risks posed by this imbalanced supply and demand pattern came into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic which caused chaos in extended supply chains across the world and resulted in widespread shortages."
Arlon Electronic Materials Awarded Requalification to IPC-4101 QPL for All Polyimide Specification Sheets
04/29/2024 | IPCIPC's Validation Services Program has awarded Arlon Electronic Materials Division, an electronics material manufacturing company headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., an IPC-4101 Qualified Products Listing (QPL) requalification for the third time.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/26/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this week’s roundup, we have a variety of articles covering everything from design through assembly, and even box build. I’ve always wondered whether box build was all it was cracked up to be. Do customers really pick one EMS provider over another because one company offers box build? And if you’ve ever wanted to volunteer, IPC’s Thought Leaders Program is looking for a few good technologists to help them on their mission. Check out Stanton Rak’s article, which was published in the spring issue of IPC Community.