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Current IssueBreaking High-speed Material Constraints
Do you need specialty materials for your high-speed designs? Maybe not. Improvements in resins mean designers of high-speed boards can sometimes use traditional laminate systems. Learn more in this issue.
Level Up Your Design Skills
This month, our contributors discuss the PCB design classes available at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. As they explain, these courses cover everything from the basics of design through avoiding over-constraining high-speed boards, and so much more!
Opportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
April 5, 2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Spring has definitely sprung; it was 81 degrees last week in Atlanta, and this week it’s been in the 40s. That’s typical spring weather in Atlanta. My newly cut lawn is looking great, thanks to my “yard guy” Clive.
And now our industry’s trade show season is in full swing. I’m all checked in and heading to Anaheim to cover IPC APEX EXPO next week. There’s a lot going on there this year, especially in PCB design. The number of design-related conference classes continues to grow with each show. That’s a good thing: New designers are entering the workforce, slowly but surely, and many companies are losing their subject matter experts to retirement.
IPC APEX EXPO will be held in Anaheim for the next couple of years. The last time I attended in Anaheim was about 20 years ago, and I never did make it to Disneyland. I’m shooting for some Mouse time this year.
I need to finish packing, so without further ado, here’s my must-reads for this week. I hope to see you in California.
Tim’s Takeaways: The Art of Technical Instruction
Published April 4
Speaking of PCB design, do you have what it takes to be a design instructor? You might. As columnist Tim Haas explains, there’s a need for design instructors, and if you’re constantly doing research and reading the latest white papers, you might be a great candidate for a design instructor. He also provides a few horror stories from his design teaching days. Check it out.
Creators of SMT UHDI Test Board Vehicle Discuss this Important Project
Published April 4
Chrys Shea led the development of the SMT test vehicle a few years ago. As features continued to shrink, the industry saw a need for a UHDI test vehicle, so Chrys and Altium’s David Haboud sprang into action. In this audio interview, they discuss what it took to update the test vehicle to UHDI and why technologists working in UHDI should check it out for themselves.
Global Sourcing Spotlight: Don’t Be Afraid of Global Sourcing
Published April 3
No matter how good things are going, some of us have this nagging suspicion in the back of our minds that there’s another snafu waiting around the corner, and another supply chain shutdown probably ranks Numero Uno in that category. But as columnist Bob Duke explains, despite two shooting wars and our stressful relationship with China, global sourcing is not only looking solid—it actually might help bring nations closer together and stave off potential conflicts. As he says, “Business is all about people.”
Checking In With ICAPE Group
Published April 3
ICAPE operates in countries around the globe, from China to South Africa to the U.S., so the company has a pretty broad view of the fab industry. In this interview, ICAPE’s Erik Pedersen explains how they approach sustainability, what sustainability actually entails, and why value engineering is so critical.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024: There’s an App for That
Published April 3
If you’re heading to IPC APEX EXPO, you’ve probably noticed that there are so many classes and “special events” taking place, often at the same time. Make it easy on yourself and scan this handy-dandy APEX QR code, and you’ll be able to see each day’s events at a glance while getting alerts for the events that are most important to you.
Suggested Items
TactoTek Licenses IMSE Technology to Polestar for Sustainable Electronics Design Innovation
05/15/2024 | TactoTekPolestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, and Finnish smart surface pioneer TactoTek, have entered a collaboration to explore integration of Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE) technology into Polestar’s vehicle programs.
The Shaughnessy Report: Unlock Your High-speed Material Constraints
05/15/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportThe world of PCB materials used to be a fairly simple one. It was divided into two groups: the “traditional” laminates, often called FR-4, and the high-speed laminates developed especially for high-speed PCBs. These were two worlds that usually didn’t collide. But then traditional laminates started getting better, and high-speed designers and design engineers took notice and started to reconsider what FR-4 could be used for.
Standard of Excellence Collaboration—The Right Path to Innovation
05/15/2024 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceNow more than ever, as new and innovative technologies for printed circuit boards are in demand, we need collaboration between PCB designers, fabricators, and assemblers. Close partnerships with PCB designers and assemblers are key to developing and producing PCBs with boards with new and innovative technology. These collaborative partnerships, along with the partnership with the end customers, are more critical than ever before.
A Potpourri of Design PD Classes
05/14/2024 |What is invention without innovation? What is innovation without capability? Kelly Dack addresses these questions and more in this review of the Professional Development courses at IPC APEX EXPO, including the flex course lead by "Flexperts" Mark Finstad and Nick Koop.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Precision Tools and Problem-solving With Perfect Point
05/14/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOIn an interview with Guest Editor Dan Beaulieu, Alex Girardot, a field applications engineer with Perfect Point, shares his experiences with precision tooling. Alex also discusses a challenging project involving thick boards and small diameter holes in which Carbonite tools with a hybrid design were used. They also discuss the trend toward smaller hole sizes.