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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
June 26, 2020 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Updates on trade shows, conferences, and associations dominated industry news this past week. Some events are returning to a physical venue; others are opting for a virtual version in 2020. Add to that a spate of cross-association cooperative agreements and new programs for career development coming from multiple associations, and you’ve delivered four of my top five picks.
Of course, our new “Just Ask Happy” with Happy Holden project must make the list not only because it’s fun but also because it’s extremely interesting.
Next week, check the Friday edition of our Daily Newsletter for Andy Shaughnessy’s picks.
SMTA International Conference and Expo Goes Virtual
Published on June 23, 2020
For industry attendees, exhibitors, and researchers submitting papers to SMTA International, this announcement is a must-read.
Atotech to Participate in SEMICON China and CSTIC 2020
Published on June 19, 2020
As if Atotech’s news wasn’t reason enough to include in my picks, the fact that Atotech is showing at two China shows seals the deal. While we still have a ways to go, news like this points the way to a return to normal. SEMICON and CSTIC 2020 are delivering physical venue shows. Best of luck to Atotech, SEMICON, and CSTIC 2020.
New Opportunity for Managers Announced, Special Attention to ‘Emerging Managers’
Published on June 19, 2020
Management is a skill. A technical team can thrive with the careful assistance of a manager who knows how to lead, navigate the management structure when facing obstacles, and when to simply get out of their team’s way. To have IPC focus on Emerging Engineers and now Emerging Managers is big news.
IPC and Automotive Industry Action Group Enhance Partnership Agreement
Published on June 22, 2020
With industry sources projecting that over 50% of the componentry of an automobile will be electronics in the near future, automobiles and automobile design need to look at the auto in very different ways. Quoting from the press release, “IPC and AIAG agreed to work closely in the areas of thought leadership, quality and supply chain best practices, and community awareness building. Together, the industry associations will educate the automotive supply chain on compliance requirements, evaluate how IPC standards and AIAG guidelines align and impact both industries, and work together to identify training that builds on professional standards.”
Just Ask Happy: Routing BGAs With High-Speed Diff Pairs
Published on June 25, 2020
This past week, we’ve been encouraging readers to pose a PCB-related question to Happy Holden, a pioneer in high-density printed circuit fabrication techniques. Boy, did you have questions! Happy has been cheerfully compiling answers, and we’ll periodically bring his answers to the newsletter. To submit your own question for Happy Holden, take the survey by clicking here. Then, bookmark the page so you can ask Happy a question any time!
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/01/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007If it feels like the PCB industry is accelerating faster than ever, you’re not imagining it. From advanced materials driven by AI applications to renewed investment in domestic manufacturing—and the next generation stepping into critical roles—there’s a lot shifting at once. My selections for this week highlight where the pressure points are forming, and where the opportunities are emerging.
The Missing Connection: Wire Harness Quoting Joins the Digital Age
05/01/2026 | Joanne Harris, Tech-2marketingWalk the floor of a modern wire harness manufacturing facility, and the investment in technology is hard to miss. Automated wire cutting and stripping machines process thousands of cuts an hour with sub-millimeter precision. Computerized crimping presses deliver consistent, validated terminations that a hand tool never could. Laser wire markers, automated test benches, and vision-guided assembly stations represent hundreds of thousands of dollars of capital investment, all in service of building a better harness faster and more reliably than the competition.
EPTAC Expands. New HQ in Salem, NH, Draws Industry Leaders
04/30/2026 | EPTAC CorporationEPTAC, a global leader in electronics manufacturing training, has opened its new corporate headquarters and training facility in Salem, New Hampshire, expanding its capacity to support workforce development across North America.
From Backbone to Breakthroughs: I-Connect007 Wraps PCB Materials Series with Focus on Innovation
04/30/2026 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 wraps up its six-part podcast series, PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics, with Episode 6 and a discussion focusing on innovation. In Episode 6, Marcy LaRont speaks with Isola CTO Kirk Thompson about a critical turning point for the PCB industry as innovation accelerates. As data rates climb and demands from AI infrastructure, power density, flexible electronics, photonics, and chiplet integration intensify, traditional material assumptions are no longer sufficient.
Global Electronics Association and CalcuQuote, an Elisa Industriq Business, Launch Joint Supply Chain Intelligence Initiative
04/29/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association and CalcuQuote, Elisa Industriq today announced a partnership to deliver timely, actionable supply chain intelligence for the electronics industry.