I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s summertime here in Atlanta. The masks are gone, and my Hawaiian shirts are back in rotation! It feels like we’re getting back to normal.

Speaking of normal, it looks like DesignCon, PCB West, SMTA International, and IPC APEX EXPO are good to go; they’re set to be live, in-person events, just like in the “olden days” of early 2020.

I’m ready to travel. Are you going to any trade shows this year? You know your company saved a ton of money on travel last year, so there’s no excuse not to go!

Here’s a snapshot of some of our most-read news items and articles of the past week. 

Intercept Technology President Steve Klare Has Died
Published June 16

Living in Atlanta, I was fortunate to know Intercept Technology founder and President Steve Klare. I visited the company a few times, and after we talked about EDA tools, we’d all walk down the street to a Mexican restaurant. He didn’t see himself as taking on the big EDA vendors; he just wanted to make Intercept the best company it could be. Steve was fearless—he added a basement to his 100-year-old house in Atlanta. Where do you even start with a project like that? Steve was a good guy, and he’ll be missed.

The Government Circuit: Advocating for the Entire Electronics Supply Chain
Published June 16

It’s fashionable to criticize IPC, but as Chris Mitchell points out in this column, the organization has been busy advocating on behalf of our industry. IPC is tracking potentially problematic regulations making their way through legislatures around the world, and the Government Relations team has been pushing the Biden administration to do more to help bolster the U.S. supply chain.

ICAPE Group Offers Boots on the Ground Support in Asia
Published June 16

You’ve probably heard the old saying “If your company want to be in China, you really have to be in China.” The case of PCB maker ICAPE is instructional. Their office outside of Shenzhen has proven invaluable to the company during this time of COVID travel restrictions. Roger Harts explains how ICAPE works with global OEMs hoping to manufacture PCBs in China.

‘The Trouble with Tribbles’
Published June 17

Columnist Dana Korf brings us a great article from the June Star Trek issue of Design007 Magazine. Dana explains how his love of Star Trek dovetailed with his entry into the world of electronics design and manufacturing. If you were about 11 years old when the show debuted, you’ll definitely identify with Dana.

Adventures in Engineering: The Ecosystem of Autonomous Flight
Published June 15

We’ve been hearing about drones for years now. But what’s really interesting to me is the autonomous airplane. Like a self-driving Tesla, these pilotless planes—once the technology is ironed out—will be able to transport people and cargo just like traditional airplanes. But, as columnist Chris Young explains, in addition to the tech issues, there are a myriad of regulatory hurdles in the way of autonomous air travel. Check out this column.