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

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

I guess summer really is right around the corner now, and I can break out my coveted Hawaiian shirt collection. The PCB world is heating up too, and there’s something for everyone in this week’s top five picks. 

This week, we bring you an article about manufacturing training for veterans, and a review of a great signal integrity webinar. IPC honors its A-Teams with the coveted Golden Gnome Awards, and Technica discusses various ways for fabricators to increase ROI. Dan Beaulieu has a review of a really cool book: Back to Human—How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation. In spite of all the meetings on Teams and Zoom, it’s easy to feel disconnected. But great leaders find a way to foster that connectivity.

Next week, check the Friday edition of our Daily Newsletter for Editor Nolan Johnson’s picks. 

Jahr Turchan Discusses Blackfox's Training Scholarships for Veterans
Published May 18

Blackfox Training Institute is known for offering manufacturing training for veterans who are returning to civilian life. In this audio interview with Nolan Johnson, Jahr Turchan, director of Veteran Services & Advanced Manufacturing Programs for Blackfox, discusses a new training program, Veteran Advanced Manufacturing Certification, and how it helps prepare vets for their transition to the manufacturing workforce.

Dan's Biz Bookshelf: Back to Human—How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation
Published May 19

Dan Beaulieu wears a number of I-Connect007 hats: Columnist, interviewer, and for the last few years, business book reviewer. There are thousands of books like these on Amazon, and Dan does the hard work for us, separating the wheat from the chaff. Back to Human sounds like a must-read. Even with all the technology that allows us to be in constant contact with co-workers around the world, it’s certainly easy to feel isolated, but great leaders know how to create and foster greater connectivity. Check it out.

IPC Honors A-Team Volunteers at Golden Gnomes Awards Ceremony at SummerCom 2022
Published May 18

IPC runs primarily on the efforts of its volunteers, many of whom spend countless hours working on standards for the electronics industry. IPC recently presented Golden Gnome Awards to their standards A-Teams, the people within each IPC working group who take on even more work. It’s great that IPC is giving these people the recognition that they deserve. Let’s give them a round of applause!  

A Textbook Look: Signal Integrity and Impedance
Published May 18

Technical Editor Pete Starkey recently attended a webinar on signal integrity and controlled impedance, jointly organized by NCAB Group, Polar Instruments, and Phoenix Contact. In this review, Pete discusses some of the transmission line theory and controlled impedance principles he came away with, as well as how the permittivity of the material helps determine impedance.

Technica Heats Up ROI Discussion
Published May 17

In the end, isn’t it all about ROI? The I-Connect007 Editorial Team recently chatted with Technica’s Frank Medina, Ed Carrigan, and Jason Perry about areas that can yield greater ROI for fabricators. As they explain, automation and material handling are prime areas for teasing out more ROI, and they discuss newer methods for calculating these figures as well.