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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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Altium Gathers Industry Luminaries and Designers for 3rd Annual AltiumLive Summit
August 5, 2019 | Altium LLCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Altium LLC has announced the AltiumLive 2019: Annual PCB Design Summit in San Diego, California from October 9-11. AltiumLive 2019 brings together several hundred designers, engineers, supply chain professionals, makers, students, and industry leaders in one location where they can expand their knowledge, connect with fellow professionals, and get inspired by the innovators that are altering the landscape of our world.
“We designed AltiumLive, the industry’s only conference dedicated exclusively to PCB design, with the sole purpose of building a community of electronics professionals. Now in its third year, the conference has more than tripled in size and our community continues to grow,” said Lawrence Romine, vice president of global marketing at Altium. “This year, AltiumLive’s line-up of speakers and events has expanded to align with Altium’s vision of transforming the electronics industry, which is at the core of all the new technology applications that are changing our lives, from inside the doctor’s office to the far reaches of space.”
AltiumLive brings together a diverse group of industry experts and innovators covering a wide breadth of topics that expand beyond PCB design. Key participants of the event include hacker and co-host of “Prototype This” Joe Grand (“Kingpin”), Signal Integrity Evangelist Eric Bogatin, FEDEVEL Academy founder Robert Feranec, “Wizard of Make” Bob Martin, and more. The conference will also feature professional development courses taught by industry experts and Altium staff, along with technical presentations from Altium users and supply chain professionals.
Like last year, the AltiumLive three-day summit will include an optional University Day, offering 12 Altium Designer-centric educational tracks on PCB design best practices, plus two parallel full-day courses covering EMI and DFM. Rick Hartley, Principal Engineer at RHartley Enterprises will host the EMI track, while Gary Ferrari, President of Ferrari Technical Services, Inc. will host the DFM track.
Bil Herd, MCG LLC CEO and designer of the Commodore 128 said of AltiumLive 2018, “It wasn't just about Altium. AltiumLive is about how things work, and that's what you get here, from the university day and all of the other events to the speakers and the entire community."
The AltiumLive 2019: Annual PCB Design Summit will take place October 9-11 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California. To register for the AltiumLive PCB Design Summit, please visit https://www.altium.com/live-conference/san-diego.
Visit I-007eBooks to download your copy of Altium micro eBook today:
The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to...Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/08/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week, I’ve selected some outstanding interviews that you’ll want to take note of. First, is a roundtable discussion featuring three dynamic industry cybersecurity experts. Please watch this important discussion that affects us all. Following that, I spotlight the IPC-2581 Consortium, which explains why IPC-2581 is the standard to replace Gerber data for manufacturing. Next, I am including my interview with PCBAA and AAM, who collaborated to release a short documentary on U.S. PCB manufacturing.
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
Meet Emerging Engineers: Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker, Summit Interconnect
05/05/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Patrick Owen and Eric Mickenbecker both work for Summit Interconnect, and are in their second year of the Global Electronics Association’s Emerging Engineer Program with mentor Brian Chislea. They stopped by the I-Connect007 booth at APEX EXPO and shared a bit of their story with me. Patrick has worked at the Hollister, California, plant since 2018, while Eric has been at the Chicago site since 2023. Like many of their peers, they came to the electronics industry from different paths, but are both excited about making an impact.
PCBAA, AAM Take on the Fight to Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing in New Documentary
05/05/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturing was central to the American Dream of providing stable jobs and pathways to upward mobility. Today, more than 80% of global electronics manufacturing capacity resides in China and greater Asia, raising serious concerns about supply chain resilience and national security.