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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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IPC APEX EXPO 2021 Goes Virtual
December 8, 2020 | IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
IPC APEX EXPO 2021 will be offered virtually, March 8-12, 2021.
“Given ongoing COVID-19 health and safety concerns and continued restrictions for large gatherings and events in California, it was not feasible to safely convene the nearly 9,000 expected participants at IPC APEX EXPO 2021,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “The event will now take place in a safe, all-virtual format.”
While the event is going virtual, IPC APEX EXPO will still be the place to connect, collaborate and learn as the event’s virtual platform will allow attendees, exhibitors and speakers to easily navigate more than 100 technical conference sessions and professional development courses as well as product demonstrations, and schedule one-on-one meetings with exhibitors. As an added bonus, technical conference sessions will be available to registered attendees for replay, providing a unique opportunity to take advantage of education for 90 days after the event.
And rounding out the immersive experience, attendees can attend multiple keynotes, a “meet and greet” with IPC Hall of Famers and Emerging Engineers, participate in a virtual trivia event, and learn about cutting edge products and technologies during daily exhibitor new product introductions.
Mitchell added, “Be it in person or via an online platform, it is IPC’s goal to maintain IPC APEX EXPO’s position as the premier event for the electronics manufacturing industry, providing practical applications for learning – knowledge that attendees can immediately apply to their work and as well as far-reaching insights that can be applied toward implementing future technologies. Wherever in the world you may be located, IPC APEX EXPO 2021 is the place to be.”
Registration for IPC APEX EXPO 2021 is expected to open December 17. To view schedule at a glance and exhibitor list, visit www.ipcapexexpo.org. IPC APEX EXPO will return to an in-person format in 2022 and will take place January 25–27, 2022 at the San Diego Convention Center.
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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested 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.
Global Electronics Association to Testify at the Office of the US Trade Representative Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity
05/08/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationChris Mitchell, Vice President for Global Government Relations at the Global Electronics Association, will testify before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Panel on Section 301 Structural Excess Capacity on Friday, May 8.
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.
TTC-LLC and TTCI: Smarter Training, Stronger Test at PCB East 2026
04/27/2026 | The Test Connection Inc.The Training Connection LLC (TTC-LLC) and The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI) will be exhibiting together at PCB East 2026, taking place April 28–May 1 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Attendees can find both teams at Booth #103 during the main exhibition day on Wednesday, April 29.