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The Shaughnessy Report: A Handy Look at Rules of Thumb
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
February 26, 2021 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
We’re seeing an increase in optimism as more people are vaccinated and states under lockdown begin flipping open their shutters. This positive outlook is spreading, albeit slowly.
There’s a lot going on in the industry, and we see this reflected in this week’s Top Five picks. One contributor makes the case for another Roaring Twenties, this time led by Industry 4.0. IPC APEX EXPO is making a big impression, even virtually, as the top technical papers are announced. North American PCB numbers are up year-on-year, but with a caveat. Siemens EDA has a new website that unifies the different organizations under one umbrella. And columnist Christine Davis shares a story in which one customer left her with “nothing to lose, and everything to gain.” You may find yourself cheering for Christine as she goes “Network” on a customer that keeps ghosting her.
Best Technical Paper at IPC APEX EXPO 2021 Selected
Published February 25
IPC APEX EXPO gets under way, virtually, in 10 days. In the meantime, let’s congratulate Sarah Czaplewski, Roger Krabbenhoft and Junyang Tang of IBM for taking home the Best Technical Paper award for “Signal Integrity, Reliability, and Cost Evaluation of PCB Interlayer Crosstalk Reduction.” The paper will be presented on March 11; you know that designers and design engineers will love this.
Her Voice: Nothing to Lose and Everything to Win
Published February 24
The number of views that an article gets in the first 48 hours are a great indication of its “magnetism.” If an article takes off in the first two days, we know that readers were moved as much by emotion as job-related curiosity. This SMT007 column by Christine Davis lifted off like a rocket; I can picture all of our readers cheering when she slams down a file folder and asks a customer to explain what the hell is going on. This is definitely a hot column.
Siemens EDA Launches New Home Website
Published February 23
Siemens EDA has a brand-new website, https://eda.sw.siemens.com, marking the official end of the Mentor name. Siemens EDA, formerly Mentor, A Siemens Business, is now part of Siemens Digital Industries Software. We’ll all have to stop calling the company Mentor, but knowing my colleagues in the industry, that probably won’t happen overnight.
Predicting a ‘Roaring Twenties’ Innovation Boom
Published February 24
The decade didn’t start off too well, but freelance writer and supply chain specialist Hailey Lynne McKeefy believes that we may be about to experience years of growth and innovation. As the pandemic subsides and Industry 4.0 and smart processes take hold, are we due to experience the Roaring Twenties 2.0?
North American PCB Shipments Up 4% in January 2021
Published February 26
We have some good news and some bad news about January’s North American PCB shipments: They’re up 4% over the same period a year ago, but down 16% from December. As IPC’s Shawn DuBravac explains, some of this slowdown is due to the semiconductor shortage. I think we’re due for an uptick in the next few months!
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
11/22/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007In this week’s roundup, I’m highlighting a variety of articles. We have an interview with Jess Hollenbaugh, a recent graduate working for Polar Instruments. We also have an interview with IPC’s Matt Kelly and Devan Iyer, whose white paper may provide a way forward for companies dealing with complex advanced packages. Our newest columnist Tom Yang describes the U.S. PCB industry from the point of view of a technologist from another country, and Dan Beaulieu has a review of Malcolm Gladwell’s follow-up to The Tipping Point. Finally, we have my review of PCB Carolina, a one-day tabletop show that keeps expanding, much like my waistline after eating their catered food. Enjoy!
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11/22/2024 | SIAThe Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced Western Digital CEO David Goeckeler has been elected Chair of the SIA Board of Directors. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
Meet Polar's New Product Specialist Jess Hollenbaugh
11/21/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007At PCB West, I spoke with Jess Hollenbaugh, a recent college graduate who has now joined Polar Instruments. In this interview, she shares her journey from a physics student focused on high-energy astrophysics to her new role at Polar. Her insights provide a glimpse into the dynamic opportunities awaiting those who venture into this evolving industry.
SIA Applauds CHIPS Award for Semiconductor Research Corporation’s SMART USA Institute
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