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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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Ultra Librarian, TDK Partner to Provide Multi-Power Module Reference Design
March 25, 2021 | Ultra LibrarianEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Ultra Librarian, the world's largest free cloud-based CAD library provider, has announced its partnership with TDK to bring design engineers a 5W to 40W DC-DC multi-module reference design, from TDK's µPOL™ Embedded DC-DC Converters product line, that enables design engineers to go from concept to design in under 15 minutes.
“This reference design is available in eight CAD formats and its accuracy has been thoroughly tested and verified by the TDK engineering team,” said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA. “Therefore, our customers can be confident in the quality of their starting point—in the CAD tool of their choice—rather than spending numerous hours recreating a design from a PDF and sourcing relevant parts.”
Reference designs are a key tool to help engineers understand, qualify, and successfully implement new components into their designs. To save time and reduce risk, engineers often end up using portions of the reference design circuitry in their design as these have already been tested and qualified by the component vendor. Unfortunately, most reference designs are only available in PDF or other static formats, requiring engineers to re-create the designs in their CAD tools, wasting time and creating opportunities for error during transcription. Reference designs from Ultra Librarian can be downloaded as native CAD files by design engineers, eliminating the risk and inefficiencies caused by downloading PDF's. This TDK reference design is available in OrCAD, Allegro PCB, Altium, Design Spark, Eagle, KiCAD, Mentor DX Designer, and Mentor PADS Logic formats, allowing designers to hit the ground running.
“The starter reference design features TDK's Chip Embedded µPOL DC-DC power modules, maximizing power delivery for high density, small form factor, and low-profile designs, which will ultimately enable higher PCB board density and better system level integration,” said Tony Ochoa, Director of Marketing, µPOL, TDK. “These power modules are ideal for crafting DC-DC power solutions in the nooks and crannies between and around the FPGAs, ASICs, memory, and under the hoods of heat sinks on the top or bottom of PCB boards or daughter cards, for design flexibility. These designs emphasize proper component placement, power and ground design, and thermal considerations for quick turnkey design in our customers' favorite CAD tool.”
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Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Dragonfly Energy Secures Additional Nevada Tech Hub Funding
05/07/2026 | Globe NewswireDragonfly Energy Holdings Corp., an industry leader in energy storage and maker of Battle Born Batteries®, announced it has been selected for a second consecutive round of funding through the Nevada Tech Hub.
Designing Without a Rulebook: When Engineering Becomes Innovation
05/05/2026 | Stephen V. Chavez, Siemens EDAWhat if the very rules that made you successful as a PCB designer are the ones now holding you back? This reminds me of walking the floor and attending sessions at both PCB West 2025 and APEX EXPO 2026, where one common theme stood out: More designs with traditional PCB “best practices” simply don’t apply. It’s not because they’re wrong, but because the problems we’re solving have fundamentally changed. In some cases, those best practices can actually limit performance. This is where PCB design moves beyond optimization and into something far more challenging: designing without a rulebook.
Custom LIDAR Optics Support Mission-Critical Performance
05/05/2026 | PRNewswireMeller Optics, Inc. has introduced custom fabricated LIDAR optics that can be engineered for specific UV to IR transmission requirements featured in airborne, ground, and maritime defense systems.
Trouble in Your Tank: In Complex Systems, Design Rules Aren’t Optional
05/06/2026 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThere is no question that the electronics industry, especially in circuit board design and fabrication, advanced packaging, and innovation throughout the value chain, has seen a significant transformation, whether it be in materials, system architecture, HDI and ultra HDI, semiconductors, or chiplets. AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are driving change across several fronts, including material properties, assembly techniques (think hybrid bonding), and power management.
EMI Strengthens Test Capability with Acculogic Flying Probe System
05/04/2026 | Express Manufacturing, Inc.Express Manufacturing, Inc. (EMI), a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has added the Acculogic Scorpion 980E Flying Probe Test System to its inspection and test operations, giving the company greater flexibility in how it validates and supports today’s increasingly complex electronics.