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

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

It’s almost April, and it’s 70 degrees here in Atlanta. IPC APEX EXPO is over, and we now return to our “regularly scheduled programming,” as the networks used to say. But nothing in this industry is ever what I would call “regular,” is it?

This week, we have a round-up of stories from around the industry, including a Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO interview with Ventec, an article by Tamara Jovanovic about eliminating “garbage in, garbage out,” a review of an EIPC webinar by Pete Starkey, and news about another trade show going virtual this summer. And last but certainly not least, we bring you our one-minute video salute to all the fantastic people in this industry who we’ve worked with for decades. Enjoy!

I-Connect007 Video: A Salute to The Industry
Published March 22

We produced this short video as a salute to all the people in this industry who make the latest electronics innovations possible. It’s easy to get so absorbed in the day-to-day grind that we forget just how important the PCB is to segments such as health care, military, aerospace, and household electronics; these innovations make our lives better. We’ve met and interviewed many of the unsung heroes of the industry, and this video is our way of offering thanks for a job well done. Check it out—you might see yourself in this video.

Achieving Growth in a Difficult Year: The Benefits of Global Supply Chain Management
Published March 23

In this Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO video interview, Jack Pattie, president and CEO of Ventec USA, speaks with Technical Editor Pete Starkey about the company’s strong growth during a hectic 2020. Some of their lines experienced record growth last year, which Jack attributes in large part to solid supply chain management.

Turning ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out’ into ‘Good In, Good Out’
Published March 23

Design engineer Tamara Jovanovic is only a few years out of Loyola Marymount University, but her learning is on a trajectory; Tamara is constantly working to expand her PCB design knowledge base. On top of that, she’s also a really good writer. We all hear about how PCB designs can be crippled by “garbage in, garbage out.” Tamara has a great article about she works to turn “garbage in, garbage out” into “good in, good out.”

EIPC Technical Snapshot: 5G and Loss Minimisation
Published March 26

Technical Editor Pete Starkey used to travel all over Europe to cover EIPC meetings—back when travel was an option. Nowadays, Pete has become quite an expert at covering these meetings virtually, and EIPC’s monthly Technical Snapshots are becoming must-see events. In this article, Pete discusses the latest EIPC webinar that focused on ways to minimize loss for 5G applications.

Virtual Zuken Innovation World Planned for August 4-5
Published March 25

Even as vaccinations are on the rise, another trade show has moved to a fully virtual format. Zuken Innovation World will now be held entirely online August 4-5, 2021, with registration set to open in April. It’s a calculated move—other shows scheduled for the summer, such as DesignCon and PCB East, are slated to be in-person events. But Zuken isn’t convinced that the pandemic will be under control in five months, and they’re not taking any chances. There are clearly no rules to this game, and it will be interesting to see how the live and virtual events work out.