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

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Well, we’re officially in the trade show season. Delta variant or not, Editor Nolan Johnson and I are going to DesignCon next week. I’m flying on Delta, which I think is a harbinger of good luck. I did get flight insurance, though. I’m definitely ready to fly somewhere.

This past week, we published a variety of articles about trade shows, industry organizations, design education, and the value of communicating early and often with your EMS provider. Here’s another bite of the apple, as the saying goes.

Altium, IPC to Co-Locate AltiumLive and IPC APEX EXPO
Published August 9

This is just a smart move all around. Co-locating AltiumLive with IPC APEX EXPO in January 2022 will bring both shows more attendees and simplify everyone’s travel schedules. This is great news for Altium and IPC. It’s nice to see organizations cooperating like this for the good of the industry.

SMTA Membership Voting Results
Published August 12

Editor Nolan Johnson interviewed SMTA VP of Membership Rob Boguski shortly after the annual vote for open seats on the organization’s board of directors. SMTA also voted to change the bylaws in order to restructure the membership categories. This will simplify the number of membership categories, bringing them from about a dozen down to six. Simple is better sometimes.  

Insulectro Joins Printed Circuit Board Association of America As Founding Member
Published August 11

Insulectro has become a founding member of the new PCB organization, Printed Circuit Board Association of America, a consortium of US-based companies that advocates for American PCB manufacturers and their suppliers. Insulectro joins PCBAA members Calumet Electronics, Isola Group, Summit Interconnect, TTM Technologies, and AGY in supporting the domestic production of PCBs.

My PCB Design Education: A Continuous Process
Published August 12

In this article, Tamara Jovanovic, an electrical engineer at Happiest Baby, details her plans for continuous design education and training. Tamara joined the manufacturer of smart baby beds right out of college a few years ago, and she shares her advice for other new PCB designers.

Communicating Effectively with EMS Providers
Published August 6

In this article, Charlie Capers of Zentech Dallas explains how OEMs and EMS providers can communicate effectively with each other, and how to avoid the many pitfalls of working with a company that may be several time zones away. It’s all about communication.