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Current IssueThe Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
April 1, 2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

According to a quick look at history.com, “Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.” All well and good, but why April Fools’?
“People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.”
Ahhh, so that seems logical enough, doesn’t it? Some other cultures around the globe have also celebrated the vernal equinox with joyful, celebratory, or even “foolish” revelry. There’s a theme in general, but the April Fools’ we recognize today does seem to be thanks to the French.
History.com points out, finally, that, “In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio, and TV stations and websites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences.”
Much as I love a good-natured prank or a bit of silliness, I promise that there are no April Fools’ pranks in this week’s must-reads. So, enjoy this week’s most impactful news, and remember that glitter bomb packages look especially inviting to open.
IPC Issues Call for Participation for IPC APEX EXPO 2023
Published March 29
IPC is now accepting abstracts for technical paper presentations, technical posters, and professional development courses for IPC APEX EXPO 2023. The technical conference will be held January 21-26, 2023, and professional development courses will take place January 24-26, 2023, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. Click through to the article for the details about how to make your contributions to the industry known.
AltiumLive 2022: Design for Availability
Published March 28
Andy Shaughnessy spoke with Rodrigo Contreras Lopez of SnapEDA about Rodrigo’s AltiumLive presentation, which is now available online. It’s a changing world, he says, and designers need to approach their designs from a different perspective: Creating designs with parts that may or may not be available now may just set up your design team and your customer for failure in a few years. Is design for availability going to enter the PCB design lexicon?
Pincered by Russian-Ukrainian War and Inflation, DRAM Price Drop Forecast to Continue in 2Q22 by 0-5%
Published March 28
According to TrendForce forecasts, average overall DRAM pricing in 2Q22 will drop by approximately 0~5%, due to marginally higher buyer and seller inventories coupled with the demand for products such as PCs, laptops, and smart phones being influenced in the short-term by the Russian-Ukrainian war and high inflation weakening consumer purchasing power. At present, the only remaining source of demand is on the server side, so overall DRAM stocks will remain oversupplied in 2Q22.
North American EMS Industry Down 9.7% in February
Published March 25
IPC announced the February 2022 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.52. Total North American EMS shipments in February 2022 were down 9.7% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments fell 0.3%. Is this typical for February, or is there more to worry about. Get the details from IPC.
IPC News: North American PCB Industry Sales Up 12.8% in February
Published March 25
IPC announced the February 2022 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.16. Total North American PCB shipments in February 2022 were up 12.8% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, February shipments rose 8.9%. What’s the story here?
Suggested Items
Advancing Aerospace Excellence: Emerald’s Medford Team Earns Space Addendum Certification
06/30/2025 | Emerald TechnologiesWe’re thrilled to announce a major achievement from our Medford, Oregon facility. Andy Abrigo has officially earned her credentials as a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) under the IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, the leading industry standard for space and military-grade electronics manufacturing.
Magnalytix and Foresite to Host Technical Webinar on SIR Testing and Functional Reliability
06/26/2025 | MAGNALYTIXMagnalytix, in collaboration with Foresite Inc., is pleased to announce an upcoming one-hour Webinar Workshop titled “Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method.” This session will be held on July 24, 2025, and is open to professionals in electronics manufacturing, reliability engineering, and process development seeking insights into new testing standards for climatic reliability.
IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
06/22/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today, following a major announcement, IPC is embracing the rapid advancement of technology with a bold decision to change its name to the Global Electronics Association. This name more accurately reflects the full breadth of its work and the modern realities of electronics manufacturing. In this exclusive interview, Global Electronics Association President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell shares the story behind the rebrand: Why now, what it means for the industry, and how it aligns with the organization’s mission.
Global Electronics Association Debuts; New Name Elevates IPC’s 70-Year Legacy as Voice of $6 Trillion Electronics Industry
06/25/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationToday begins a new chapter for IPC as it officially becomes the Global Electronics Association, reflecting its role as the voice of the electronics industry. Guided by the vision of “Better electronics for a better world,” the Global Electronics Association (electronics.org) is dedicated to enhancing supply chain resilience and promoting accelerated growth through engagement with more than 3,000 member companies, thousands of partners, and dozens of governments across the globe.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week in this industry, and we have news and articles from the PCB design, fabrication and assembly communities. Some of this news is out of this world. We may be losing the high ground—the really high ground. Columnist Jesse Vaughan explains how the U.S. seems to be falling behind in space, and how this could affect our ability to defend ourselves in the future. We have an update on the U.S.-China tariff talks, which seem to be moving forward, though sometimes at a snail’s pace.