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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
July 15, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
I’m getting a lot of out-of-office replies. Are you all on the beach now? It’s 91 degrees every day here in Atlanta lately, but each afternoon it rains like we’re in a horror movie, and that drops the temperature down to the subtropical arena. Still, I’ll take heat over freezing any day.
Things are heating up in our industry too, as we see from my top five choices this week. First-quarter electronic design revenue is up year-on-year, but PCB revenue barely moved the needle YOY. Editor Nolan Johnson spent the week at SEMICON West and the FLEX Conference, and he brings us a review of these conferences, co-located at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. As he notes, printed electronic circuits are beginning to gain a foothold in the market.
Cadence Design Systems has invested in data center design, and IPC is lobbying Congress to help strengthen our supply chain. Finally, we have some “common sense” from Dan Beaulieu. In this column, he discusses companies that try to be all things to all customers, taking on projects far outside their “sweet spot.”
Stay cool!
FLEX Conference 2022: If You Build It, We Will Buy It
Published July 13
Our colleague Nolan Johnson has been covering the FLEX Conference and SEMICON West in San Francisco this week, and visiting manufacturers as well. As he points out in this article, much of the FLEX Conference focused on printed electronic circuits. PEC have been making big advances lately, often behind the scenes. This is a segment to watch, as OEMs drive most of the innovation here—not the fabricators.
IPC: Over 100 Industry Executives Urge U.S. Congress to Strengthen Electronics Supply Chain
Published July 14
The supply chain has been in a jam for a while now. Remember how lead times were getting long pre-COVID? IPC has been pushing Washington to take action, and it seems that politicians may be starting to listen. That’s one silver lining to the whole supply chain problem: Washington is finally becoming aware of the critical role that U.S. electronics manufacturers play in our economy, as well as our ability to equip our warfighters. Check it out.
Cadence to Acquire Future Facilities, A Pioneer in Data Center Digital Twins
Published July 12
Data centers are front and center now. Over the past few years, we’ve pointed out the importance of data and—more importantly—data management. Cadence Design Systems has acquired Future Facilities, a company that creates software for data center design. The company’s software utilizes 3D digital twins and augments Cadence’s Celsius Thermal Solver. You can expect other EDA companies to invest in data center technology in the near future.
Electronic System Design Industry Logs 12.1% YoY Revenue Growth in Q1 2022
Published July 12
It’s kind of a mixed bag here. Electronic design revenue in Q1 is up 12.1% year-on-year, but PCB is a laggard here, clocking in at only 1.4%. Semiconductor IP is the engine pulling that particular train. And last year we were digging out from the pandemic, so I wouldn’t worry too much about PCB at this point. I bet your company is having a pretty good year. Am I right?
It's Only Common Sense: Big Macs and PCBs—Do What You Do Well
Published July 11
I’ve never understood why some companies try to please everyone. It’s just not possible. I get it; you want to keep revenue coming in. But some PCB manufacturers take on jobs that are far outside their core competency, just to keep the lights on. Dan Beaulieu sticks a fork in this turkey of an idea. As Dan says, do what you do well.
Suggested Items
IPC APEX EXPO: Some Thoughts About Growth
05/16/2024 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007After two and a half days of wandering the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, for the first time, I almost felt like I was exploring CES. There were so many booths and exhibits that I could describe, but I’d like to focus on the growth and huge value of this event, which has expanded well beyond just the growing and impressive exhibit show floor.
Airbus Achieves Eurodrone’s Preliminary Design Review
05/16/2024 | AirbusThe Eurodrone programme has successfully performed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR). Led by Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor, this major programme milestone has been completed with OCCAR and representatives of the four customer nations (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) in the presence of the three Major Sub-Contractors (MSC), Airbus Defence and Space Spain, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo.
A Review of the 2024 Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show
05/16/2024 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007The Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show (DMEMS) in Del Mar, California, recently took place at an unlikely venue: the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Doug Bodenstab, founder and show organizer, says the show covers everything in electronics manufacturing: design tools, components, base materials, training, testing, board fabrication, AI, data analytics, and more. While you can find about anything online these days, Bodenstab adds that there is no substitute for meeting people in person.
TactoTek Licenses IMSE Technology to Polestar for Sustainable Electronics Design Innovation
05/15/2024 | TactoTekPolestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, and Finnish smart surface pioneer TactoTek, have entered a collaboration to explore integration of Injection Molded Structural Electronics (IMSE) technology into Polestar’s vehicle programs.
The Shaughnessy Report: Unlock Your High-speed Material Constraints
05/15/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportThe world of PCB materials used to be a fairly simple one. It was divided into two groups: the “traditional” laminates, often called FR-4, and the high-speed laminates developed especially for high-speed PCBs. These were two worlds that usually didn’t collide. But then traditional laminates started getting better, and high-speed designers and design engineers took notice and started to reconsider what FR-4 could be used for.