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

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“When you stop learning, you stop living,” my mom often told me when I was growing up. In fact, she’s 85 years old, and she still likes to tell me this. She’s a voracious reader, so I don’t take her advice lightly. I’ve taken her lesson to heart throughout my life, and it’s become a core and defining trait for me as a person.

This week’s news items taught me a few things I didn’t know. For instance, there’s news about the new equipment for THT work, governmental support for advanced packaging technologies, an upcoming webinar from iNEMI on counterfeits, an interview with U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, one of the sponsors of the bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, and columnist Tim Haag, using Star Trek to illustrate why simplicity is, ahem, paramount.

Have a lovely weekend.

Statement of Support from IPC for New Actions to Strengthen America’s Supply Chains, Lower Costs for Families, and Secure Key Sectors
Published November 27 

In a statement attributed to Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations, he said, “IPC welcomes the actions outlined today by the U.S. Government ‘to strengthen supply chains critical to America’s economic and national security.’” IPC welcomes the creation of a cabinet-level council on supply chain resilience and a new quadrennial review process to ensure a comprehensive approach to this vital issue. We also applaud the actions to solidify the U.S. defense industrial base and the emphasis on international cooperation. 

iNEMI Tech Topic Series: Counterfeit Components
Published November 24

Catch this before it’s over: “iNEMI Tech Topic Series: Counterfeit Components, Emerging Trends in Counterfeit Detection and Mitigation,” is at 11 a.m. (EST) Dec. 7.

The third session in iNEMI’s Counterfeit Components series will look at emerging technologies for detection and mitigation. We will look at what is ahead for hardware security and review results of an industry survey regarding experiences with counterfeit components and strategies used to mitigate risk.

Material Insight: A Conversation with Congressman Blake Moore
Published November 28

On May 11, 2023, Reps. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates (PCB) Act to Congress. In October, columnist Preeya Kuray discussed the status of the act with Congressman Moore, who represents Utah’s First Congressional District. He shared his thoughts on how supporting and investing in the domestic PCB industry can help bolster American security. Read Moore’s interview for the latest.

Tim’s Takeaways: Take It From Scotty, Simple Really is Better
Published November 30

Columnist Tim Haag sets up his column, “I am, at heart, a die-hard ‘Star Trek’ fan. When I was a kid, I was all about phasers, warp drive, and cool stuff like that. However, these days, I tend to put a higher value on production and storytelling. But like any fan (I’m avoiding “Trekkie” because, frankly, it’s kind of embarrassing), I have certain moments from the hundreds (if not thousands) of hours filmed for the various TV shows and movies that are among my favorites. One of those moments is in “Star Trek III, The Search for Spock,” when our heroes steal the Starship Enterprise from space dock…” What does this have to do with simplifying PCB design? Quite a bit, it turns out. Read the column to find out.

Mek Launches the SpectorBOX X1: A Revolution in 3D THT Inspection
Published November 24

Mek (Marantz Electronics), a leader in automated optical inspection (AOI) solutions, used last week’s productronica show in Munich to introduce the SpectorBOX X series, a modular full 3D AOI system for THT solder joints and THT components. SpectorBOX X1 can be used bottom-up for volume measurement of THT solder joints and pin height measurement, or Top-Down for a 150mm+ clearance for 3D THT components.