Designers Notebook: Layer Stackup Planning for RF Circuit Boards
Connect the Dots: Involving Manufacturers Earlier Prevents Downstream Issues
Global PCB Connections: The Next Wave of HDI PCBs– How Design Engineers Can Stay Ahead
What’s New in Design Education at IPC APEX EXPO?
April 11, 2024 | Kelly Allen, IPC Training ManagerEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
Kelly (Kel) Allen shares her thoughts on the educational offerings at IPC APEX EXPO and beyond. In this interview, she discusses some of the newest classes taking place during the conference in Anaheim, covering everything from design, fab, and assembly through mil/aero, test, and supply chain issues.
Kel, why should PCB designers and design engineers attend the conference at IPC APEX EXPO?
Kelly Allen: Adult learners appreciate practical knowledge. In our online classes, PCB designers and design engineers connect theoretical concepts to real-world situations, making our online classroom discussions dynamic and relevant. Many are driven by personal and professional goals so attending an APEX EXPO Professional Development Course allows them to actively participate, ask the speaker thought-provoking questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Our industry keeps our designers so busy that many do not have time to take one of our long-form courses. Yet they can invest a few days to take PD courses, attend committee meetings, network with colleagues, and see the latest in manufacturing and products on the show floor.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the April 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
EDA Tools and RF Design Techniques
04/14/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineHigh-speed PCB design is complex enough, but RF design can be a whole new ball game. RF designers have to contend with tuning and other ideas that traditional PCB designers don’t have to worry about, as well as crosstalk, parasitic capacitance, and material limitations. Most PCB design tool companies now offer RF design options, so designers no longer have to use pureplay RF design tools for anything but the most cutting-edge designs. Cadence Design Systems expanded its RF EDA offerings by acquiring the RF software company AWR a few years ago. We asked David Vye, product management director at Cadence, to share his thoughts on EDA software, RF design, and what new RF designers and engineers need to understand.
The Key to First-pass Success in PCB Design
04/10/2025 | Gerry Partida, Summit InterconnectIn the dynamic world of PCB manufacturing, achieving first-pass success hinges on more than just cutting-edge equipment and skilled teams. At Summit Interconnect, we have seen countless successful launches of advanced HDI designs that can be traced directly to engagement between designers and fabricators early in the design phase. Unfortunately, collaboration in the PCB industry often begins only after problems arise—such as field failures, assembly fallout, or low fabrication yields. This reactive approach is the wrong starting point for collaboration.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Insights into PCB Design and Manufacturing with Polar Instruments
04/03/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOErik Bateham discusses Polar's latest book, which enhances insights for PCB designers and manufacturers. The book, "The Designer's Guide to... More Secrets of High-Speed PCBs," features a guest chapter on 2D via design modeling. Erik highlights the industry's shift towards UHDI and the challenges in measuring at micron levels.
Target Condition: Designing vs. Inventing
03/27/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionAfter hearing me rave about IPC APEX EXPO for years, my boss, Chad Orebaugh, joined me at the show for the first time last year. We met at the registration counter, got our badges, and he said, “Okay, Kelly, impress me.”
Flexible Thinking: The Key to a Successful Flex Circuit Design Transfer
03/26/2025 | Joe Fjelstad -- Column: Flexible ThinkingThis month, I will discuss the most common design errors that fabricators see, typical areas of miscommunication between design and fabrication, and what designers can do to avoid putting their jobs on hold. This is no simple task, given the many things that can go wrong in flex circuit manufacturing, but many of these issues originate in the design process.