Trouble in Your Tank: Understanding Interconnect Defects, Part 1
It’s Only Common Sense: Marketing Isn’t Fluff, It’s Ammunition
Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
I-Connect007 Editor's Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
September 6, 2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
I’ve been reading up on artificial intelligence news for a while now, and there’s a shift in the conversation, toward a more data- and results-driven view of AI and the claims of change it will bring. We’re starting to see research on why AI models behave the way they do (sometimes with behavior that is catastrophic to the AI itself), and what causes them to go astray. I’m collecting this research for an upcoming talk at a conference, and possibly a future article on the topic. Without spoiling my talk, let me just say that we don’t have much to fear about AI taking over the world yet. In the meantime, there are many things that you can control right now. To wit:
This week’s Top 5 starts with steps you can take to cultivate a culture of thriving. We also have bullish news from the global semiconductor sector, advice on how to tease out hidden cost drivers during the PCB design cycle, how the Altium-Ansys collaboration will affect design, and Happy Holden’s version of Occam’s Razor—three simple tools to keep your wet processes in line.
I can also share from personal experience that asking ChatGPT to make a margarita for happy hour will leave you unfulfilled; ask a trained human professional to do that for you instead. Have a great weekend!
Why a Culture of Thriving Matters
Published August 30
In the August issue of SMT007 Magazine, Audrey McGuckin, principal at The McGuckin Group, identifies a problem she encounters regularly in her consulting work: Burnout and disruption. Audrey shares her findings on how to counter burnout and disruptions in this article. Read all about it!
Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 18.7% Year-to-Year in July
Published September 3
Quoting the press release, “The global semiconductor market continued to grow substantially on a year-to-year basis in July, and month-to-month sales increased for the fourth consecutive month,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “The Americas market experienced particularly strong growth in July, with a year-to-year sales increase of 40.1%.” Is this a trailing indicator of reshoring or nearshoring? This news item includes sales numbers for other regions also; I’ll leave the answer to that question as an exercise for the reader.
Hidden Cost Drivers in PCB Design
Published September 5
Cherie Litson points out that “everything you’ve read about the cost-saving process is controlled by the project leader’s actions. This article, originally appearing in Design007 Magazine’s August 2024 issue, dives into the project manager’s role as a cost influencer, and why so many design problems originate in that office.
Impact of the Altium-Ansys Partnership on PCB Design
Published September 5
The importance—and effect—of signal and power integrity just keeps growing. Altium’s Josh Moore postulates that while it is necessary to have good simulation tools to help with SI and PI, it is not sufficient. Read here how Josh envisions the Altium/Ansys collaboration will help shift the design cycle.
Happy’s Tech Talk #32: Three Simple Ways to Manage and Control Wet Processes
Published September 3
Optimizing wet process is like flying a helicopter: they can easily fly out of control if you’re not paying attention. In this edition of Happy’s Tech Talk, Happy considers the simple tools which can help you keep an eye on your wet process operating tolerances.
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Trouble in Your Tank: Understanding Interconnect Defects, Part 1
11/04/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThis month, I’ll address interconnect defects (ICDs). While this defect continues to rear its ugly head, don’t despair. There are solutions, most of which center on process control and understanding the relationship of the chemistry, materials, and equipment. First, though, let’s discuss ICDs.
Everyone’s Talking About Power
11/06/2025 | Heidi Barnes, Keysight TechnologiesDelivering power to a digital load is an AC function, not DC. That simple statement may be obvious, but the implications of how electricity travels to an electronic load are complicated. Dynamic loads with rapidly changing currents create electric and magnetic fields that adhere to Maxwell’s equations. Ground can be misleading and is probably better used for describing where one grows potatoes and carrots. Electrical currents have “return paths,” and the energy is traveling in the fields between the power rail and the return path.
On the Line With… Ultra HDI, Episode 8: “Materials, Up and Coming Capabilities,” Now Available
11/05/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is excited to announce the release of the eighth episode of its 12-part podcast series, On the Line With… American Standard Circuits: Ultra HDI. In this episode, “Materials, Up and Coming Capabilities,” host Nolan Johnson sits down with resident expert John Johnson, Director of Quality and Advanced Technology at American Standard Circuits, to discuss how material selection influences the Ultra HDI (UHDI) manufacturing process.
Nolan’s Notes: Is Mexico the Pulse of Electronics in the Americas?
11/04/2025 | Nolan Johnson -- Column: Nolan's NotesLast year, I attended SMTA Guadalajara, where I saw the results of the Mexican investment in electronics manufacturing. The U.S. was still operating under the Biden administration, and while Mexican EMS companies had expanded capacity to support EV manufacturing, the demand dropped significantly. In my conversations at the show, the sentiment was one of patience. They knew the EV business would likely come back. However, they didn’t expect an overhaul of U.S. trade agreements and tariffs that would shift a more diversified portfolio in Mexico’s direction.
It’s Only Common Sense: Marketing Isn’t Fluff, It’s Ammunition
11/03/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseI’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard someone dismiss marketing as “fluff.” You know the tone: a little smirk, a little condescension, and the implication that “real companies” don’t need marketing. They say, “We make a great product. Our work speaks for itself.”