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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
November 22, 2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Well, we’re officially entering the silly season, i.e., the holidays. Where did the year go? I still have money left on the Starbuck’s gift card I received last Christmas.
In this week’s roundup, I’m highlighting a variety of articles. We have an interview with Jess Hollenbaugh, a recent graduate working for Polar Instruments. We also have an interview with IPC’s Matt Kelly and Devan Iyer, whose white paper may provide a way forward for companies dealing with complex advanced packages. Our newest columnist Tom Yang describes the U.S. PCB industry from the point of view of a technologist from another country, and Dan Beaulieu has a review of Malcolm Gladwell’s follow-up to The Tipping Point. Finally, we have my review of PCB Carolina, a one-day tabletop show that keeps expanding, much like my waistline after eating their catered food. Enjoy!
Meet Polar's New Engineer Jess Hollenbaugh
Published November 21
Jess Hollenbaugh recently joined Polar Instruments, and she was nice enough to sit down for an interview at PCB West. How did a physics major with a love of thermodynamics wind up in the signal integrity software business? It’s great to see young people coming into our segment again, but we need a few thousand more just like Jess.
Advanced Packaging: Preparation is Now
Published November 20
IPC has just released a white paper, “Advanced Packaging to Board Level Integration—Needs and Challenges,” written by Devan Iyer, chief strategist of advanced packaging, and Matt Kelly, chief technology officer for IPC. This paper fleshes out IPC’s silicon-to-systems concept, and Matt and Devan offer our industry a way forward as we face more complex advance packaging challenges.
Global Citizenship: What I’ve Learned About the American PCB Business
Published November 20
Did you ever wonder what our industry looks like to technologists from other countries? After all, we can be a hot mess, but we still manage to lead the way. And as columnist Tom Yang says, the U.S. PCB industry tends to “double down on innovation.” Check it out.
Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Revenge of the Tipping Point'
Published November 20
Dan Beaulieu writes a weekly column for us, as well as the occasional book review. I’m a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell (Are you a “connector,” a “maven,” or a “salesman”?), so I’ll have to check out Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. If you haven’t already done so, read The Tipping Point and Outliers too.
PCB Carolina’s Formula: Industry Experts and Catered Food
Published November 18
Does the food selection at a trade show have any influence on our decision to attend said show? It does for me. I’ve attended PCB Carolina since 2016, and the catered food is always one of the high points of the event. This time we had barbecued brisket for lunch. It’s no wonder PCB Carolina keeps growing every year.
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Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
09/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in the context of Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. Here, I’ll explore the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.
Pentalogix Launches ViewMate Essentials to Ensure PCB Designs are Manufacturing-Ready
09/03/2025 | PentaLogixPentalogix, Inc., a leader in PCB design solutions, announced the launch of ViewMate Essentials, an advanced CAM package designed to enhance the workflow of PCB designers. Available starting September 2nd, 2025, ViewMate Essentials enables designers to view, edit, and manage PCB manufacturing files with exceptional precision, facilitating seamless collaboration with PCB fabricators and assemblers.
CEE PCB Launches PCBpedia: A New Knowledge Hub for Circuit Board Technology
09/03/2025 | CEE PCBCEE PCB, a leading manufacturer of PCBs and FPCs, is responding to the growing demand for reliable technical knowledge. With PCBpedia, CEE introduces a new knowledge platform featuring expert articles on key topics in circuit board technology – from FPC design rules to surface finishes.
Connect the Dots: How to Avoid Five Common Causes of Board Failure
09/03/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsBoards fail for various reasons, and because I’ve been part of the PCB industry for a long time, I’ve seen most of the reasons for failure. As part of my ongoing crusade to help designers design for the reality of manufacturing, here are five common causes for board failure and how to avoid them.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/29/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007This week, we bring you Global Electronics Association’s Chris Mitchell’s government relations column on—you guessed it—trade deals. TTM is balancing its facilities between East and West. The Global Electronics Association released July numbers for North American PCB shipments, and the news is good. Meanwhile, the corresponding report for EMS might seem like bad news, but that’s misleading. Be sure to look deeper for the rest of the story. Finally, for a bit space-science palate cleansing, I’m sharing news of the latest launch of NASA’s X-37B.