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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
December 6, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Welcome to December. I’m enjoying the holiday lights that are already up in my neighborhood. But the work continues and most of us are finishing up those year-end projects before heading off on their holiday breaks. Productivity may be a challenge, but I love this time of year.
Unsurprisingly, the pace or our industry does not relent regardless of holidays. This week’s must-reads include a discussion on innovation and embedded components within the layers of a PCB with Accurate Circuit Engineering. We revisit the real cost to manufacture in a case study on how a seemingly small design error can have a dramatic effect on your end customer’s costs. Dan Beaulieu provides this month’s book review highlighting the criticality of fostering creativity in the workplace. Bert Horner of The Test Connection discusses his decision to launch a new, complimentary business venture, The Training Connection; and Ramon Roche of NCAB talks about electric vehicle charging.
Accurate Circuit Engineering on Passion and Pushing the Envelope
Published December 3
James Hofer of Accurate Circuit Engineering discusses innovation and embedding components inside a printed circuit board. Yes, embedded components inside the layers of a PCB. This feat is not easy and showcases several pros as well as some significant manufacturing challenges. This article is a must-read for PCB fabricators and their customers.
Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost
Published December 3
This design-focused article was featured in the November issue of PCB007 Magazine, where we discussed the real cost to manufacture. This article describes a real-life customer case study provided by Matt Stevenson of ASC Sunstone, illustrating the reality that a critical design flaw found during the first PCB run nearly resulted in huge cost consequences for the customer. In this case, close collaboration between the PCB fabricator and the customer’s product design group ultimately allowed for a best-case scenario outcome, creating only slightly more unplanned cost for the customer. But could this design flaw have been avoided altogether? Read on to find out.
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Born to Create’
Published December 2
I love book clubs and book discussions generally, though I don’t get nearly enough much time to read or discuss them these days. That’s all the more reason I enjoy Dan Beaulieu’s book review series, pointing me toward some truly amazing business reading. In today’s fast-paced business environment (and let’s face it, “fast-paced” doesn’t really even cover it) it is easy for creativity to get lost, sacrificed for doing more, faster. Yet, innovation is critically important to any business’s survival. Thus, our lack of time for creativity flies directly in the face of our ability to do good business. How do we overcome this significant obstacle and foster a culture of creativity in our workplaces? I’m not sure, but I plan to find out. Read on for the highlights.
The Training Connection Difference
Published December 5
Bert Horner of The Test Connection recently launched The Training Connection in response to discussion with customers and attempting to fill a void in test training. The Training Connection is the perfect complement to The Test Connection and is already experiencing success. Bert already has plans to expand this new venture across their locations, as well as adding a virtual option. As the realities and challenges of test become ever greater, endeavors like The Test Connection take on heightened importance. Click here to learn more.
Fresh PCB Concepts: PCB Design Essentials for Electric Vehicle Charging
Published December 3
In his column, Ramon Roche of NCAB asks, “What good is an EV if it can’t be easily charged?” This is, no doubt, a question many EV owners have asked themselves as they embark on a long trek where navigating charging stations becomes a major logistical element. How do PCBs fit into this scenario? Ramon explains the basics of EV charging systems, the challenge of no single standard for development, and the current trends in EVC PCBs, spotlighting all of our greatest challenges: high layer count, thin materials, extreme miniaturization, and high power demands, to name a few. This is a good read.
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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.