Beyond Design: Slaying Signal Integrity Villains
Elementary Mr. Watson: Running the Signal Gauntlet
The Shaughnessy Report: Winning the Signal Integrity Battle
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
March 14, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Inside the industry, it feels like we’re getting ready for a big party holiday, and I’m feeling the whole Mardi Gras vibe. This weekend, IPC APEX EXPO kicks off with standards development committees and the Technical Conference before the Expo starts on March 18. We’ll be sneaking out of our network of evil lairs scattered around North America and convening at the I-Connect007 booth, #3520, in the middle of the Anaheim Convention Center. Be sure to stop by and say hello.
There is no shortage of show-related news in the cycle right now. Visit iconnect007.com to read the latest on everything related to this year’s IPC APEX EXPO. But that’s not all that’s going on, so I’ve picked up five key pieces of news that might otherwise get buried in the hullaballoo of the IPC show.
Unsurprisingly, they track right along with much of the mainstream media: tariffs, the global economy, and U.S. industrial investment. There will be lots of conversation on these themes when we convene in southern California next week, and these are the reports you should know to be informed. See you in Anaheim.
Statement from IPC, the Global Electronics Association, on Recent U.S. Tariffs and Global Trade
Published March 7
In a statement attributed to Dr. John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, the decision to postpone tariffs Mexican and Canadian goods is applauded. The Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. electronics industries are so closely intertwined and Mitchell stresses that IPC is eager to work with the Trump administration to build a stronger industrial base. Read more here.
IPC Global Standards Driving Factory of the Future
Published March 10
Chris Jorgensen advocates that Factory of the Future amounts to a revolutionary shift in manufacturing and that IPC task groups strive to be at the forefront of this transformation. Click here to read the summary, and to follow the link to the entire article as published in the March 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine.
KYZEN Announces the Retirement of Longtime Executive Vice President Tom Forsythe
Published March 13
Well, we hate to see this, but Tom Forsythe has earned his retirement. Tom is responsible for much of KYZEN's success since he joined the firm in 1992. We've run into Tom at trade shows and conferences all over the world, and he always give a fantastic interview. We'll miss him, and we wish him all the best.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Ensuring a Smooth Handoff From PCB Design to Fabrication
Published March 13
John Watson has penned a great colum that compares the design data handoff to the passing of batons during the Olympic relays. As the U.S. relay team learned in 2020, mistakes made during the passing of the baton can snowball and lead to failure. If you're experiencing problems during design data handoff, you won't want to miss this column.
ICT Spring Seminar: Nickel Not Welcome Here
Published March 12
Our favorite road reporter Pete Starkey was in Tewkesbury earlier this month covering the ICT Spring Seminar, which highlighted the industry's shift away from nickel in PCB manufacturing. Experts discussed the environmental and performance benefits of alternative materials, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices. Pete has a way of drilling down to what's most important, and the key topics he covered included advancements in copper and silver-based technologies and the impact on product reliability and cost-effectiveness. I know you'll enjoy this read.
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Building Electronics Excellence in India
09/08/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineFor over two decades, Dave Bergman has helped steer the Global Electronics Association’s work in India, from a single training course to a thriving regional operation with deep government and industry ties. In this interview, Dave explains how the group went from partnering with IPCA to opening its own office in 2010, creating India’s first domestic electronics manufacturing standard, and securing funding for dozens of Indian companies to attend U.S. trade shows.
New Podcast Episode Drop: MKS’ Atotech’s Role in Optimize the Interconnect
09/08/2025 | I-Connect007In this episode of On the Line With…, host Nolan Johnson sits down with Patrick Brooks, MKS' Atotech's Global Product Director, EL Systems, to discuss the critical role that wet processes play alongside laser systems in advancing the Optimize the InterconnectSM initiative. Brooks points to Bondfilm as a key example—a specialized coating that enables CO₂ lasers to ablate more effectively than ever before.
The Global Electronics Association Hosts Successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar
09/03/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationOn August 22, 2025, the Global Electronics Association hosted the successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar during the exhibition Automation Taipei 2025. The seminar brought together 81 representatives from 58 companies, focusing on the latest applications of AI in smart factories and unveiling four key directions that will drive the electronics industry’s transition toward intelligence and sustainability.
TRI's AI-Powered Inspection Solutions at SMTAI 2025
09/02/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading provider of test and inspection systems, will be joining the SMTA International Exposition & Conference. The event will be held from October 21 – 23, 2025, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA.
More Than a Competition: Instilling a Champion's Skill in IPC Masters China 2025
09/01/2025 | Evelyn Cui, Global Electronics Association—East AsiaNearly 500 elite professionals from the electronics industry, representing 18 provinces and municipalities across China, competed in the 2025 IPC Masters Competition China, March 26–28, in Pudong, Shanghai. A total of 114 contestants advanced to the practical competition after passing the IPC Standards Knowledge Competition. Sixty people competed in the Hand Soldering and Rework Competition (HSRC), 30 in the Cable and Wire Harness Assembly Competition (CWAC), and 24 in the Ball Grid Array/Bottom Termination Components (BGA/BTC) Rework Competition.