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Fresh PCB Concepts: Managing PCB Trace Width and Spacing

09/22/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB Concepts
As a fabricator, I know that trace width and spacing are some of the first items reviewed when determining whether a PCB can be manufactured reliably. They may look like simple dimensions in the design data, but the ability to reproduce them consistently depends on several factors, such as the circuit's location, the copper weight used, the design density, and any additional plating requirements. These can all change what is realistically achievable.

Fresh PCB Concepts: Everything Your PCB Supplier Needs Upfront for Quoting

08/27/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB Concepts
After more than 40 years in PCB manufacturing, I've come to appreciate that every PCB begins long before the first sheet of laminate enters a press or the first hole is drilled. A PCB’s journey begins with a request for quotation (RFQ). I’ve been involved with documentation practices since the days of 4:1-scaled and Blue & Red-taped mylars. They all underwent photo-reduction and resizing to 1:1-scale film for manufacturing, and this became our tooling package. With new media and technology involved, this process has undergone many changes, but the focus on tooling can never waver. I have learned that the accuracy of the quotation is directly tied to the quality of the information received. 

Trouble in Your Tank: At 40 GHz, Everything Matters, Part 2

07/27/2026 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your Tank
In Part 1 of this article, we examined alternative solderable finishes for 5G/6G applications and reviewed literature on their performance at high frequencies. We found that certain solderable finishes are more susceptible to signal loss as frequency increases. These attenuation losses become increasingly significant at frequencies approaching and exceeding 40 GHz. Because of their high conductivity, silver and copper generally outperform finishes such as nickel and palladium. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of finish selection in high-frequency applications.

Trouble in Your Tank: At 40 GHz, Everything Matters, Part 1

07/07/2026 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your Tank
The electronics industry supply chain is moving very quickly with the explosion of AI servers, high-performance computing, ADAS, quantum computing, and 5G/6G. Signal integrity is under scrutiny in an entirely new role. With many factors influencing signal integrity, one area that contributes to signal distortion at high frequencies is the PCB’s final finish layer deposits. Frequencies above 40 GHz are susceptible to such distortions, and data transfer rates of 224 GB/s are driving changes in PCBs and IC substrates.

Connect the Dots: Designing for the Future of Manufacturing Reality—Surface Finish

05/07/2026 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the Dots
When designing the complex boards that many electronic devices require to operate, designers should consider manufacturability at every step. This is my last article focused on designing for the always-evolving manufacturing reality. Choosing the right surface finish has always been important. If you are creating intricate designs with a wide variety of components, like for an ultra-high density interconnect (UHDI) board, surface finish is a critical last step.
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