Elementary, Mr. Watson DFX—Basically a Basket of Crabs With Spreadsheets
Connect the Dots: Designing for the Future of Manufacturing Reality—Solder Mask and Legend
Target Condition: An Exploration of Flooding PCB Layers
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
November 28, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Yesterday was the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The traditional meal is, of course, roast turkey with “all the trimmings.” Although not everyone observes that menu, most do, and it was reported that 42 million turkeys were consumed on that day. With an average weight of 16 pounds per turkey, we cooked up 672 million pounds! With approximately 342 million people in the U.S, that pencils out to just under two pounds of drumstick and white meat per person. That, my friends, is a whole lot of leftovers.
Today is informally known as “Black Friday,” the kickoff of the Christmas retail season. Retailers traditionally run all sorts of early morning sales, and consumer electronics are typically well represented in the lists of the best Black Friday deals. This is good for our business, to be sure.
So, if you’ve done your early bird shopping and you’re ready for a turkey sandwich, please check out my picks for the week. I’ve got something for everyone.
Nvidia CEO Rejects AI Bubble Fears as Reliance on Key Customers Raises Risks
Published November 21
That AI bubble everyone’s talking about? CEO Jensen Huang calls it a tipping point. His reasons are based on what he sees in the demand trends for AI-related semiconductors. If he’s right, we’ll see long-term shifts in feature sizes and component complexities continue.
OpenAI and Foxconn Collaborate to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Across the AI Supply Chain
Published November 21
The same day Huang shared his thoughts, OpenAI and Foxconn announced a joint project “focused on design work and U.S. manufacturing readiness for the next generation of AI infrastructure hardware.” There are three core efforts built into this joint effort, all three of which will steer PCB design, fab and assembly.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Solderability Test Methods, Myths, and Realities
Published November 26
In his ongoing column, Nash Bell explains why solderability testing is an increasingly important step in the EMS build process. Why should you? What are the appropriate standards? Examples? Bell touches on them all.
The Global Electronics Association Launches Double Materiality Assessment Toolkit to Support the Electronics Industry with Sustainability Reporting Compliance
Published November 20
The Global Electronics Association says that the Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) Toolkit is “designed to help companies efficiently navigate the complex reporting requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Although the CSRD is an EU regulation, its requirements have global implications. Companies with operations, subsidiaries, or significant sales in Europe, and their worldwide supply chains, must also meet its rigorous sustainability reporting standards.”
Supply chain resilience may be leading to an increase in local manufacturing across many countries, but the overall supply chain is still a global entity. If your business is at all international, you may be affected by the CSRD.
Strong Signal for the Industry: productronica 2025 Drives Positive Industry Trend
Published November 21
Two members of the I-Connect007 team spent last week at productronica reporting on the show, which even organizers steered toward “new technologies, testing solutions, and manufacturing approaches (that) are helping improve transparency and security along the entire value chain. The trade fair thus sent a clear signal for the future viability of the industry.” Just as there is synchronicity in the U.S.’s AI industry, there is synchronicity in the EU regarding circularity in the supply chain.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Standardization, Workforce, and the Road Ahead for Flex–Packaging Integration, Part 3
04/22/2026 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsParts 1 and 2 of this series established the technical foundation and application landscape for the convergence of flexible PCBs and advanced semiconductor packaging. Part 3 addresses what comes next: the standards frameworks, talent pipelines, and strategic imperatives that will determine whether the industry can scale this convergence reliably and competitively.
New Guidance Targets Scope 3.1 Emissions Gap in Electronics Supply Chains
04/22/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamA new industry guidance document aimed at improving how electronics companies account for Scope 3 Category 1 (Scope 3.1) emissions marks a significant step toward more consistent and effective supply chain decarbonization. A recent webinar hosted by the Global Electronics Association and the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) addressed a persistent challenge: Despite the material impact of Scope 3.1 emissions, fewer than half of electronics companies currently report them.
Mexico’s Wire Harness Pivot Point
04/22/2026 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineMexico is a major producer of wire harnesses, but recent U.S. economic policies and Mexico’s domestic issues have had a ripple effect on the industry. Jesus Duarte, vice president of Mexico Assembly Wire Technology and president of Expo Wire Tech, explains the issue in greater depth and how the wire harness industry should respond on its own, rather than just reflect what Tier 1s are doing.
EDIP Opens the Door: EU Funding Now Available for Defence Electronics Including PCBs and Substrates
04/21/2026 | Alison James and Chris Mitchell, Global Electronics AssociationThe European Commission has published a call for proposals under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), and for European electronics manufacturers the message is clear: this is real money for real capacity, and PCBs and IC substrates are explicitly in scope. EDIP's Industrial Reinforcement Actions (IRA) dedicate €122.25 million to key electronic components, covering guidance electronics, propulsion electronics, RF and laser modules, multispectral cameras, avionics, PCBs and IC substrates, lithium-ion polymer batteries, power electronics, and critical semiconductor building blocks
Women in Technology: Learning to Just Be Myself
04/21/2026 | Michelle Te, I-Connect007Approximately 100 women and a handful of men gathered for a Women in Electronics evening event at APEX EXPO. As I wandered among the tables before it started, I stopped to chat with several women all wearing purple and white polo shirts emblazoned with the TTM logo. It turns out they are part of TTM’s Women in Technology Group, so I sat down and invited them to share their thoughts on coming to the event and what it means to be part of the electronics industry.