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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
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From Backbone to Breakthroughs: I-Connect007 Wraps PCB Materials Series with Focus on Innovation
April 30, 2026 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: Less than a minute
I-Connect007 wraps up its six-part podcast series, PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics, with Episode 6 and a discussion focusing on innovation.
In Episode 6, Marcy LaRont speaks with Isola CTO Kirk Thompson about a critical turning point for the PCB industry as innovation accelerates. As data rates climb and demands from AI infrastructure, power density, flexible electronics, photonics, and chiplet integration intensify, traditional material assumptions are no longer sufficient. Thompson explains how advanced materials are enabling higher speeds, improved thermal management, and tighter dimensional control, while still maintaining manufacturability.
“The merging of PCBs and advanced packaging is both exciting and challenging, requiring substrate-like precision at scale. In the end, early collaboration across the ecosystem and smarter, more integrated materials will shape the next generation of cutting-edge PCBs,” says LaRont.
Find this podcast series on Apple, Spotify, and in I-Connect007’s Industry Resource Center. Listeners can also download the free companion guide to this series.
Listen and download today!
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"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
Jiva Soluboard Getting the Attention It Deserves
04/30/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007 MagazineJiva is a newer company that bridges the divide between PCB fabrication and product circularity or sustainability. Jiva Soluboard is the first fully recyclable laminate material ever created for PCB fabrication, and it's not going unnoticed. Stephen Driver, CEO of Jiva, gave us an update at APEX EXPO, including an exciting certification achievement in February.
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
04/28/2026 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationWhen I first joined Schmoll Maschinen, I brought experience from almost every PCB process, except for laser. As I immersed myself in laser processing, I realized why it can seem so daunting to a newcomer. The complexity arises from three intersecting factors: A vast variety of laser sources: CO2, UV-nano, green-pico, UV-pico, IR-pico, and others; a diverse range of applications: Drilling, cutting, ablation, and more; and an extensive list of materials: These have vastly different absorption rates. Choosing the right machine or laser source is rarely trivial. Even for experienced engineers, answering "Which source is best?" requires examining the business's specific goals.
Insulectro: Advanced PCB Fabrication Materials
04/23/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOExplore advanced PCB fabrication materials with Insulectro's Dain Hertsgaard and Gabriel Zepeda. This interview covers Arlon's innovative polyimide and epoxy solutions, including low-flow options for flex materials and high-performance materials for HDI applications; Qnity's polyimide films for demanding environments, and DuPont Interra's capacitance films for enhanced reliability. Insulectro offers comprehensive service and a commitment to advancing circuit technology
A Mic, a Tiny Cam, and the Show Floor: The Story Behind 'Take the Mic!'
04/23/2026 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamI-Connect007’s Take the Mic! program at APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim is proving to be a must-watch feature for this year’s event coverage, as we invited company representatives to participate in a sponsored conversation about their businesses and products in a whole new way: in front of a camera at their booths. While our managing editors and guest editors were conducting slightly longer Real Time with… APEX EXPO interviews in our booth, three staff members and guests acted as roaming reporters, conducting short, prearranged interviews with several companies exhibiting on the show floor.
Target Condition: When Design Outpaces Manufacturing
04/23/2026 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionMost PCB designers already understand why design for manufacturing (DFM) matters. If a product can’t be built reliably, repeatedly, and at a price anyone will actually pay, it’s dead on arrival. You may have the most elegant schematic and layout ever drawn in a CAD tool, but if the PCB suppliers can’t make it, or the EMS sources refuse to quote it, you may well be considered more of a Nutty Professor or well-meaning inventor than a PCB designer.