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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.
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Amundson Launches Arkeo Stack and Arkeo Panel
July 8, 2015 | Amundson TechnologiesEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
James Amundson, electronics industry veteran of over 15 years is pleased to announce the launch of Arkeo Stack, an advanced PCB stack-up modeling software, focused on rigid, flex, rigid-flex and IMS PCBs stack-up solutions, targeting design engineers to PCB manufacturers. “Today’s electronics OEM, EMS and PCB companies are challenged in sourcing a cost effective, accurate, intuitive PCB stack-up software that will accommodate, simple to complex interconnect structures and all PCB design types. We believe we have a solution." Amundson Technologies partnered with PCB Companies and industry experts to design a solution to meet and exceed their stack up needs. "We solicited feedback from multiple Front End Engineers, Application Engineers and facility managers, from both rigid and flex PCB manufacturers, in developing Arkeo Stack." Mr. Amundson said.
To list a few of Arkeo stacks features:
- Rigid and Rigid-Flex modeling: Accurately model any number of rigid and flex zones, you can model any build no matter how complex. Accurately model impedance on any section of the build.
- Complex Interconnect Structures: Accurately model and display; mechanical vs laser vias, filled vs unfilled, stacked vs staggered, and consider copper thickness requirements for copper wrap.
- Accurate and Configurable: Materials are configured to facility thicknesses and specifications, making press thicknesses and impedance very accurate. All aspects of the system are configurable to facility or user needs.
- Impedance Calculations: Impedance calculations are generated using Apsim Rlgc for the most accurate predictions. Includes the ability to model structures with crosshatch reference planes.
- Back Calculation: System will automatically back calculate build dielectric thickness and/or line width given specific impedance requirements.
- Electrical Properties; Automatic calculations of individual layer Dk/Df for more accurate impedance predictions.
- Easy to use interface: The interface is very intuitive and easy to use, allowing users to master the software without a long learning curve.
- BOM generation: Bill of Materials with panel specific costs can be generated to view or input into most quotation packages.
- Customizable Reports: Reports are fully customizable allowing you to use your company's logo and display in the format of your choice. Multiple reports can be configured allowing users to have the output they need. Reports can be printed or saved directly to Pdf.
- Panelization: Built-in panelization layout tool. Layout panels with individual boards or arrays, add coupons, rails, etc. Arrays can be layed-out by fixed array size or by a matrix of boards. Full dimensions can be added to the array.
- "Industry feedback has been extremely positive." Amundson continued, "A Tier One OEM benchmarked our product against existing software systems in 2014. The results from their engineering staff gave Arkeo Stack the best report. We now have multiple installations in the US and Canada."
More information on Arkeo Stack can be found at www.arkeostack.com.
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Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
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.
Institute of Circuit Technology Spring Seminar 2026: A Bright Future in Europe
04/23/2026 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Through the leafy lanes and spring flowers of Warwickshire and back to Meridan, the traditional centre of England, and now officially part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the county of the West Midlands, I attended the Annual General Meeting and Spring Seminar of the Institute of Circuit Technology (ICT) on April 14. Out of the AGM came notable changes in leadership at the top of the Institute: the retirement of Mat Beadel as chair and Emma Hudson as technical director. Effective May 1, Steve Driver is the new chair, and Alun Morgan is the new technical director.
ACCM Unveils Negative and Near-zero CTE Materials for Large-Format AI Chips
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Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
Advanced Packaging for AI: Reliability Starts at the Cu/Cu/Cu Microvia Junction
04/20/2026 | Kuldip Johal, MKS' AtotechThe rapid growth of AI computing, from training clusters to inference at scale, is reshaping demand across the entire electronics supply chain. Advances in technology requirements, such as higher bandwidth, lower latency, and greater compute density, are driving the development of advanced packaging technologies and transforming the PCB industry across design, manufacturing, testing, and even architecture.