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I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
July 15, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
I’m getting a lot of out-of-office replies. Are you all on the beach now? It’s 91 degrees every day here in Atlanta lately, but each afternoon it rains like we’re in a horror movie, and that drops the temperature down to the subtropical arena. Still, I’ll take heat over freezing any day.
Things are heating up in our industry too, as we see from my top five choices this week. First-quarter electronic design revenue is up year-on-year, but PCB revenue barely moved the needle YOY. Editor Nolan Johnson spent the week at SEMICON West and the FLEX Conference, and he brings us a review of these conferences, co-located at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. As he notes, printed electronic circuits are beginning to gain a foothold in the market.
Cadence Design Systems has invested in data center design, and IPC is lobbying Congress to help strengthen our supply chain. Finally, we have some “common sense” from Dan Beaulieu. In this column, he discusses companies that try to be all things to all customers, taking on projects far outside their “sweet spot.”
Stay cool!
FLEX Conference 2022: If You Build It, We Will Buy It
Published July 13
Our colleague Nolan Johnson has been covering the FLEX Conference and SEMICON West in San Francisco this week, and visiting manufacturers as well. As he points out in this article, much of the FLEX Conference focused on printed electronic circuits. PEC have been making big advances lately, often behind the scenes. This is a segment to watch, as OEMs drive most of the innovation here—not the fabricators.
IPC: Over 100 Industry Executives Urge U.S. Congress to Strengthen Electronics Supply Chain
Published July 14
The supply chain has been in a jam for a while now. Remember how lead times were getting long pre-COVID? IPC has been pushing Washington to take action, and it seems that politicians may be starting to listen. That’s one silver lining to the whole supply chain problem: Washington is finally becoming aware of the critical role that U.S. electronics manufacturers play in our economy, as well as our ability to equip our warfighters. Check it out.
Cadence to Acquire Future Facilities, A Pioneer in Data Center Digital Twins
Published July 12
Data centers are front and center now. Over the past few years, we’ve pointed out the importance of data and—more importantly—data management. Cadence Design Systems has acquired Future Facilities, a company that creates software for data center design. The company’s software utilizes 3D digital twins and augments Cadence’s Celsius Thermal Solver. You can expect other EDA companies to invest in data center technology in the near future.
Electronic System Design Industry Logs 12.1% YoY Revenue Growth in Q1 2022
Published July 12
It’s kind of a mixed bag here. Electronic design revenue in Q1 is up 12.1% year-on-year, but PCB is a laggard here, clocking in at only 1.4%. Semiconductor IP is the engine pulling that particular train. And last year we were digging out from the pandemic, so I wouldn’t worry too much about PCB at this point. I bet your company is having a pretty good year. Am I right?
It's Only Common Sense: Big Macs and PCBs—Do What You Do Well
Published July 11
I’ve never understood why some companies try to please everyone. It’s just not possible. I get it; you want to keep revenue coming in. But some PCB manufacturers take on jobs that are far outside their core competency, just to keep the lights on. Dan Beaulieu sticks a fork in this turkey of an idea. As Dan says, do what you do well.
Suggested Items
SMTA UHDI Symposium: Shortening the Learning Curve
01/15/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007SMTA’s second annual UHDI Symposium on Jan. 23 in Phoenix will highlight groundbreaking discussions on UHDI assembly test board, innovative electronic inks, process controls, and signal integrity solutions. Organizer Tara Dunn talks about the importance of the event and how she prepared presentations and discussions that would appeal to fabricators, assemblers, and designers. This event will shorten your learning curve and spark new ideas that push the boundaries of hardware electronics manufacturing. There’s still time to register.
ITW EAE Achieves ISO 14001 Certification Across All Manufacturing Sites
01/14/2025 | ITW EAEITW EAE, the Electronic Assembly Equipment division of ITW, proudly announces that its manufacturing facilities in Camdenton, Missouri; Lakeville, Minnesota; and Suzhou, China have achieved ISO 14001 certification.
January 2025 Issue of Design007 Magazine: The Designer of the Future
01/13/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamAs we enter the new year, it’s a great time to be a PCB designer. The job is more complex than ever, and a lot of fun too. We can only wonder what the PCB designers of 1975 would think about the typical PCB designer’s workday. What will the designers' job be like for the next generations?
The Shaughnessy Report: The Designer of Tomorrow
01/14/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportIt’s a great time to be a PCB designer. The job is more complex than ever, but it's also a lot of fun. We can only wonder what the PCB designers of 1975 would think about today’s typical workday. What will the designer's job look like in the future? There has been a move toward working remotely, driven partly by the COVID pandemic and partly by reality: Many experienced designers simply will not relocate, even for a more lucrative job.
IPC Announces New Training Course: PCB Design for Manufacturability
01/10/2025 | IPCThis three-week online program, taught by an industry expert with over 40 years of experience, is designed to equip PCB designers with the knowledge and skills to reduce or eliminate design, documentation, and capability issues that often arise during PCB fabrication.