I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
October 21, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Where did the year go? I can’t believe we’re planning our January and February issues now. It was 84 degrees most of last week in Atlanta, and now it’s 31. I guess I should take my Hawaiian shirts out of rotation!
This week we have quite a variety of articles for you. It’s officially show time and the industry is back in business in a major way. We have some news coming out of last week’s advanced packaging event in Washington, D.C., and an article about navigating SMTA International, which opens on Halloween this year in Minneapolis.
We have a great column on avoiding EMI with good routing strategies, and an article on electrically conductive inks. To top it off, I-Connect007 has published a new book, written by Matt Stevenson of Sunstone Circuits, that posits a new “design for”: Designing for Reality. If you’re a designer, isn’t designing for reality what it’s all about?
See you next time.
Sunstone and I-007eBooks Launch Book on Designing for Reality
Published October 20
There are probably a dozen “design fors” floating around now, with DFM being ubiquitous at this point. But this new I-Connect007 book cuts right to the chase with a new acronym: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality. Sunstone’s Matt Stevenson takes designers through the reality of the PCB fab process. Matt basically says, “Here’s what works, and here’s what doesn’t. Let’s go.” Check it out.
IPC Symposium: U.S. Must Address Critical Gaps in Advanced Packaging Needs
Published October 12
As fictional NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby so eloquently put it, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” When it comes to advanced substrate packaging, North America is definitely not in first place. As Jan Vardaman explains, last week’s IPC Advanced Packaging Symposium in Washington, D.C., represented a call to action. Speakers from across the electronics industry and various branches of the U.S. government addressed this gap in the supply chain which threatens our ability to develop the most cutting-edge fighter planes and weaponry. We’ll keep a watch on this situation.
Time to Go ‘Exploring’ at SMTA International
Published October 19
If you’re getting ready for SMTA International, don’t miss this. Editor Michelle Te has a handy-dandy article that covers how to use the SMTAI 2022 Passport. Ambassador Exhibitors on the show floor will discuss their companies’ technology and stamp your passport, and the most active Explorers and most popular Ambassadors can win various prizes. Grab your pith helmet and start exploring.
Market and Tech Convergence: Electrically Conductive Inks
Published October 17
In this article, Stan Farnsworth of NovaCentrix discusses the development of electrically conductive inks. Now in use in everything from smartphones and medical devices to cars and space suits, these inks can be configured by the OEM and applied in a variety of ways. Stan explains what all this means to designers and fabricators on the cutting edge.
Beyond Design: Routing Strategies to Minimize Radiation
Published October 19
If you’re a designer or design engineer wrestling with EMI issues, this Barry Olney column is just for you. Barry explains how good routing practices can save up to 10 dB of substrate radiation. He addresses things like fanout, mark-to-space ratios, and flight time for microstrip vs. stripline. In case this topic isn’t your strongest suit, Barry summarizes your best way forward. Don’t miss it.
Suggested Items
The Shaughnessy Report: A Stack of Advanced Packaging Info
12/10/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportIt’s only fitting that this issue on advanced packaging and stackup features a “stackup” of “packages” on the cover. There’s certainly a lot to “unpack” in this issue. As advanced packaging moves further into the mainstream of PCB design, more PCB designers and design engineers are realizing this isn’t a plug-and-play technology. As we see in this issue, advanced packaging can have an impact on the entire design—the stackup in particular.
I-Connect007 Releases New Episode of Meet the Author Podcast: Spotlight on Complex PCB Design
12/10/2024 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is thrilled to announce the latest installment of its Meet the Author podcast series, hosted by Nolan Johnson. In this episode, Johnson interviews Scott Miller and Brian White of Freedom CAD, who share their expertise on complex PCB design.
Advanced Packaging and Stackup Design: December 2024—Design007 Magazine
12/09/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn this month's issue,, we asked our expert contributors to discuss the impact of advanced packaging on stackup design—from SI and DFM challenges through the variety of material tradeoffs that designers must contend with in the arena of HDI and UHDI. And with a little research, planning, and collaboration with the fabricator, any seasoned PCB designer can utilize advanced packaging.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
12/06/2024 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007This week’s must-reads include a discussion on innovation and embedded components within the layers of a PCB with Accurate Circuit Engineering. We revisit the real cost to manufacture in a case study on how a seemingly small design error can have a dramatic effect on your end customer’s costs. Dan Beaulieu provides this month’s book review highlighting the criticality of fostering creativity in the workplace. Bert Horner of The Test Connection discusses his decision to launch a new, complimentary business venture, The Training Connection; and Ramon Roche of NCAB talks about electric vehicle charging.
If You Can Define It Right, You Can Design It Right
12/05/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007Design engineer Chris Young is known for his optimized design process. As lead hardware engineer with Moog Space and Defense Group and owner of Young Engineering Services, Chris collects data like it’s going out of style, and he leaves nothing to chance. With that in mind, I asked Chris to discuss his views on rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided, and how rules fit ideally into the PCB design process.