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Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Industry Trends With American Standard Circuits

PCB fabricator Anaya Vardya and guest editor Geoff Leeds discuss important developments at American Standard Circuits and a variety of industry trends.

Six Money-saving Material Properties When Designing PCB Stackups

Stackup decisions are critical to every PCB and electronic product, but they don’t always get the attention they deserve. With better stackup planning focusing on six key parameters, designers can select the best materials early in the design process and minimize the risk of under- and overdesigning their PCB.

Q&A With the IPC Design Competition Winner

Design engineer Sathishkumar Vijayakumar (aka Sathish Kumar V.) with Tessolve Semiconductor, India, took home top honors in this year’s IPC Design Competition, besting the other four finalists in a rigid-flex design showdown during IPC APEX EXPO. Unlike last year, no one finished the design completely, so judges graded competitors on what they did finish, as well as criteria such as design decisions they made, and whether they followed electrical and DFM rules.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: We Can All Learn Something

Dylan Nguyen speaks with Charlene Gunter du Plessis, senior director, IPC Education Foundation, about careersinelectronics.com, a newly designed information-driven, industry-focused career website from the IPC Education Foundation.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

This week, we published a variety of articles, columns, and news items. But let’s have a special round of applause for Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Blake Moore (R-UT), two members of the House of Representatives who sent the DoD a letter detailing the need for more production of PCBs and IC substrates in the United States. Republicans and Democrats have been mixing like oil and water lately, so it’s promising to see these two reach across the aisle and try to get something accomplished for the greater good.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Overseas Production

David Bishop, south regional sales director at ICAPE Group, talks with Andy Shaughnessy about overseas production, specifically out of China, as they respond to customer demand.

DFM 101: Final Finishes—HASL

One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer's perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Updating Training Methods

EPTAC’s VP and technical director, Leo Lambert, converses with Pete Starkey about the need for updates in training methods and the use of visual tools. Training the next generation is top of mind.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

We have new projects in the U.S. Army space programs, research on gold thickness and solderability, a call for papers throughout 2023 from SMTA, an investment in Korean facilities by ASM, and an adjustment in TTM’s assignation with the U.S. DoD. All together, these five must-reads represent the hurtling trajectory that R&D seems to be following in 2023.

PCB Designers Are Really Product Designers

As I look back on 2022, I’m realizing that my company plays multiple roles in client projects beyond just designing circuits and PCBs. Sure, we’re primarily a PCB design company, but we also help with things that happen outside the PCB. This includes tasks like enclosure design, defining mechanical constraints, simulating electrical behavior, mating boards into larger assemblies, selecting cabling, and defining test requirements, all of which slowly creep into the standard scope of work for design projects.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Polar Driving Software Development for Customers

Andy Shaughnessy sits down with product specialist Erik Bateham, a new hire at Polar Instruments. Erik explains his circuitous route into circuit analysis tools. He also discusses the challenges that Polar’s customers are facing, and how user input drives Polar’s software development. If you were unable to attend IPC APEX EXPO 2023, don't worry. We're bringing you coverage of the week's events in San Diego, from ribbon cutting to teardown.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Automotive Electrification

Nolan Johnson talks with Senior Product Manager Chris Nash of Indium Corporation, who discusses Durafuse LT, a novel solder paste mixed alloy system with highly versatile characteristics that enable energy savings, high-reliability, low-temperature, step soldering, and assemblies with large temperature gradients. It also provides superior drop shock performance to conventional low-temperature solders, outclassing BiSn or BiSnAg alloys, and performing better than SAC305 with optimum process setup.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: EMS Leadership Discussion

Guest editor Geoff Leeds meets with John Vaughan of Summit Interconnect to discuss his participation representing the PCB industry on the supply chain panel at the EMS Leadership Summit and the DoD roundtable, as well as trends he’s seeing in those market segments.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads For the Week

It’s Feb. 3, 2023—2/3/23—and now we know the results of yesterday’s Groundhog weather forecast straight from Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney Phil says six more weeks of winter. If you’re watching the ongoing ice storms blanketing much of the United States at present, that seems like a safe bet. Also a safe bet is that the most-read news this week is IPC APEX EXPO related. Additionally, this week IPC published its EMS and PCB numbers for December. All told, lots of industry news to read this week.

Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Wise Continues Expansion With Technica Partnership

Andy Shaughnessy sits down with Massimo Passerini, founder of Wise, and Technica's Jason Perry, to discuss Wise's latest PCB manufacturing automation. They also focus on the company's distributor partnership with Technica, which is moving into the PCB fab market. If you were unable to attend IPC APEX EXPO 2023, don't worry. We're bringing you coverage of the week's events in San Diego, from ribbon cutting to teardown.

DesignCon 2023 Opens With Strong Attendance

As George Costanza would say, “DesignCon is back, baby!” The show opened Wednesday morning, and it really felt like old times again. The aisles of the Santa Clara Convention Center were busy, and the classrooms for the technical conference were nearly full. And I spoke—or tried to speak—with quite a few engineers who spoke almost no English. That’s a good sign; in recent years, there were very few attendees from outside the U.S. because of Covid restrictions. The Pacific Rim is well represented this year.

Don't Blink: The IPC APEX EXPO Time-lapse

It’s a tradition here at I-Connect007 to set up a time-lapse for IPC APEX EXPO. There’s something satisfying, mesmerizing even, to watch the show floor build out and see the moment when the doors open and visitors fill the exhibit hall. Based on what others have said over the years, I know I’m not the only one whose favorite part is when the carpet gets rolled out and the whole character of the exhibition changes. This time lapse starts on the Saturday prior and continues through the Thursday tear-down phase.

DFM 101: Final Finishes—Electrolytic Nickel/Gold

One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer’s perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.

IPC APEX EXPO Wrap-up

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 is over, and I think it was a successful show no matter how you slice it. There was barely a break in traffic on the show floor on Tuesday and Wednesday, and even on Thursday I saw people sprinting to close one more deal. Some committee meetings had nearly 200 participants; the meetings I sat in on were anything but boring.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

This week, the IPC APEX EXPO event has cast a long shadow across the news feeds. No, that’s not the right metaphor. No, not a shadow; shadows are dark. It would be more accurate to say IPC APEX EXPO cast a beam of illumination upon the news feeds for the electronics manufacturing industry. To that end, the APEX EXPO news makes a prominent appearance in this week’s editor’s picks.

Advanced Packaging Means Advanced Routing Issues

In today’s ever-shrinking world of electronics designs, the use of BGA parts with very fine pitch features is becoming more prevalent. As these fine-pitch BGAs continue to increase in complexity and user I/O (number of balls), the difficulty of finding escape routes and fan-out patterns increases. Additionally, with the shrinking of silicon geometry leading to both smaller channel length and increased signal integrity issues, some of the traditional BGA escape routing techniques will require a revisit and/or adjustment to allow for not only successful fan-out, but also successful functioning of the circuitry of the BGA design.

Scaling Beyond Silicon

Technology has always invoked radical changes, but unlike today, there used to be one major revolutionizing technology trend at a time. The world is becoming increasingly connected, more automated and more intelligent, driven by generational drivers—hyperscale computing, 5G, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), industrial IoT (IIoT), and autonomous vehicles—which are invoking disruptive technological forces on vertical markets, unfolding varied levels of microelectronics and digital transformation across the globe. The increasing demand for miniaturization and higher speed is changing the dynamics of the semiconductor components needed to store and process data.

Bright Lights, Big City: STEM Event Kicks Off

The San Diego sun was warm and bright on Wednesday afternoon, but it didn’t stop the crowds from filling the aisles at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 for the trade show’s second official day. Technical conferences, professional development courses, and a keynote from IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell kept attendees busy. But the real highlight of the day was upstairs where approximately 300 high school students from the local San Diego area rode buses to the San Diego Convention Center for a day full of activities meant especially for them.

IPC APEX EXPO 2023: Face-to-Face Not Mask-to-Mask

It was a bright, sunny California day as IPC APEX EXPO officially opened its doors on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the San Diego Convention Center. The Technical Conference began on the same day, while the program of standards meetings and professional development courses had been in progress since Saturday, Jan. 21. During the hustle and bustle of the show build-up over the weekend, it was clear to see that so many exhibitors had the confidence to bring so much major equipment and to invest in such spectacular booths to display it.

A Challenge Facing Aerospace Designers In 2023

As the aerospace industry has been tasked with fitting increasingly complex electronics in existing airframes the demands on PCB substrates have begun to overtask the existing state of the art in PCB fabrication. Recently, I was called in to troubleshoot some reliability problems with a very dense PCB that had components on both sides and required the use of stacked blind vias and buried vias. The usual name for this kind of design is “build-up fabrication,” requiring many trips through the lamination, drilling, and plating operations at a fabricator.

Monday Recap: Optimism and Economics at IPC APEX EXPO

It was a packed house for two large events at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 on Monday, Jan. 23, as the EMS Leadership Summit was wrapped in the pale veil of caution, meanwhile hundreds more gathered to hear from IPC’s chief economist, Shawn DuBravac. At the EMS summit, the morning presenters from IPC all shared silver linings they saw inside the fading clouds of uncertainty.

Classes and Meetings Under Way at IPC APEX EXPO

IPC APEX EXPO 2023 doesn’t officially kick off until Tuesday, but there’s plenty of action going on here at the San Diego Convention Center. Booths are sprouting up on the show floor, and exhibitors are starting to arrive. Upstairs, committee meetings have been taking place all weekend; the IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Joint Task Group, and IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012 Joint Task Group meetings, were abuzz with activity. The Professional Development classes began on Sunday, covering everything from design through assembly processes, flex and rigid-flex, and technologies of the future.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

We’re in the middle of show season, and it certainly “shows.” Thank you very much. I’m here all week. Don’t forget to tip your wait staff. This week, we published a variety of articles, columns, and news items, and much of it centered on trade shows. Technical Editor Dan Feinberg brings us a report from CES 2023. IPC announced the winners of the Best Technical Paper awards for IPC APEX EXPO 2023. And we have an interview with Altium’s Rea Callender about the company’s educational efforts at APEX and around the globe.

It’s Here: The Launch of IPC Community Magazine

IPC Community Magazine launches today at IPC APEX EXPO 2023, both in digital and print form. It is now widely available for download at no cost. This magazine helps tell the stories of IPC, particularly for IPC members who use and interact with the trade organization. IPC worked closely with I-Connect007 (IPC Publishing Group) to develop the concept for the publication, and asked John W. Mitchell, president and CEO of IPC, to share a few thoughts as he looked at the magazine for the first time in print.

Setting Expectations for IPC APEX EXPO's Women in Electronics Reception

Emily Calandrelli, IPC APEX EXPO’s opening keynote speaker and featured speaker of our Women in Electronics Reception, is an MIT-engineer turned Emmy-nominated science TV host. She’s the host and co-executive producer of “Emily’s Wonder Lab” on Netflix, she's featured as a correspondent on Netflix’s “Bill Nye Saves the World” and an executive producer and host of FOX's “Xploration Outer Space.”

Altium Focuses on Design Education

Altium keeps its eyes on the designers of the future. The company has been working with colleges and universities for years, providing free seats of Altium Designer for the next generation of PCB designers and design engineers. At IPC APEX EXPO 2023, Altium will be providing software for the finalists in the IPC Design Competition just as it did last year. They offer a variety of other educational programs as well, including Upverter classes and a design competition that aims to address environmental change. Here, Rea Callender, Altium’s VP of education, discusses its educational programs and plans for the week of the show.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

“New year, new you.” That tagline seems to be everywhere right now. All five must-reads this week reflect this theme. Does this apply to you and your company? We have quite a duke’s mixture of articles. We’ve got AT&S outlining their market position on advanced packaging, and Auburn University doing research on smart manufacturing processes. Keysight is coordinating practical 6G research in Europe, Technica shares where they see the market growing, and SEMI adds new members to a key board responsible for market guidance. These five stories drew a lot of reader attention this week.

The Battle of the Boards

Last year, IPC held its first-ever design competition at IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego. PCB designers from around the world competed in a series of heats during the months before the show, culminating in a showdown on the show floor between the top three finalists. Rafal Przeslawski, now with AMD, took home the top prize last year. This year, the competition is back for its sophomore year. I asked Patrick Crawford, manager of design standards and related programs for IPC, to “layout” the details on the design contest, including lessons learned in 2022 and what’s new for the 2023 competition.

Shawn Dubravac: What’s New in Tech

As the world grapples with issues like climate change, consumers and manufacturers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce environmental impact. This has led to a focus on fostering innovation in sustainable materials, renewable energy sources, and recyclable components. One example is CarbonX, a new carbon material composed of nano-sized carbon filaments that could help tire makers meet the increasing demand for sustainability. Technology will play a pivotal role in this transformation and one sector set to see tremendous change is the auto industry.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

The youngsters are back in school, and we’re all back to work. The water is back on for most of us in Atlanta; when temps dropped down to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, our pipes started bursting left and right. After a Christmas dinner with no water, I have a new appreciation for H2O. It’s been a busy week, and we published a variety of articles, columns, and news items. In this week’s top five, we have news about the market in Southeast Asia, a look at what the CHIPS Act really entails, a deep dive into CMMC, and a peek at how printed electronics developers are using flexible circuit concepts to facilitate PEC. We also say goodbye to a Top Gun PCB designer who left us way too soon.

Where Exactly is the Signal?

When I first got involved in printed circuit board design in the early 1990s, fast rise/fall times were just starting to become an issue. Prior to that we had been pretty much a “connect-the-dots” kind of technology. But as rise times got faster, it became necessary to worry about (electromagnetic) fields. One manifestation of that was EMI, and the increasing need to pass FTC compliance testing.

ICAPE: Solutions With No Limits

Over the past five years, ICAPE Group has strongly focused on analyzing the complex needs of the market to provide worldwide solutions for customers whose needs range from simple to very complex technologies. The services provider has done this by putting offices in key strategic locations—particularly China—with staff that understand the nuances of language and culture. These types of decisions make an important difference when it comes to getting customers exactly what, and when, they need it. Yann Duigou, CMO, and Bingling Li Sellam, VP of Northern Europe, share their secrets for success.

'Happy New Year' Celebrations Around the World

New Year’s Eve is tomorrow, and 2023 is around the corner. Where did the time go? That’s the $64,000 question. We celebrate New Year’s Day, in part, to help us mark the passage of time—sort of a shared experience for the human race. Humans have been celebrating New Year’s Day for thousands of years, but the party really took off in 45 BC, after Julius Caesar revamped the Roman calendar. From that point until the middle of the 18th century, New Year’s Day in Europe fell on a variety of days, including Dec. 25, March 1, and March 25. Andy Shaughnessy gives us the details.

Happy Holden on Gerry Partida’s ‘Significant’ Microvia Reliabilty Paper

Gerry Partida, vice president of technology at Summit Interconnect, authored a technical paper, “Next Progression in Microvia Reliability Validation—Reflow Simulation of a PCB Design Attributes and Material Structural Properties During the PCB Design Process,” at IPC APEX EXPO 2022, and it’s worth revisiting. This significant paper on microvia reliability validation provides a summary of what’s been happening in the microvia fabrication arena, especially regarding the issue of latent defects in stacked microvias.

I-Connect007 Editor's Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Just because it’s a holiday week doesn’t mean the news is slow. Okay, maybe a little bit slower than normal, but “slower” can also be the same as “fast, just less fast.” We’re going a bit deeper into the list for our must-reads looking for high-impact hard news. I mean, you’ve all read the curated stuff already, no sense rehashing that. In fact, I’ll even throw in a bonus news item just because there was some good stuff this week. Have a great New Year’s weekend.

DFM 101: Final Finishes ImmSn

One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is understanding the many cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer’s perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.

A Sneak Peak with Jim van den Hogen

Jim van den Hogen has been teaching PCB designers and design engineers about fabrication processes for decades. Twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to see a class of his at PCB West; even back then, the room was jammed with designers eager to learn more about DFM techniques. Now Jim is bringing his teaching expertise to IPC APEX EXPO 2023 this January with a similar class directed at PCB designers. I asked Jim to give us a sneak peek into his curriculum and to share what he hopes attendees will take away from his class, as well as his thoughts on how to best bridge the gap between design and fabrication.

Designing a Sustainable Future

While it may be traditionally considered a PCB fab and assembly show, IPC APEX EXPO is quickly becoming a destination for PCB designers and design engineers. Flipping through this year’s schedule, I counted 15 Professional Development and Technical Conference classes that focus on PCB design, as well as several fabrication classes that many of you should probably take. I checked in with Carlos Plaza, IPC’s senior director of educational development, to discuss the organization’s drive to present more PCB design curriculum at the upcoming show and how the show can give designers the tools they need to overcome the many challenges currently facing the industry.

The Five Most-read Design007 News of 2022

Each December, we like to look back at the most popular articles of the past 12 months. You never know which article is going to blow up like a Harry Styles album. So, grab some leftover ham and hang out with us for a while. For your holiday enjoyment, here’s a blast from the past: the top five most-read Design007 articles of 2022.

The Five Most-read Design007 Articles of 2022

Each December, we like to look back at the most popular articles of the past 12 months. You never know which article is going to blow up like a Blake Shelton album. So, put on your ugliest holiday sweater and prop up that iPad. For your holiday enjoyment, here’s a blast from the past: the top five most-read Design007 articles of 2022.

The Most-read I-Connect007 Articles of 2022

Each December, we like to look back at the most popular articles of the past 12 months. You never know which article is going to blow up like an Avril Lavigne album. So, grab a cup of eggnog and curl up by the fire! For your holiday enjoyment, here’s a blast from the past: the top five most-read I-Connect007 articles of 2022.

I-Connect007 Editor's Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

In this week leading up to Christmas, we have a little bit of everything. Pete Starkey has a review of the most recent EIPC Technical Snapshot, while Tom Kastner discusses the dwindling number of PCB companies in North America. Are we really down to 170 companies? IPC reports that North American PCB sales up 26.1% in November YOY, and the book-to-bill is dead-on at 1.00. Cybord CEO Zeev Efrat explains how his company can provide 100% component inspection. And I have an interview with a student I ran into at PCB Carolina who is working toward his “dream job” on being a technician. As Alex Barile says, he’d hate to work at a desk all day; he likes to install equipment.

Workflow Challenges in Fabrication

Paul Cooke, the senior director of business development for Ventec International Group, is presenting a class at IPC APEX EXPO 2023 that looks at workflow challenges in fabrication, and the myriad drivers that can affect yield, reliability, and cost. Here he discusses the details of this Professional Development course, what he hopes attendees will take away, and why designers and design engineers would benefit from this class.

PCB Carolina: Alex Barile Studying for His Dream Job

Visitors jammed the aisles at PCB Carolina, but I noticed someone who stood out from the crowd: Alex Barile, a student at Wake Tech, a community college in North Carolina. Alex loves the physical and mechanical aspects of machinery, but learned pretty quickly he doesn’t want to be sitting behind a desk all day. He’s found a major that fits both his personality type and professional interests.

Tim Haag Celebrates 10 Years as a Columnist

I ran into columnist Tim Haag at PCB West, who was visiting the show with co-workers from the technical writing company First Page Sage. We discussed Tim’s years as a Design007 Magazine columnist, and some of the drivers affecting the technical writing market, such as the retirement of many PCB subject matter experts who were also go-to writers within their companies.

The First India Pavilion

For the first time, IPC APEX EXPO will host an “India Pavilion,” showcasing 16 Indian companies promoting India’s electronics manufacturing capabilities. The initiative was undertaken by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, and implemented by the Indian government agency, Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) India.

Taiyo: Reopening Europe for Solder Mask

Nolan Johnson and Stuart Down discuss Taiyo’s partnership with Ventec and how both companies are leveraging their expertise to blaze a trail into the European PCB market. Stuart shares his outlook on the market and the unique challenges posed by global political instability and supply chain constraints, as well as how Europe’s evolving chemical regulations have impacted solder mask formulation. With their sights set on ramping up manufacturing capabilities, Taiyo sees a secure path forward to establishing a sizeable market presence in this promising region.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

The holiday season is in full swing for most of us; no matter which holiday you choose to recognize here in the second half of December, it’s almost certain that your routine has some level of interruption to it right now. Chances are, you might not be consuming as much of your usual diet of industry news and information, what with all the holiday treats and traditional meals to be consumed instead. That, gentle reader, is why we bring you this week’s Top 5 editor’s picks–your slimmed down version of the news, leaving you more time for the other delights of the season. So without further ado, we bring you the five news items you really should make room for this week.

NCAB Creating a New Culture of Success

NCAB has been one of the most active companies in the industry when it comes to growth through acquisition, building an extensive global network over time. During the electronica show in Munich recently, Nolan Johnson met up with Greg Nicol and David Grant, both managing directors with NCAB’s UK organization. Greg and David had number of interesting insights on NCAB to share.

A New Gathering Place for Designers

IPC APEX EXPO started out as a show for the PCB manufacturing community, but it’s grown beyond that. This year, there’s more design curriculum at the show in San Diego than ever before. IPC instructor Kris Moyer has been instrumental in leading the organization’s efforts around PCB design and design engineering curriculum. So, I asked him the million-dollar question.

Industry Innovation Starts Here

If it isn’t clear already, your money, time, and effort will be well spent attending IPC APEX EXPO in January. Here, we’ve outlined the top six reasons that this event will be the highlight of your year. We’ve done all we can to make the event not only memorable, but a show that allows you to connect with industry peers, learn how to enhance your skills, help advance the industry, and discover new insights on products and strategies from industry innovators.

I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

We’re into December, and the new year is around the corner. Things are looking pretty good for our industry. Trade show attendance is back up to pre-COVID levels, and a lot of companies are having banner years. Has the virtual trade show gone the way of the dodo bird? Let’s hope! This week, our must-reads include articles and news items on the decline of R&D, STEM education for kids, why vias do not heat up, the need for more DFT, and the lack of movement toward intelligent data transfer. Designers just love their Gerbers, but Dana Korf has a few ideas about how to make Gerbers obsolete.

Physics, Electrical Engineering, and PCB Design

When I was a sophomore in college, I had an amazing professor for Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism. He made a series of complex topics fun to learn, and his personality and way of teaching were almost tailor-made for the way I like to learn. He explained new concepts through practical examples, and always kept students engaged throughout the class, making sure everyone understood the lectures. Physics II was an engineering prerequisite, and I didn’t mind taking the class since I really enjoyed the material. However, I did find myself wondering a few times, “Will I ever use any physics in real life?” It turns out that the answer to the question was yes.

Polar Instruments: Simulating PCB Potentialities

Nolan Johnson checks in with Polar’s Martyn Gaudion on the evolving needs of global PCB manufacturing markets in a post-pandemic world, where generating accurate PCB specification documentation is essential to successfully navigating today's rampant supply chain constraints. Polar has positioned itself to meet these needs through agile software product developments that allow OEMs and fabricators to simulate material interactions and end-product specifications, including in-demand features like a comprehensive "structure view" that allows users to visualize all the transmission lines on a given a PCB. Though keeping pace with the demands of a rapidly growing industry has been challenging, Polar's commitment to innovation has kept its software suite ahead of the curve.

The Test Connection: Spreading the Word About DFT

As signal speeds continue to increase and feature sizes decrease, PCB designers are beginning to pay greater attention to test and design for test (DFT) strategies. Bert Horner, president of The Test Connection in Hunt Valley, Maryland, is spearheading this drive to show designers the benefits of a solid DFT plan, as well as the downside of not having a test strategy. I met with Bert at PCB Carolina, where he was exhibiting and presenting a paper during the conference. We discussed his presentation, as well as why designers need to understand test and DFT issues, and why we need to see the PCB as one small—but very important—part of the entire system.
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