2012 Issues

December 2012

 

FEATURES

PCB Design
When It Comes to CAD, Function Beats Speed
A veteran PCB designer's question – "What sort of data is
available to benchmark the top four CAD tools out there?" – sparks a huge survey and reveals some surprising answers.
by Chelsey Drysdale

TPCA Report
The Mitchell Plan
IPC's new president is wasting no time remaking the trade group in his own (attentive) image.
by Matthew Holzmann

Reliability
Technical Diagnostics of Electronics Products: Application of Bayes Formula and Boltzmann-Arrhenius-Zhurkov
(BAZ) Model

For systems where failure-free operation is critical, technical diagnostics can recognize, in a continuous fashion and without dismantling, the ability to continue to function as expected over the long-term.
by Ephraim Suhir, Laurent BECHOU and Alain Bensoussan

Retrospective
Our dearly departed.
Mike Buetow

 

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    'Cooking' up some changes.
    Mike Buetow

     

MONEY MATTERS

  • ROI
    No day at the beach.
    Peter Bigelow

  • Focus on Business
    SMTAI was worth the trip, even if it
    was Orlando.
    Susan Mucha

 

TECH TALK

  • Designer’s Notebook
    BGA via-in-pad.
    Duane Benson

  • ESD Basics
    Principles for material selection and program decisions.
    The ESD Association

  • Solar Technologies
    Noncontact methods.
    Tom Falcon

  • Tech Tips
    Hand soldering or selective?
    ACI Technologies

  • Technical Abstracts
    In case you missed it.

November 2012

 

FEATURES

Advanced Packages
Stepping Out With 0.4mm Pitch BGA/PoPs
OEMs are finding the move from 0.5mm pitch BGA PoP to the next generation, 0.4mm ultra-fine pitch BGA PoP tough, indeed. These rules-of-thumb will help make the jump.
by Syed W. Ali

Associations
The Mitchell Plan
IPC's new president is wasting no time remaking the trade group in his own (attentive) image.
by Mike Buetow

 

FIRST PERSON

MONEY MATTERS

  • ROI
    Restating value.
    Peter Bigelow

 

TECH TALK

October 2012

 

View the digital edition.

 

FEATURES

PCB Design
7 Manual Routing Tips
Manual routing allows the engineer to apply all their experience to the design. An autorouter is an algorithm, and as such is limited in performing analysis or making decisions. But routing by hand, while time-consuming, can offer several advantages.
by Alex Mykhaylenko and Vlad Khomenko

Training
DfE Instruction Goes Online
Some 80% of the environmental impact of a product occurs during design. A new Web-based training program teaches cost-savings using best-of-breed design and purchasing practicesp.
by Mike Buetow

 

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Brokering a new model.
    Mike Buetow


MONEY MATTERS

  • ROI
    The design-manufacturing gap.
    Peter Bigelow

 

TECH TALK

  • Designer’s Notebook
    Routing two-lead parts.
    Duane Benson

  • In Flex
    FPC evolution.
    Dale Wesselmann

  • Tech Tips
    TSOP bridging.
    Robert Dervaes

  • Technical Abstracts
    In case you missed it.

September 2012

 

FEATURES

Procurement
Best Practices for Improving the PCB Supply Chain
PCBs should always be considered a critical commodity. Without stringent controls in place for board supplier selection, qualification and management, long-term product quality and reliability is neither achievable nor sustainable. Here are best practices and recommendations for improving your supply chain
by Cheryl Tulkoff and Craig Hillman, Ph.D.

PCB Design
Resolving EMI Effects in High-Speed Boards
The biggest effect EMI has on a design is that a product that doesn’t pass government requirements (FCC, for example) for radiated emissions cannot be shipped. But even if the product passes, and it is still radiating, it means reduced margins for signals and possible reliability issues – and usually increased susceptibility to outside noise. Most problems can be avoided simply by making sure all currents travel in a closed loop.
by Patrick Carrier

NTI-100
The 90-10 Split
Currency fluctuations had a big impact on the largest 104 printed circuit board manufacturers in 2011. Still, while making up less than 4% of the world's shops, the NTI-100 contributed more than 80% of the revenue.
by Dr. Hayao Nakahara

Talking Heads
P.D.-NCAB Deal Accelerates the Changing Channel
David Wolff discusses the decision behind board distributor P.D. Circuits' sale to NCAB.
by Mike Buetow

 

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Bringing it back.
    Mike Buetow


MONEY MATTERS

  • ROI
    Migration inflation.
    Peter Bigelow

 

TECH TALK

  • Designer’s Notebook
    Minimizing insertion loss.
    David Wiens

  • The Flexperts
    The cost of impedance control.
    Mark Verbrugge

  • Tech Tips
    Felling the bridge.
    Robert Dervaes

  • Solar Technologies
    How PV cells are used.
    Tom Falcon

  • Technical Abstracts
    In case you missed it.

August 2012

 

View the digital edition.

FEATURES

CAM
CAM in the Cloud
A handful of PCB industry veterans are vying to be the first to offer pre-CAM analysis through the cloud. But will users prefers a pay-as-you-go model?
by Mike Buetow

Plating
Successful Formulation of ENIG Plating
As Pb-free solder can leave bumps on the traces during HASL (hot air solder leveling), many alternate surface finish processes have been investigated to overcome this challenge. Several formulations of ENIG plating have been tried. A successful formulation of ENIG in continuous use in volume production for more than two years is discussed.
by Dr. T.S. Krishna Ram

 

FIRST PERSON

  • Caveat Lector
    Why Apple will revive onshoring.
    Mike Buetow


MONEY MATTERS

  • ROI
    "Details to follow."
    Peter Bigelow

  • Focus on Business
    Long live the King.
    Susan Mucha

 

TECH TALK

  • Designer’s Notebook
    Reconsidering fiducials.
    Duane Benson

  • In Flex
    Flexible engineering.
    Jay Desai

  • Technical Abstracts
    In case you missed it.

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