FEATURES

THE SHOP FLOOR
Getting Your Multilayer Board Fabricated
Assumptions can be costly, so communication is more critical than ever.
by Zulki Khan and Phil Lerma

LAMINATES
Designing PCBs with Mixed Materials
Mixing the right high-speed, high-frequency materials can improve your board design and keep costs down. But it pays to talk to your board shop.
by Rick Hartley

CERTIFICATION
UL Approval and Rigid-Flex
Rigid-flex is tougher and more costly to get UL-approved than rigid or flex. Finding the right supplier is key.
by Bob Burns

COVER STORY
Demonstrating the Lead-Free Capability of PCBs
It takes performance testing – as well as conformance testing – to ensure that your board can survive the increased temperatures of lead-free assembly.
by Paul Reid

SOLDERING
Peelable Solder Masks in Modern PCB Fabrication
Potential fields of application and processing abound as this handy device nears 30.
by Tanja Touré

POINT OF VIEW

Our Line
Time to counter the counterfeiters.
Andy Shaughnessy

ROI
The more things change the more they stay the same – or do they?
Peter Bigelow

Countdown to Lead-free
The new IPC-1750 series standardize the collection, tracking and disclosing of material content.
Richard Kubin

Interconnect Strategies
Timing concepts for digital design margin optimization and failure prevention.
Abe Riazi

Guest Columnist
Working with flex has its rewards, if you follow a few rules.
Andy Buja

The Flex Market
Appreciation of the Korean won is hurting the peninsula's exports. But China may be in the same boat soon.
Dominique Numakura

Career Care
Be on the lookout for labor shortages, flexible employers and – yes – more offshoring.
Ted Daywalt

No Myths Allowed
A handful of of rules that can help you achieve good EMC design.
Dr. Eric Bogatin

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