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FEATURES

Design Hall of Fame
CAD Pioneers Lead Latest Hall Inductees
The father of the gridless router. The largest seller of CAD seats. A leading inventor of team-based design. The foremost signal integrity guru. These are the four latest inductees to the Dieter W. Bergman PCB Design Hall of Fame.
by Mike Buetow

Data Transfer
IPC-2581 Consortium Update
The consortium is on track to extend the standard to enable build-intent collaboration between PCB manufacturers and design houses before layout begins.
by Hemant Shah

Quality Assurance
Using Forensics to Improve PCB Design and Assembly
Where AOI and conventional x-ray peak, other methods can hone in on nettlesome defects.
by Zulki Khan

ESD
Static Control Standards: An Annual Progress Report
From components to wrist straps, a look at more than 60 documents that make up ESD control programs.
by The ESD Association

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  All hail the Hall.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Competence matters.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus on Business
  Building a better life.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  New life in Japan?
  E. Jan Vargerman

• Designer’s Notebook
  Filling the roster.
  W. Scott Fillebrown

• In Flex
  The power of polyimide.
  Dale Wesselmann

• Technical Abstracts
  In case you missed it.

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FEATURES

PCB Layout
Will a Via Fit in Between?
BGAs have never been easy to route, but with 0.3mm versions coming, via-in-pad becomes a consideration.
by Duane Benson

Thermal Management
Cool Runnings
The ongoing push to integrate mechanical and electrical design has now extended to electronics cooling simulation.
by Mike Buetow

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Into Africa.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Rigid-flex.
  Peter Bigelow

TECH TALK

• Designer’s Notebook
  Simulation accuracy.
  Patrick Carrier

• The Flexperts
  Sticky situations.
  Mark Verbrugge

• Tech Tips
  ‘Board’ talk.
  Robert Dervaes

• Technical Abstracts
  In case you missed it.

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FEATURES

Schematic Design
Advanced Block Organization in Schematic Design and Layout
Designs using blocks are much easier to check and maintain, saving precious design time. A lesser-known hierarchical capability called the virtual block is especially useful for smaller schematics.
by Abby Monaco

EMS Top 50
Bend, Don’t Break
If the EMS market in 2012 were a movie, it would have been the good (Nam Tai), the bad (the effects of RIM) and the ugly (Elcoteq). But most of the world’s 50 largest contract assemblers absorbed the blows from shrinking PC and cellphone margins and set their sights on the more profitable (if smaller) automotive and industrial sectors.
by Mike Buetow

ESD Basics
Managing Your ESD Program
Enjoy all the software tools, but don’t forget the procedures.
by The ESD Association

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Knotted up.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Incorporating new technology.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus on Business
  Relationship make or breaks.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• Designer’s Notebook
  Design for test.
  W. Scott Fillebrown

• Final Finishes
  Microetch, major player.
  Lenora Toscano

• In Flex
  Flex circuit integration.
  Dale Wesselmann

• Solar Technologies
  Dual print processes.
  Tom Falcon

• Technical Abstracts
  In case you missed it.

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FEATURES

CircuitHub
In Search of the Designer’s Holy Grail
The latest in a yearlong PCD&F series highlighting promising new enterprises in printed circuit board design looks at startup CircuitHub’s user-driven parts library.
by Mike Buetow

ESD Basics
The ‘Simple’ Problem
“Does my process generate an electrostatic charge, and if so, how much?” A simple “yes or no” answer is rare.
by The ESD Association

Apex Expo Recap
Let’s Get Small
At IPC Apex Expo this year, small was big. Benchtop was in and integration was all the rage at the annual North American trade show.
by Mike Buetow

Cover Story
Bridging Technology between Conventional 3D and TSV 3D Stacking
Two new multi-die DRAM packages have thin profiles and minimize wirebond length.
by  Belgacem Haba, Ph.D.

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Acquiring minds.
  Mike Buetow
  
  

• Talking Heads
  Gary Ferrari and the IPC-2221B.
  Mike Buetow
  
  
• Talking Heads
  EMS Business on Block, Woods Still Sees Bright Side.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  I will, I promise.
  Peter Bigelow

TECH TALK

• Designer’s Notebook
  High speeds, small boards.
  Randall Myers
  
  

• The Flexperts
  Going for gold.
  Mark Finstad
  
  

• Technical Abstracts
  In case you missed it.