Machine and operational costs have shrunk over the past decade.
For years, the word in the electronics industry has been laser depaneling is expensive. This may have been true for investments in laser machines a decade or more ago, but the situation looks different once operating expenses are accounted for, especially with newer systems. In fact, according to our data, depaneling with laser systems is the most efficient method for a range of applications, and the cutting results are excellent, which means quality standards are also met.
The trend in the price-to-performance ratio for current laser systems, especially with respect to production of rigid PCBs, is obvious: The cost of depaneling based on the effective cutting speed has fallen to approximately one-tenth of what it was a decade ago (FIGURE 1). This dramatic shift is based on three major factors, all based on the rapid advances in laser technology. First, capex cost for laser depaneling systems has decreased to almost 30% of what it used to be a decade ago. Second, overall throughput has improved more than seven times. Finally, the operational costs for energy and maintenance have noticeably decreased.
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What PCB designers need to know to bring AI hardware to the device level.
A few buzzwords dominated headlines in 2020, many centered around Covid-19 and politics. Those who follow trends in technology probably noticed one area saw an explosion of growth: artificial intelligence. Unfortunately for the hardware developer, the tech world’s interest always seems to be drawn to the software side of AI.
The software industry has quickly embraced AI to the point where many software-driven services incorporate some element of AI to provide a meaningful user experience. As of the first quarter of 2021, it’s getting difficult to find a SaaS platform that doesn’t use AI for some specialized task. SaaS-ification is fine, and it’s creating a wealth of productivity tools that businesses can mix and match to make their processes more intelligent. And there are the big players like Facebook, whose AI models run quietly in the background, determining which advertisements and inflammatory memes you’re most likely to click.
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2:46 p.m. March 11, 2011. It is an unforgettable time for me. The historically strongest earthquake followed by the largest tsunami has attacked eastern Japan. Over 23,000 people killed or missing from the disaster.
Over half million residents required to evacuate from the area. Four nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture destroyed by the attack, and remarkable amounts of radioactive fallouts sprinkled in the area.
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Essential for mmWave applications, phase accuracy is affected by a host of variables.
Applications for millimeter-wave (mmWave) circuits are growing rapidly, from collision-avoidance radar systems in autonomous vehicles to high-data-rate fifth generation (g5G) new radio (NR) cellular wireless networks. Many such applications are driving higher frequencies, above 24GHz, where wavelengths are smaller and the smallest attention to circuit design and fabrication can make the biggest differences in electronic product performance. Understanding the differences between PCBs at mmWave frequencies and lower frequencies can help avoid circuit manufacturing mishaps for many applications that are soon to require millions of double-sided and multilayer PCBs at those higher frequencies.
RF PCB Technologies Overview
Compared to lower frequency circuits, high-frequency RF/microwave circuits are sensitive to circuit materials and fabrication processes. Whereas some electrical circuit functions such as power lines and digital control may be well-supported with low-cost FR-4 circuit materials, RF, microwave and mmWave circuits require much higher performance circuit materials to minimize signal losses and distortion. Many multilayer mixed-signal PCBs with many different electrical functions are a blend of different types of circuit substrate materials, with materials selected according to behavior best suited for the types of circuit functions fabricated on that layer.
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The new data transfer format provides comprehensive support for embedded components.
Board designers today must provide fabricators files beyond those containing the design data in order to describe what is needed for embedded components. It’s a nonstandard process, different for each designer-fabricator relationship, so every fabricator must contend with multiple, disparate, nonintelligent formats and communications. Sometimes the additional files get out of sync with the design data, thus requiring phone calls or more revisions of the files to sync up what is intended. This is a slow, manual and error-prone process, which is still used even with other intelligent data transfer formats.
An additional challenge is that while some ECAD tools may now support state-of-the-art embedded components – e.g., face-up (flipped), pins on both top and bottom, formed (etched, printed) – the handoff to manufacturing formats has not evolved to support them at the same pace.
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One year in, Covid-19 has shifted priorities in the industry – or has it?
One year in, has Covid-19 shifted priorities in the industry? To find out, CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY reached out in January to experts for insights on how the pandemic has impacted everything from inside the factory to the business decisions we make. Then, for good measure, we asked how the semiconductor industry might change in the wake of Intel’s proposed sale of some manufacturing assets, a move that could have lasting impacts on the IC. We spoke with a range of leaders covering various segments of the electronics manufacturing supply chain. Their responses, lightly edited for clarity and length, follow. After reading their thoughts, share your own on our LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2847418).
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