IPC-2152 Determining Current Carrying Capacity Charts from some 50 years ago to predict conductor heat loss and temperature rise finally have been updated. How to use the new standard. by Jack Olson
Conductor Resistance The Skinny on Skin Effect The tendency for a conductor to become a function of frequency impacts its impedance. For those designing controlled impedance traces and transmission lines, this merits consideration. by Douglas Brooks, Ph.D.
FIRST PERSON
Caveat Lector Productronica productive, foretelling. Mike Buetow
NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanotechnology and Electronics Developments Is nanotechnology living up to its promises? What is the reality - which products are out there, how do we need to handle them and what are the benefits? by Alan Rae
ONE ON ONE 'Engineering is No. 1' In a recent interview, Multek's president, Werner Widmann, explains why he sees value in diversification. by Mike Buetow
IMPEDANCE CONTROL Accurate Impedance Control, Part I How to calculate PCB trace width and differential pair separation, based on the impedance requirement and other parameters. by Istvan Nagy
DESIGN FOR RELIABILITY Failure Mechanisms in Lead-Free Laminates The risks of via failure must be balanced against those of laminate failure, based on material choice, via size and grid, and other factors. by Kevin Knadle
POINT OF VIEW
Database Assessing the Mentor-Valor deal. Pete Waddell
ROI What are the four fundamental areas every successful business plan should address? Peter Bigelow
Reliability Report The stress of x- and y-axis flexing can affect the integrity of internal interconnections. Paul Reid
Designer's Notebook As its complexity increases, the challenge of implementing an FPGA on a printed circuit board has become a daunting task. Per Viklund
iNEMI ROADMAP Keeping Connected Connector technology still grapples with smaller platforms, higher speeds and placement issues. by John MacWilliams
EMBEDDED MATERIALS Embedded Passives: Debut in Prime Time Wherever there is a strong need for improved electrical performance, space reduction, EMI reduction or reliability improvement, utilization of embedded passives will be found. by Joel S. Peiffer
ROI Industry forces enable the highest cutting-edge technology but can end up at odds over the day-to-day minutia of business. Peter Bigelow
Final Finish 101 The best surface finish meets the needs of the board design and the assembly process, while being easy on the wallet. Jim Kenny
Positive Plating Surface roughness can originate from a number of sources; imbalances in the organic additives and improper filming of the copper anodes are key contributors. Michael Carano
Designer's Notebook Rigid-flex circuits combine the best of both worlds. Happy Holden
Simulation Power Integrity: Controlling the Noise Coupling SI and PI simulation generates a reliable prediction of signal-dependent PDN noise that can be used to predict board-level emissions under actual operating conditions. by Brad Brim
Education Tips on Building a Signal Integrity Team The demand for signal integrity engineers is on the rise, but universities have made slow progress in training for today's power and signal integrity challenges. by Hal Katircioglu
ROI Incorrect assumptions put a strain on the entire supply chain. Peter Bigelow
Reliability Report Reliability is a balance between force and strength, and when the force is greater than the strength of the copper and dielectric material, the PCB fails. Paul Reid
On the Forefront Driven by production adoption, happy days are here at last. E. Jan Vardaman
Designer's Notebook The proper design of the power distribution network, coupled analysis in the early design phases, can eliminate most power integrity issues. Patrick Carrier
Thermal Management Fluid Dynamic Simulation for Cool Design Computational fluid dynamics-based simulations that examine temperature and heat flux can help engineers make better thermal management decisions. by Robin Bornoff
Supply Chain Redefining the Role of BOM Today’s BOM is a roadmap of the engineer’s design intent up and down the manufacturing supply chain. by Nolan Johnson
Plating Electroplating for HDI and Packaging Substrates, Part 1 Process chemistry, substrate condition, mass transport and current density have a significant impact on via-filling capability. by Mark Lefebvre, Elie Najjar, Luis Gomez and Leon Barstad
ROI In the electronics industry, technology leadership is key to customer satisfaction. Peter Bigelow
Reliability Report Slow increases in resistance during the testing suggest metal fatigue, or wear-out failure, a common failure mode for robust PCBs. Paul Reid
Interconnect Strategies VNA is a powerful tool for determining DUT response in frequency domain, but accuracy is influenced by external factors. Dr. Abe Riazi
Designer's Notebook How to increase overall coverage while decreasing the number of physical test points that need to be added to a design. Mark Laing
