2013 Issues

December 2013 cover

 

FEATURES

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
A Startup for Startups
MassChallenge may have a “wacky model,” but that’s not stopping the not-for-profit accelerator program from helping innovators get to market.
by Mike Buetow

PCB DESIGN
Super Small Via-in-Pad
Via-in-pad as an issue won’t go away. But the answer to how to treat them remains the same.
by Duane Benson

EMS COMPANY OF THE YEAR
New Vision at Lightspeed
Small tier EMS companies are perpetually undercapitalized and short of resources. But every so often, one emerges that has the vision and the capability to rival their larger competitors.
by Mike Buetow

RETROSPECTIVE
In Memoriam
A look back at friends and colleagues who left us in 2013.

 

FIRST PERSON

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

TECH TALK

November 2013 cover

 

FEATURES

BOARD DESIGN
Solving ECAD/MCAD Co-Design
New generation ECAD systems address multi-board and native 3D design capabilities, along with direct translation to leading mechanical computer-aided design systems, enabling complete packaging and electronics assembly information to be transmitted between different disciplines in a fraction of the time required in the past.
by Humair Mandavia

PCB WARPAGE
How and Why to Use the IPC-9641 Standard
IPC-9641, High Temperature Printed Board Flatness Guideline, is the first standard to address local area PCB warpage across reflow profile temperatures. The standard is both educational about the general topic of PCB warpage measurement and specific in its guidelines for how such measurement should be done. A summary of the contents of IPC-9641, plus notes about how to implement it.
by Ken Chiavone

 

FIRST PERSON

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

TECH TALK

October 2013 cover

 

FEATURES

SNAPEDA
Making Simulation a ‘Snap’
A new vendor-agnostic platform captures what designers know about components and how they perform electrically in real-world applications, and redistributes that knowledge on a wide scale.
by Mike Buetow

PCB FABRICATION
Real-Time Etching Using Ozone
Etching traditionally uses hydrogen peroxide, an
unstable oxidizing agent with a large process window. A new alternative closed-loop process uses ozone instead, with repeatable results.
by Marcus Lang

COMPONENTS
A Custom BGA for Particle Physics Experiments
Deep inside the CERN collider, detectors capture faint electrical signals the particles produce during their transit. How a novel high-yield and higher functioning BGA package was designed to replace a more expensive COB part in the sensors.
by Benjamin Buck

 

FIRST PERSON

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

TECH TALK

September 2013 cover

 

FEATURES

Materials
Fabrication Influences on High-Frequency PCB Electrical Performance
The electrical performance of a board can be greatly impacted by how it is fabricated, especially at higher frequencies. High-frequency PCBs incorporate controlled-impedance circuit traces that require tight conductor etching tolerances and tight control of thickness. Electrical losses must often be controlled at higher frequencies, and such losses can be influenced by solder mask and ENIG.
by John Coonrod

Data Transfer
Gerber Grows Attributes
Output and read by every PCB design and engineering system in the world, the Gerber format is the de facto standard for CAD-to-CAM data transfer. A new extension to the age-old format now permits layer structures, features and functions to be described.
by Karel Tavernier

NTI-100
The Changing Fab Landscape
The annual list of the largest PCB fabricators reveals big changes coming to Japan and Thailand. But for Brazil, India and the West, it’s more of the same.
by Dr. Hayao Nakahara

 

FIRST PERSON

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

TECH TALK

  • On the Forefront
    Joint developments.
    E. Jan Vardaman

  • Designer’s Notebook
    The value of replicating.
    Yan Killy

  • Final Finishes
    End times for HASL?
    Lenora Toscano

  • Flexperts
    Electrical test on flex.
    Mark Verbrugge

  • Tech Tips
    Yield cause-and-effect.
    Robert Dervaes

August 2013 cover

 

FEATURES

Designer Salary Survey
Better with Age
Our annual survey finds PCB designers are an even more experienced crowd, with concerns about workload, yet increasingly lucrative compensation.
by Chelsey Drysdale

PCB Design
Placement of Passive Devices Used for Enet Signal Termination
Tips on how to achieve the correct placement of passive devices, including a look at the maximum stub lengths option that helps avoid improper placement issues.
by Andy Buja

Alumina Substrates: Packing More
Passive Components into Less Space
Resistor and capacitors still consume a majority of board space in most electronic devices. Alumina substrate technology can offer a useful solution.
by Mike West

 

FIRST PERSON

 

MONEY MATTERS

 

TECH TALK

  • Designer’s Notebook
    Multi-level HDI.
    W. Scott Fillebrown

  • Solar Technologies
    A sunny forecast.
    Tom Falcon

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