Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine

NEWS

Nano Dimension Says Q4 Revenue Rose 61% YoY

30 March 2023

WALTHAM, MA -- Nano Dimension today announced audited consolidated revenues of $12.1 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, up 61% over 2021 up 21% seque... Read More...

March Electronic Components Sales Sentiment Slips in March, Misses Expectations (

30 March 2023

ATLANTA - The most recent results of ECIA’s ECST survey show sales sentiment slipping slightly from the recent highs it hit in February. In the February survey ... Read More...

IPC CTC Calls for IC Substrate Manufacturing Facility in US

29 March 2023

BANNOCKBURN, IL – The establishment of a pilot facility in the US for manufacturing IC substrates is a first step towards re-establishing semiconductor packagin... Read More...

Nano Dimension Increases Offer to Acquire Stratasys

29 March 2023

WALTHAM, MA – Nano Dimension has announced the submission of a revised offer to acquire Stratasys for $19.55 per share in cash. Read More...

Tempo Automation Announces Acquisition of Optimum Design Associates

29 March 2023

SAN FRANCISCO – Tempo Automation announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Optimum Design Associates, an electronic design services c... Read More...

Biden Invokes Defense Production Act for PCB Production

28 March 2023

WASHINGTON DC – President Joe Biden has authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to spur domestic and Canadian production of printed circuit boards, cit... Read More...

Altium Reports 17% Revenue Growth

28 March 2023

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Altium saw revenue of $119.5 million for the second half of 2022, an increase of 17% from the first half of the year. Read More...

Xingsen Technology Building FCBGA Production Facility

24 March 2023

GUANGZHOU, CHINA – Xingsen Technology said its FCBGA packaging substrate project is still under construction, and it is expected that mass production will begin... Read More...

Electronics Manufacturing Industry Remains Upbeat Despite Uncertainties, IPC Says

24 March 2023

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Though overall industry sentiment is upbeat, around 58% of the respondents to IPC’s monthly Global Sentiment of the Electronics Supply Chain R... Read More...

Japanese PCB Output Continues Slide

23 March 2023

TOKYO – Japan's PCB production continued to shrink in January and recorded the largest decrease in more than six years, with flexible circuit production falling... Read More...

Nano Dimension to Review Options for Stratasys, Other Acquisition Targets

23 March 2023

WALTHAM, MA – Nano Dimension said it will continue to consider its options after Stratasys rejected its proposal to acquire the company. Read More...

North American PCB Industry Sales Up 5.6% in February, IPC Reports

23 March 2023

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American PCB shipments in February 2023 were up 5.6% compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, Februa... Read More...

IPC: North American EMS Industry Up 5% in February

23 March 2023

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Total North American EMS shipments in February were up 5.1% compared to the same month last year, and down 4.9% from January, according to thi... Read More...

Global Fab Equipment Spending on Track For 2024 Recovery, Semi Reports

22 March 2023

MILPITAS, CA – Global fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is expected to decrease 22% year-over-year to $76 billion in 2023 from a record high of $9... Read More...

EMA Design Automation to Host "How to Optimize Your Prototype for High-Volume PCB Manufacturing" Webinar

22 March 2023

ROCHESTER, NY – EMA Design Automation will host a webinar, "How to Optimize Your Prototype for High-Volume PCB Manufacturing," on April 4 at 2 p.m. ET... Read More...

FEATURES

How Interconnects Work: Characteristic Impedance and Reflections

Understanding reflections caused by transmission line characteristic impedance and termination impedance mismatch. Analysis of “digital interconnects” is the a... Read More...

Permittivity vs Permeability: What’s the Difference?

Some areas of physics have considerable impact on PCB designs. PCB designers have had exposure to electronics (some more than others). And most of what we do f... Read More...

Good Signs: IPC Apex Booth Traffic Suggests Busy Year Ahead

Exhibitors hope new products will keep the order books filled in 2023. The good times of 2022 carried over into January as the industry turned out for one of t... Read More...

A Quick Fix for Fillet Starvation

Not enough solder? Blame the via design! Vias in pads can be “solder thirsty” and suck up solder from pads at terminals during reflow, creating what may appear... Read More...

Statistical Process Control Charts: Sampling Frequency, Subgroups and Plans

Taking the confusion out of determining appropriate data collection parameters. In 1924, Dr. Walter Shewhart was working at Bell Telephone Laboratories. On May... Read More...

Protecting Connectors on Zero Edge Clearance Boards

Not leaving enough clearance is a design oversight that can have costly consequences. As PCB designers, fabricators and assemblers, we wear a lot of hats at Ru... Read More...

Practices for Sustainability in PCB Metallization

A comparison of energy, water and chemical use for two common processes. “We will make decisions based on sustainability, Lenora.” I heard the words clearly. I... Read More...

DfM: The Devil is in the PCB Design Details

A design can look good on paper, but has it been vetted for manufacturing? Printed circuit board assembly: What comes to mind when you hear, read, or think tha... Read More...

Basics of Polymers for Thermal Management of Electronic Devices

Thermal interface materials provide much-needed heat relief for electronic assemblies. Overheating is the number one cause of electronic component failure and ... Read More...

Updating an Existing Printed Circuit Board Design

A basic process for revising a client-supplied CAD (http://www.pcdandf.com/pcdesign/menu-research/cad-cam-pcb-software) database. Not all designs start from sc... Read More...

Practical Statistical Tools for Process Engineers

A review of five useful tools and the basis for using each. What is the prominent skill process engineers are on the payroll for? It’s their problem-solving sk... Read More...

Designing an LVD/IR Printed Circuit Board

Will a “universal” footprint work for various-sized passives? This details the design of an LED constant-current driver PCB. I am trying to make this design as... Read More...

Why I4.0 and Reshoring Go Hand in Hand

The path to digitize a factory is both closer and cheaper than most engineers realize. Reshoring has been a buzzword for a few years now. But when supply chain... Read More...

NTI 100: The Unsinkable, Unstoppable PCB Market

Political and supply-chain issues could not slow printed circuit growth in 2021. The author attended his first IPC meeting in 1966. At that time, the consen... Read More...

Making Technology-Specific Design Charts

IPC-2152 is an important baseline for determining current carrying capacity, but further work must be done for individual applications. In response to recent c... Read More...