Magnetic transistors have been a hot topic for years, but a breakthrough led by researchers at MIT with chromium sulfur bromide (CrSBr) could push us closer to realizing more energy-efficient and powerful electronics. By replacing silicon with this 2D magnetic material, researchers have overcome a significant hurdle: combining the benefits of magnetism and semiconductor properties in a single device.
The ability to switch or amplify the current by a factor of 10, along with the reduced energy cost of switching, could have huge implications for everything from memory storage to reducing power consumption in devices. And the fact that these magnetic states can be controlled by both electric current and an external magnetic field means added flexibility without added complexity. That's a real game-changer.
Read more: Magnetic Transistors – and Lack of Funding Clarity – Leave Us Spinning
One reason for that is the intense focus on what the industry needs in terms of training. Another is, besides the educational aspects, it can be fun, surprising and occasionally even provocative.
Years ago, the conference founder Pete Waddell introduced a session called EDA Face-to-Face, where CAD vendors took to the stage and addressed questions straight-on from their users. As you might imagine, the back-and-forth sometimes got a little heated. One particular memory includes a couple users, fed up with the lack of bidirectional electronic data transfer, roiling the crowd with their public callout of the major ECAD companies for not modifying their tools to permit data in.
Eventually the vendors stopped volunteering to participate. But over time, it should be noted, they eventually started offering bidirectional data capability. Sometimes being loud matters.
As AI makes its move into ECAD, PCEA has kept up by introducing the AI Roadmap for Electronics and adding presentations on AI to our array of conferences. Panelists for our presentations were typically vendors, and they did a nice job promoting the potential of the technology.
This year, however, we are taking a page from the past and shifting the spotlight to the users. On Oct. 1 (aka Free Wednesday) this year, the theme of one of our panels is “What Users Really Think of Today’s AI.” The esteemed group features a pair of designers, an assembler and a supply chain expert. The panelists have examined the various AI-assisted tools for their companies, and the goal is to help enlighten those slower to adopt what works – and what doesn’t. Expect some surprises!
I’m equally excited for the Free Wednesday session on “The Future of PCB Design: Looking 2-5 Years Ahead, What is Coming?” Like the panel, the talk will touch on AI. Still, the larger focus will be on other changes ahead, including heterogeneous packaging, textile-integrated microelectronic systems, high-speed/high-current, optics and even the future origin of designers. If you want to know where the industry – and possibly your career – is headed, you’ll want to catch this session.
Not to bury the lede, but the panels sandwich this year’s keynote, which promises to be scintillating. While past addresses have featured CEOs of major ECAD companies and leading technologists at companies like Meta, I honestly can’t recall a time we’ve invited a leader from a startup to take center stage.
Until this year, I mean.
I’m excited to announce Jackson Schultz, head of engineering at Rainmaker, as keynote of PCB West 2025.
Schultz leads the design and integration of Rainmaker’s autonomous cloud seeding system, which is grabbing attention across a stream of major media outlets, not to mention private equity firms, which have funded the company to the point it is moving into a 70,000 sq. ft. facility this fall.
With a background in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with Anduril and test instrumentation architecture with Regent Craft, Schultz is exquisitely suited to describing the range of atmospheric sensors, flight controls, lidar, radar and other technologies used in the pioneering company’s weather radar and modeling techniques.
Schultz hits the podium at 11 a.m. on Oct. 1, so be sure to arrive early.
And while you’re at the show, stop by the PCEA booth or grab one of the staff or board members with a PCEA badge and share your input. It’s what we’re here for!
To register, just scan the code below:
Mike Buetow is president of PCEA (pcea.net); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Nearly 15 years have passed since Solyndra went out of business, but its specter hangs over the US government to this day as a warning of the risk of federal intrusion in a capitalist world.
Solyndra, of course, represented the US’s attempt to bolster the sustainable energy industry, specifically solar. The intentions were noble: solar was seen as a safe respite from combustible sources like oil and natural gas, which are expensive, nonrenewable and dirty.
But corruption and mismanagement conspired to drain its coffers. The resulting bankruptcy ultimately cost taxpayers more than $500 million in unreimbursed loans.
Read more: Electronics are Everywhere – Except US Policy Priorities
The question was put forth at Siemens’ EDA Tech Day in May: Which of the following can be replaced by AI?
Input
Schematic
Footprints
Placement
Routing
Deliverables (DfM, validation, etc.).
It was posed by a user who indicated that routing takes up about 30% of the time of a typical design spin. In classical Pareto thinking, that makes it the best target for process improvement.
Magnetic transistors have been a hot topic for years, but 
