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With the global supply chains growing more interdependent as each year passes, it's clear that all manufacturing operations—including and, perhaps especially, electronics—rely on and thrive upon collaboration between stakeholders in different fields, countries, and markets. As a result, companies often share sensitive design and production information with contract manufacturers and suppliers, among others, to bring their products to life. This...

Designing complex PCB systems presents significant challenges, especially when managing multiple boards, intricate harness requirements, and the need for seamless harness design collaboration. Engineers often juggle various tools and processes that introduce bottlenecks into their workflows. Altium addresses these issues by integrating PCB, multi-board, and harness design into a unified solution. This blog explores how this integration simplifies...

In 2022, the Biden administration imposed a set of export controls to restrict China's access to advanced chips; it is now proposing the expansion of those export controls. Advanced AI chips—and the intelligence it takes to make them—are essential American assets critical to our national defense. These chips underpin breakthroughs in autonomous systems, machine learning, and military AI, making them pivotal in modern warfare and national...

Component obsolescence is more commonly found in consumer electronics segments, and there are inherent risks and rewards that hinge on companies' abilities to manage it proactively.  From concerns of component integrity to the safety of the consumers, printed circuit board (PCB) designers have many elements to consider when integrating supply chains into their work. Likewise there are actions they can take (and solutions to adopt) that will make...

With the ever-increasing sophistication of electronic design, engineers must ensure cohesion between all system components. Whether wiring a printed circuit board or configuring complex cable harnesses in automotive, aerospace, or industrial environments, wiring errors often emerge during integration. One common failure point is harness-to-PCB integration, where electrical and mechanical systems must operate in complete alignment. Fortunately, A...

Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) is a systematic approach that teams can adopt to manage the entire lifecycle of the products they are creating, from conceptualization to end-of-life. In the PCB industry, ELM encompasses a massive range of activities, including requirements gathering, design, manufacturing, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Read More: Guide to Requirements Management for Modern Electronic Hardware Teams Understanding...

We rely on various electronic devices and systems powered and connected by complex networks of wires and cables. These systems are integral to industries ranging from automotive to aerospace, medical equipment, consumer electronics, and industrial machinery. One key component that ensures the efficient functioning of these systems is the wire harness. But what exactly is wire harness design, and why is it so important? Understanding Wire Harness...

Minerals are essential to the manufacturing of everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and from renewable energy to even home appliances. These sectors depend on materials like cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements, whose extraction can cause environmental damage and human rights violations. Sourcing these minerals is no longer a simple matter of buying from any supplier at the lowest price. As environmental concerns and ethical...

Flexible circuits are a game-changer for modern electronics, offering unmatched versatility in compact and lightweight designs. While they share many similarities with rigid PCBs, flexible circuits bring unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in how connections are terminated. From traditional connectors to methods designed specifically for flex circuits, understanding the options available is key for ensuring durability and...