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On December 3, 2024, Chinese Commerce Ministry announced an export ban on critical materials like gallium, germanium, and antimony, citing national security concerns. This decision closely followed the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS)  adding 140 entities, primarily Chinese, to its Entity List on December 2, heightening tensions in ongoing trade disputes. The newly listed entities include organizations from Japan, South Korea...

Steering through the intricate framework of FDA regulations is a vital component of medical device engineering. The FDA's regulatory framework ensures that medical devices are safe and effective for public use, but it also presents numerous challenges for electronics engineers and companies. This article explores common issues and failure points in FDA regulations, the importance of detailed registration, and provides examples of companies that...

Digital twins are revolutionizing medical product design by providing a dynamic, virtual representation of physical systems. These digital replicas enable real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization, leading to more efficient and effective product development. This article explores the concept of digital twins and their recent rise and provides data points to highlight their growth and adoption. We will also outline the tangible steps...

Most designers and EDA vendors are probably unaware of the most recent update to the Gerber export formats from Ucamco. Quietly in 2020, Ucamco released an update to the Gerber format, with the new format known as Gerber X3. The new format looks a lot like the format, and unless your EDA software or CAM tool told you that you had a set of Gerber X3 files, you probably wouldn’t know it. So what’s the big deal with this format, and why should...

Introduction Over the past few decades, increasing energy efficiency has become a key challenge in electronics design, particularly in the realm of battery-powered devices and power supplies. Although commonly employed, traditional voltage rectification methods and reverse polarity protection are far from ideal due to significant power losses, which increase thermal demands and impose design constraints. This article focuses on an innovative...

When designing any circuit, it is essential to ensure its reliable performance under various conditions beyond the controlled environment of a laboratory desk. This involves considering component tolerances and temperature variations. In safety-critical applications, such as aerospace and military, additional factors like component aging and radiation exposure must also be considered. While setting up appropriate tests can be challenging, a...

Welcome to the fourth article in our series on Mastering EMI Control in PCB Design. In this installment, we will explore advanced aspects of managing Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) that are crucial for effective PCB design. When designing printed circuit boards (PCBs), a key challenge is ensuring that your design can pass both radiated and conducted emissions tests. This is vital for meeting regulatory standards and ensuring that your PCB...

Navigating technology export regulations can be as challenging as understanding the technologies themselves. At the heart of these regulations lies Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs), a system that's both a gatekeeper and a guide for the international trade of sensitive technologies. This article aims to demystify ECCNs with insights and practical compliance advice for defense electronics professionals.  The ABCs of ECCNs ECCNs are...

We live in a three dimensional world, so let's take advantage of it! Flex and rigid-flex boards allow us to break away from the x-y plane and design upwards and around unique objects, and enclosures. When designing these types of boards there’s a lot to consider from materials, routing techniques, polygon patterns, and more. With the market for wearables is forecasted to grow to be $150 billion by 2026. Most of these devices are simply...