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The real products you find out in the wild don’t always use a single circuit board. Many products use multiple boards, and this includes everything from your computer to your coffee maker. And whenever you design a product with multiple circuit boards, there are multiple BOMs and multiple libraries to track as the various components get put into manufacturing. For some products, a single BOM can already be a handful, especially when it has...

It seems like the PCB industry is always lagging behind semiconductor packaging, both in terms of manufacturing and signal integrity. As the industry looks forward to 224G interfaces moving from demo to production, the Ethernet Alliance and organizations like SNIA/SSF are focused on the next generation of ultra-high data rates. The major factors impacting signal integrity again change once you reach the 28 to 56 GHz bandwidth range, bringing more...

Amidst an escalating tech rivalry between the United States and China, the semiconductor industry finds itself in the middle of the confrontation. The recent update to US export controls targeting AI chips and chipmaking tools destined for China has introduced a new chapter in this technological tug-of-war. While aimed at curtailing China's scientific and military advancement, these measures have broad ramifications for the electronic component...

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of nearly 15,000 synthetic chemicals, “forever chemicals” that are extremely slow to degrade, remaining in the environment for an unknown amount of time and, over time, possibly leaking into the soil, water, and air. Besides their environmental impact, health regulators are concerned about how exposure to these chemicals may impact human health, including increasing the risk of some cancers...

Ever changing technologies and fluctuations in supply and demand in the semiconductor industry lead to more cases of component obsolescence—a historical response to evolving technology or shifts in the supply chain. More than 70% of electronic components become obsolete before they are installed and buyers are always trailing behind their suppliers as they develop newer, more capable parts. This can likely occur through discontinuation of...

Whether we are ready for it or not, miniaturization of electronic packages is barreling ahead challenging PCB designers, PCB fabricators and PCB assemblers. In this blog, we are going to examine some of the complexities of miniaturization using the SMTA Ultra-HDI Assembly Test Board for navigation. Deconstructing the Past As it was 7 years ago when the previous version SMTA Assembly Test Board was developed, this new version is a strong tool...

Who doesn't want to reduce the cost of their next production run by 10%? For many electronic devices, PCBA cost is a major factor that impacts a company's competitiveness. Designers do not always take an eye towards total product cost, often focusing on capability at the expense of component cost reduction or manufacturing cost reduction opportunities. Some circuit board design decisions and components carry a premium and are absolutely...

Altium's ‘Layout Replication’ feature represents everything you want from a great design tool; taking over tasks that are both crucial to the mission and tedious to execute. Anyone who has laid out a production test fixture for an array of small PCBs knows it’s like walking a tightrope between the need for precision and the repetitive task of placing and routing circuits multiple times. Imagine what you could do with all the time saved from not...

Join Tech Consultant Zach Peterson on this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast where EMC troubleshooting expert Min Zhang explores the complexities of measuring ground in electronic systems using both voltage and current methods. With his profound expertise and practical insights, Min provides a comprehensive breakdown of the techniques and tools necessary for accurate measurements, especially in high-power applications. Listen to the Episode...