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Procurement has quietly become one of the most strategic functions, and its analytics market anticipates near quadruple growth in the next seven years. In electronics design, AI-driven BOM management shows the payoff, turning supply chain insights into competitive advantage.  With the world in a state of anticipation, thanks to myriad global supply chain disruptions over the past five years, AI maturity brings the essential tools to expand a...

Global supply chain disruptions have fundamentally reshaped how electronics teams manage bills of materials (BOMs). Tariffs, freight inflation, and shifting trade patterns in 2025 force engineers and sourcing teams to build strategies around what’s available, not what’s ideal. These pressures make adaptive BOM management and up-to-date sourcing insight a core advantage. The Octopart BOM Tool equips teams with the latest data, supplier alternates...

Since 2008, China has quietly reshaped global electronics sourcing, and the China+1 strategy hedges against overreliance on one manufacturing superpower. It underscores a major choice for electronics firms—localization or globalization of component sourcing—which is an inherent result of AI’s emergence. In 2025, as AI, automation, and geopolitics redefine sourcing, the next evolution beyond China+1 (C+1) will depend on data-driven visibility and...

Voltage measurements encompass a large range of possible techniques and measurement ranges, from high-voltage DC to low-voltage, high-frequency analog signals. Typically, we are monitoring either a voltage rail or the voltage passed to a load, which is then monitored by comparing with some reference voltage. This article outlines the common approaches to implementing these voltage measurements with a focus on precision, protection of the circuit...

Current monitoring is used in sensor interfaces and power electronics; the measurement requirements are very different but the methods are quite similar. This feature involves both analog circuits (dividers, shunts, comparators, amplifiers) and digital processing. The design hinges on required accuracy, space, and signal type (slow sensor voltage, fast power rail transient, or switching current), which determine the measurement front-end and...

What do medical devices, sensors, and power electronics have in common? They all use current sensing, requiring a safe, precision approach to current measurements. Multiple design types and topologies can be used for this task, offering continuous monitoring and threshold detection solutions, or a combination of both. From current sense ICs to custom amplifier designs, there are many options for current sensing circuits, but not all in a...

Cars are getting smarter, with more electric, connected, and self-driving features. To make these advanced vehicles safe and reliable, they need sophisticated electronics and circuit boards. Despite complexity, these systems need to be interoperable with an open standard for communication; this is where AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture) comes in. This article explains what AUTOSAR is, how it affects PCB design in automotive...

Here is something nobody told me until I was four years into my freelance career as a hardware engineer: the parts library and managing it well are the real bottleneck in PCB design. It’s not so much the circuit design or even the PCB layout. It’s the parts, their availability, and their suitability. I, along with other engineers, have spent hours or days looking for the right connectors and headers in a library because we didn’t know which...

Glasses are emerging as the newest personal device form factor, merging fashion, function, and connectivity into one sleek package. According to IDC, shipments of smart and augmented reality (AR) eyewear are expected to grow 39% in 2025, reaching 14 million units and rising to 43 million in 2029.  The market today is currently being driven by smart glasses (aka AI glasses), with 250% growth in 2025, yet next-gen AR glasses are right around the...