Newsletters

Browse our past newsletters on PCB design and industry information

IPC Focus on Substrates, Manufacturers Focus on Boards

IPC Focus on Substrates, Manufacturers Focus on Boards March 24, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY This edition of our newsletter focuses on current developments in electronics manufacturing, spanning from packaging to components and PCBs. New pilot projects are being proposed to jumpstart IC substrate production, and a recent acquisition brings a notable electronics manufacturer to the #2 spot in North America by market share. Leading Insights IPC CTC Releases Packaging Report IPC’s Chief Technologist Council Read Article

ew regulations, funding opportunities in the CHIPS Act, and new RF products released at Mobile World Congress

New regulations, funding opportunities in the CHIPS Act, and new RF products released at Mobile World Congress March 10, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY As the EU now joins the US in implementing trade controls, the US begins accepting applications for funding support under the CHIPS Act. New wireless products for RANs and up to 100 GHz RF systems are also hitting the market from some of the biggest names in the semiconductor industry. Leading Insights First CHIPS Act Funding Round Begins Companies can now begin filing for CHIPS Act funding with NIST, including Read Article

The Biggest Technology Trends to Watch in 2023

The Biggest Technology Trends to Watch in 2023 February 24, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY Some industry groups have been forecasting muddy waters for the PCB manufacturing industry in 2023, but that isn’t stopping development of new technology. 2022 saw record growth in production and NPI, and the first half of 2023 may see a pause. But the 2nd half of 2023 could see rebounds just in time to deliver new products focused on some of the most impactful technology trends. Leading Insights TPCA Sees Read Article

AI-Enhanced Imaging Sensors

AI-Enhanced Imaging Sensors: Eyes That Never Blink The era of cameras just taking pictures is behind us. AI-enhanced imaging sensors now equip machines with eyes that never blink, never tire, and can see beyond human capabilities. These sensors don't just capture images – by integrating high-resolution imaging with on-chip AI processing, they understand and interpret them in real-time. A New Era of Machine Vision and Perception AI-enhanced image sensors represent a paradigm shift in processing Read Article

Sensor Technologies

10 Sensor Technologies Making Waves in 2025 The sensor revolution isn't just knocking on our door – it's already picked the lock and made itself at home. IoT devices are multiplying like rabbits, AI is getting smarter by the minute, and the push for sustainability is changing how we approach electronic design. These forces are converging to create a massive wave of sensor innovation. Gone are the days when sensors were just simple input devices. Today, they're our increasingly connected Read Article

Blockchain Fighting Counterfeit Electronic Components

Blockchain: The New Sheriff in Town for Counterfeit Components It's a worst-case scenario no one wants to experience: You discover that a batch of components in your latest product is counterfeit, and you realize the dizzying array of potential consequences – system failures, safety hazards, and a PR nightmare. Unfortunately, this scenario isn't just a bad dream for many. Industry associations estimate that counterfeit electronic components likely cost U.S.-based semiconductor companies over $7.5 billion Read Article

Leading Component Distributors

7 Leading Component Distributors Powering Electronics Innovation Imagine this: A design engineer is burning the midnight oil, racing to finish a prototype for a groundbreaking medical device. With a sudden spark of inspiration, she realizes that to solve a design challenge, she needs a specific microcontroller – and fast. What does she do? Who does she turn to? An electronic component distributor, of course. There are thousands of component distributors today, including many regional and specialist suppliers Read Article

Altium at Embedded World 2024

Altium to Unveil Latest Innovations at Embedded World 2024 Discover Altium's latest innovations at Embedded World 2024, Booth 4-305, where industry experts will showcase integrated processes for electronics creation, intelligent component sourcing, and enhanced design productivity. Connect with Altium's ecosystem and shape the future of electronics development. Read Article

engineers working on a factory system

Controlling the Future: 7 Trends in Industrial Control Systems Industrial control systems (ICS) are the backbone of modern industry, playing a crucial role in the operation and management of many processes. Through a combination of software and hardware, these systems monitor and regulate machinery, production lines and other critical activities. As we move further into the Industry 4.0 era, it is increasingly evident how much we rely on advances in electronic components to enhance and modernize these Read Article

Electronics Industry Insights for PCB Designers and Engineers

Electronics Industry Insights for PCB Designers and Engineers February 10, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY As the electronic industry conference season rolls on, companies are grappling with a shifting supply chain landscape and disruptive technologies in AI, energy, and wireless. Leading Insights Apple Takes Greater Control of its Supply Chain Apple will be the first to revolutionize its supply chain by incorporating more of their in-house built chipsets into new products. Will other tech companies follow suit Read Article

Electronics Industry Insights for PCB Designers and Engineers

Electronics Industry Insights for PCB Designers and Engineers January 27, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY The start of 2023 kicked off with CES, and now the industry is full speed ahead on developing hardware for the most advanced technologies of our time. The industry will start to see greater development in energy technologies, renewed push into 5G deployments, more companies operating in space, and AI systems tying it all together. Leading Insights Say Goodbye to 3G The beginning of 2023 marked the official end Read Article

Focus on Embedded Development for PCB Designers

Focus on Embedded Development for PCB Designers January 13, 2023 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY As we look forward to 2023, major players in the industry are looking closer at integrating advanced technologies like edge computing, 5G, and AI into product ecosystems. As devices get smarter, embedded developers need to work closer with PCB layout engineers to ensure designs are solvable while also being functional. Here are some of the newest developments in the embedded space. Leading Insights What’s Next Read Article

Product Design Features in Altium Designer 23

Product Design in Altium Designer 23 December 9, 2022 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY Product Design Features in Altium Designer 23 When you work on a product, you don’t just build boards. PCB designers have to work as part of a team to bring advanced products to market. The newest set of features in the upcoming release of Altium Designer 23 focuses on product design, spanning from ECAD to MCAD in multi-board systems with harnesses. New harness design tools - It is now possible to develop full Read Article

Altium Designer 23 Focuses on Product Design

Altium Designer 23 Focuses on Product Design November 25, 2022 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY Coming Soon in Altium Designer 23 Experience more advanced design tools, product design features, and expanded collaboration in the upcoming release of Altium Designer 23. Product Design Features - The upgraded multi-board design features include harness creation, multi-board support in CoDesigner, placement of cloud components in multi-board projects, and multi-board support in the Altium 365 viewer. Greater Read Article

Come See the New Power Analyzer by Keysight in Altium Designer 22.9

Come See the New Power Analyzer by Keysight in Altium Designer 22.9 October 28, 2022 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY Announcing Power Analyzer for Altium Designer, by Keysight Technologies Keysight Technologies and Altium have teamed up to bring you a new Altium Designer Extension for DC power integrity analysis. Power Analyzer by Keysight brings sophisticated DC power analysis to the PCB editor in Altium Designer without the need for expensive prototypes, complicated tools or specialized skills. Analyze your power network Read Article

Altium Designer 22.9 Brings New Productivity Features For Commenting and Design Reuse

Altium Designer 22.9 Brings New Productivity Features For Commenting and Design Reuse October 14, 2022 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY What’s New in Altium Designer? The newest enhancements in Altium Designer 22.9 include design reuse updates, a variant update, and a new feature in the footprint editor: Variant improvement in schematics - AD22.9 brings even more improvements to variant creation and management. New tools help streamline creation and management of design variants. Add comments to your BOM - The Comments feature can now be used in Read Article

Try These New Features in Altium Designer 22.9

Try These New Features in Altium Designer 22.9 September 23, 2022 ONTRACK BI-WEEKLY What’s New in Altium Designer? The newest enhancements in Altium Designer 22.9 include design reuse updates, a variant update, and an extension of commenting features: Variant improvement in schematics - AD22.9 brings even more improvements to variant creation and management. New tools help streamline creation and management of design variants. Add comments to your BOM - The much-loved commenting feature is Read Article