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6 Electronic Trends Shaping Aerospace Design 6 Electronic Trends Shaping Aerospace Design The aerospace industry has an unquenchable thirst for new technologies that can improve craft performance and capabilities. This ongoing desire for more speed, less weight, better efficiency and new capabilities drives continual technological advancements in electronic components and aerospace design approaches. From the smallest CubeSats to the largest airliners, the latest components are taking aerospace into a higher orbit. For example Read Article
36:34 What is a SPICE Simulation in Electronics Design? Learn more about what is a SPICE simulation and how it works in your schematic editor in this article. Watch Video
Workforce Skills Gaps The Big Challenges Driving Today's Workforce Skills Gaps Why such an intense focus on domesticating PCB supply chains? Well, for civilians, a chip runs their daily electronics and automobiles, an important role for sure, but for the U.S. military, smart chips make smart bombs. However, despite its criticality, revitalizing the U.S. PCB industry requires much more than just investments in infrastructure; it requires a complete overhaul of the workforce. Employers and their partners must equip their Read Article
What Is an RJ45 Port on a PCB? What Is an RJ45 Port on a PCB? Ever since the introduction of Ethernet, the RJ-45 port (or RJ-45 jack) has become the standard for connecting wired LANs in commercial settings. When used on PCBs and in panel-mount versions, these connectors come in two common formats: magjack and non-magjack, and there are some specialized connector options that provide superior ingress protection ratings. While a common usage is in home networking equipment, today, it's common to see an 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
What Is an RJ-45 Connector What Is an RJ-45 Connector? A registered jack 45 (RJ-45) is the most common connector in wired networks. Understanding the basics of these connectors is a must for anyone working with Ethernet or LAN networks. RJ-45 connectors are the industry standard for creating stable, high-speed network connections. Knowing how they work, how to wire them, and the different types available is essential for engineers, IT professionals, and DIY enthusiasts. Join us as we explore RJ-45 Read Article
Contract Manufacturer 5 Golden Rules for Finding Your Perfect Contract Manufacturer You're sitting in a conference room, waiting for your contract manufacturer's account team to show up. They're late. Again. This is the third delay this month, and your product launch is less than two weeks away. As your frustration builds, you can't help but wonder if this partnership was a mistake. In this article, we'll reveal five critical rules that could have prevented this situation—and show you how to avoid it in the future by choosing Read Article
Engineers and Product Managers Collaboration Give-and-Take: 6 Ways Engineers and Product Managers Can Help Each Other Forget everything you've heard about rivalry between engineers and product managers—it's a paradigm that needs to die. Today's tech world moves too fast, and the only way forward is through give-and-take collaboration. This article uncovers six ways engineers and PMs can avoid butting heads and stay focused on the mission. 1. PMs: Share the Big Picture; Engineers: Share Technical Constraints Give: PMs can help engineers by providing a clear Read Article
ChatGPT Hack The ChatGPT Secret That Will Level Up Your Performance There is a hidden ChatGPT tool that can save you countless hours of manual work. Custom GPTs may be the best-kept secret in the AI world for procurement professionals. Want to know how they work and what they can do for you? Keep reading to find out. Why ChatGPT Is a Big Deal (And What's Next) First, let's update ChatGPT's evolution with several key milestones: GPT-3.5 (November 2022): Public release of ChatGPT, which quickly gained massive Read Article
global electronics manufacturing sector 5 Top Economic Headlines Impacting You The global electronics manufacturing sector is always grappling with economic volatility, shifting demand, and geopolitical uncertainty. Here's a quick guide to the latest economic news affecting electronics and some actionable steps for managing procurement and supply chain impacts. Economic Slowdown in the North American Electronics Sector Just the Facts The North American printed circuit board (PCB) sector has faced significant headwinds in Read Article
Car engineering Can We Engineer an Uncrashable Car? The uncrashable car is not a distant dream. It's an engineering reality in progress. But while we're making rapid strides toward vehicles that can avoid accidents, there are fundamental challenges that still need to be solved. For engineers working on this frontier, the integration of numerous sensor modalities, the complexities of sensor fusion, and the scalability of E/E architectures are key barriers that must be overcome. This article Read Article
Simplifying IoT Development Simplifying IoT Development: Meadow as the Ultimate Solution for Embedded Systems Every company is now a software company, and they have all realized that they need to invest in software. Not only is software changing, but we now have all these connected devices. In fact, we're predicting that by 2030, there will be more than 50 billion connected devices. That's around 20 connected devices per household globally on average. We need a scalable, secure, and enterprise-ready platform for these Internet-connected devices, and I Read Article
Strategies for Sourcing Hard To Find Electronic Components Strategies for Sourcing Hard To Find Electronic Components Sourcing hard-to-find components can be a significant challenge. Whether due to supply chain disruptions, obsolescence, or sudden spikes in demand, the availability of critical electronic parts can impact production timelines and costs. This article explores four practical strategies for sourcing these elusive components, detailing their value-add and providing insights on when to use each approach. 1. Building Strong Relationships with Suppliers Read Article
Wafer Fab Capacity Packaging Capacity Octopart As Wafer Fab Capacity Grows, Where is the New Packaging Capacity? The semiconductor industry is going through a major change. With the growing demand for faster and more efficient electronics, companies are increasing their wafer production to keep up. However, a big question is emerging: where will the new packaging capacity come from to support this growth? Advanced packaging technologies are essential for connecting wafer production to the final semiconductor products. The industry's future depends on these Read Article
Reshoring and Regionalization Supply Chain Reshoring and Regionalization: Mitigating Supply Chain Risks and Lead Times Many companies are reconsidering where they manufacture their products in today's interconnected world. Over the past few decades, it has been common for businesses to offshore production to countries with lower labor costs. However, there is a growing trend of companies moving their manufacturing operations closer to home, a practice known as reshoring or regionalizing their production. This shift aims to reduce risks in the supply chain and 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