IPC Focus on Substrates, Manufacturers Focus on Boards

| Created: May 2, 2023 | Updated: February 4, 2024

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 (CTC) released a report proposing a U.S. pilot facility for manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) substrates.

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Manufacturers Are Moving MES to the Cloud

Companies like Vishay are replacing their legacy manufacturing execution systems with cloud-based options.

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APCT Becomes #2 Manufacturer After TTM

After completing its recent acquisition of Advanced Circuits, APCT is now the 2nd largest North American PCB manufacturer by market share.

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What-if: A New Supply Chain Approach?

Production planning and procurement take a new, more agile approach with a what-if supply chain management philosophy.

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Why Hasn’t Vehicle-to-Grid Advanced?

A new article in IEEE Spectrum explores the challenges present in today’s vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology renaissance.

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Trending Resources

LATEST DESIGN RESOURCES

What's New in Altium 365 - March 2023

Come see the latest and greatest features to debut in the current release of Altium 365. Users can now include simulations in project uploads, visualize ODB++ files in the viewer, more easily manage workflows, and much more.

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LATEST DESIGN RESOURCES

Optical PHY PCB Layout for 100 Gigabit and Faster Ethernet

By Zachariah Peterson

Although fiber enables higher data rates, that doesn’t mean routing from PHY interfaces to a transceiver module needs to be difficult. Zach shows how it’s done with a few design examples.

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FROM THE VAULT

Getting Started with MQTT and Arduino Uno

By Ari Mahpour

Looking for an alternative to running POST/GET commands with an API? You can send your captured data back to an MQTT server for storage. Ari Mahpour shows us how it’s done using an Arduino Uno.

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FROM THE VAULT

Overview of Electrical Stress Test Methods for PCBAs

By Zachariah Peterson

Stress testing isn’t just something you do when you want to have fun in the lab, it’s an important part of conformance to standards, compliance with regulations, and the overall lifetime of your product.

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ONTRACK PODCAST

Should You Manufacture Close To Your Components?

Case Engelen, CEO of Titoma, gives us an overview of what it’s like to produce in China and Taiwan given today’s supply chain challenges. His excellent description of the supply chain for electronic components in China reveals an interesting and useful new dimension on procurement and planning for production. He even coins a brand new DFx acronym!

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NEW VIDEOS AND TUTORIALS

RF Power Amplifier Design Followup: PCB Design

Get ready to follow along with the PCB layout for our RF amplifier project in Altium Designer. Users will get to see a thorough explanation of PCB layout choices for these systems, and source files are available for any interested viewers.

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How to Reduce PCB Production Costs During Manufacturing

What are some simple strategies that can be used to cut down production costs for simple boards? We’ll look at some strategies by examining some cost drivers of PCB fabrication.

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LIMITED TIME OFFER

Master PCB design with Altium professional training

PCB design skills are in demand. Get the training you need to get ahead. Altium professional training, led by experienced engineers, helps you level up your PCB design skills and earn certification. Act now and get the Altium 365 Training bundle FREE with our #1 selling instructor led trainings.

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Sourcing Insights

Access FREE industry supply and demand trends for a smarter design and faster delivery.

Spectra’s EDDI gives you access to proven design, supply and sourcing signals cultivated by our audience of millions of engineers.

Trends from this month’s EDDI:

The Industry Supply Index increased by 5 points this month to a total value of 135 points. This is a continuation of the recovery we have seen overall since July 2021.

The largest category index lift was seen in the Integrated Circuits demand index of 13 points (10.2%), totaling 141 points. This increase adds to the overall increase since May 2022 of 62 points (78.5%).

The Industry Demand Index decreased overall by 2 points this month to a total of 131 points. This is the fifth consecutive month of a decline since September 2022.

The largest demand index decline reported was in Integrated Circuits with 8 points (4.2%) This is the fifth month of a decline that has totaled 34 points (15.6%).

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About Author

Alexsander joined Altium as a Technical Marketing Engineer and brings years of engineering expertise to the team. His passion for electronics design combined with his practical business experience provides a unique perspective to the marketing team at Altium. Alexsander graduated from one of the top 20 universities in the world at UCSD where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.