I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
July 15, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
I’m getting a lot of out-of-office replies. Are you all on the beach now? It’s 91 degrees every day here in Atlanta lately, but each afternoon it rains like we’re in a horror movie, and that drops the temperature down to the subtropical arena. Still, I’ll take heat over freezing any day.
Things are heating up in our industry too, as we see from my top five choices this week. First-quarter electronic design revenue is up year-on-year, but PCB revenue barely moved the needle YOY. Editor Nolan Johnson spent the week at SEMICON West and the FLEX Conference, and he brings us a review of these conferences, co-located at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. As he notes, printed electronic circuits are beginning to gain a foothold in the market.
Cadence Design Systems has invested in data center design, and IPC is lobbying Congress to help strengthen our supply chain. Finally, we have some “common sense” from Dan Beaulieu. In this column, he discusses companies that try to be all things to all customers, taking on projects far outside their “sweet spot.”
Stay cool!
FLEX Conference 2022: If You Build It, We Will Buy It
Published July 13
Our colleague Nolan Johnson has been covering the FLEX Conference and SEMICON West in San Francisco this week, and visiting manufacturers as well. As he points out in this article, much of the FLEX Conference focused on printed electronic circuits. PEC have been making big advances lately, often behind the scenes. This is a segment to watch, as OEMs drive most of the innovation here—not the fabricators.
IPC: Over 100 Industry Executives Urge U.S. Congress to Strengthen Electronics Supply Chain
Published July 14
The supply chain has been in a jam for a while now. Remember how lead times were getting long pre-COVID? IPC has been pushing Washington to take action, and it seems that politicians may be starting to listen. That’s one silver lining to the whole supply chain problem: Washington is finally becoming aware of the critical role that U.S. electronics manufacturers play in our economy, as well as our ability to equip our warfighters. Check it out.
Cadence to Acquire Future Facilities, A Pioneer in Data Center Digital Twins
Published July 12
Data centers are front and center now. Over the past few years, we’ve pointed out the importance of data and—more importantly—data management. Cadence Design Systems has acquired Future Facilities, a company that creates software for data center design. The company’s software utilizes 3D digital twins and augments Cadence’s Celsius Thermal Solver. You can expect other EDA companies to invest in data center technology in the near future.
Electronic System Design Industry Logs 12.1% YoY Revenue Growth in Q1 2022
Published July 12
It’s kind of a mixed bag here. Electronic design revenue in Q1 is up 12.1% year-on-year, but PCB is a laggard here, clocking in at only 1.4%. Semiconductor IP is the engine pulling that particular train. And last year we were digging out from the pandemic, so I wouldn’t worry too much about PCB at this point. I bet your company is having a pretty good year. Am I right?
It's Only Common Sense: Big Macs and PCBs—Do What You Do Well
Published July 11
I’ve never understood why some companies try to please everyone. It’s just not possible. I get it; you want to keep revenue coming in. But some PCB manufacturers take on jobs that are far outside their core competency, just to keep the lights on. Dan Beaulieu sticks a fork in this turkey of an idea. As Dan says, do what you do well.
Suggested Items
Cadence, TSMC Collaborate on Wide-Ranging Innovations to Transform System and Semiconductor Design
04/25/2024 | Cadence Design SystemsCadence Design Systems, Inc. and TSMC have extended their longstanding collaboration by announcing a broad range of innovative technology advancements to accelerate design, including developments ranging from 3D-IC and advanced process nodes to design IP and photonics.
Ansys, TSMC Enable a Multiphysics Platform for Optics and Photonics, Addressing Needs of AI, HPC Silicon Systems
04/25/2024 | PRNewswireAnsys announced a collaboration with TSMC on multiphysics software for TSMC's Compact Universal Photonic Engines (COUPE). COUPE is a cutting-edge Silicon Photonics (SiPh) integration system and Co-Packaged Optics platform that mitigates coupling loss while significantly accelerating chip-to-chip and machine-to-machine communication.
Siemens’ Breakthrough Veloce CS Transforms Emulation and Prototyping with Three Novel Products
04/24/2024 | Siemens Digital Industries SoftwareSiemens Digital Industries Software launched the Veloce™ CS hardware-assisted verification and validation system. In a first for the EDA (Electronic Design Automation) industry, Veloce CS incorporates hardware emulation, enterprise prototyping and software prototyping and is built on two highly advanced integrated circuits (ICs) – Siemens’ new, purpose-built Crystal accelerator chip for emulation and the AMD Versal™ Premium VP1902 FPGA adaptive SoC (System-on-a-chip) for enterprise and software prototyping.
Listen Up! The Intricacies of PCB Drilling Detailed in New Podcast Episode
04/25/2024 | I-Connect007In episode 5 of the podcast series, On the Line With: Designing for Reality, Nolan Johnson and Matt Stevenson continue down the manufacturing process, this time focusing on the post-lamination drilling process for PCBs. Matt and Nolan delve into the intricacies of the PCB drilling process, highlighting the importance of hole quality, drill parameters, and design optimization to ensure smooth manufacturing. The conversation covers topics such as drill bit sizes, aspect ratios, vias, challenges in drilling, and ways to enhance efficiency in the drilling department.
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.