CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – May 2025
Greetings!
We had a tremendous week in the Boston suburbs earlier this month for PCB East!
We were very pleased at the turnout this year, especially given the economic uncertainty in the industry. Attendance for the exhibits rose nearly 4% year-over-year, and attendance among the exhibits-only category was up 15% from a year ago.
Exhibitors were roundly supportive of the show floor activity, and conference registrants were particularly pleased with the additional networking events.
Some of the comments we heard:
- “What a great conference! The speakers were of the highest caliber and the topics varied greatly. They were not all focused on PCB design but on the efforts related to hardware design more broadly.”
- “We had a fantastic few days connecting with engineers, OEMs, and industry partners from across the country.”
- “Busy day at PCB East! Met with customers, reps, and discovered new, exciting leads.”
We are already looking forward to next year's show.
Join us on May 14 for a free one-hour webinar on flex and rigid-flex circuits. Whether starting with a simple flex design or a complex rigid-flex design, this presentation offers a different perspective. Presenter Dave Lackey of ASC Sunstone will cover material selections, fabrication notes, design tool considerations, panel/array usage and manufacturability.
And be sure to register now for our newest event, PCB Detroit, a two-day technical conference coming in June, and take advantage of our buy one, get one free offer.
Our latest PCEA Training certified printed circuit designer curriculum schedule is out. We have open classes beginning in June, September and November. Plus, we continue to do private classes for companies.
Hope your summer plans are rounding into shape.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.net
P.S. Join our Discord server, bringing together PCEA members from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities. Send a note to membership@pcea.net.
PCEA Training Update
Congratulations to our newest certified designers:
- Shujat Ali
- Syed Wasi Hassan Bokhari
- Patrick Chiu
- Margaret Frachioni
- Jaymole Kaduparambil
- Sergio Monroy Mendoza
- Daniel Mignanelli
- Joel Suddaby
- Ayman Suhrawardy
- Andrew Touma
- Ali Yassine
Local Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: The annual PCEA meeting will be held September 30 during PCB West at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. An update on all association programs, plus the annual awards, will be presented.
Orange County: We are looking at a meeting the week of July 21. Stephen Chavez is our speaker and the topic is PCB Best Practices: Optimizing Engineering to Manufacturing Efficiencies,
Portland, OR: Our May presentation will feature Daniel Lindmark of Allspice.io, who will talk about design for manufacturing challenges and solutions: a discussion about real problems, workarounds, and fixes. Thanks to Bob Carter of Oak-Mitsui and John Andresakis of Quantic Ohmega for their March and April talk, respectively, talks on embedded materials. Contact Stephan Schmidt for details.
San Diego: A big shout-out to John Ranieri of Oak-Mitsui for his April presentation on the impact of ultra-thin laminates on PCB design, signal and power integrity, and EMC. Also thanks to Marshall Tibbetts of ACI for his talk on additive manufacturing. Two great sessions! Stay tuned for an in-person meeting this summer.
Virginia: Michael Burns is heading up the new chapter here. A Zoom kickoff meeting featuring Dan Beeker is coming up this summer.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB Detroit. June 2-3, Detroit
- PCB West. Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
- June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21
- Sept. 12, 19, 25, Oct. 10, 17
- Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, Dec. 1
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- Are you using too many vias? Almost the entire industry believed that if the conducting cross-sectional area of the trace is n times greater than the conducting cross-sectional area of the via, then n vias are needed. We were wrong.
- Component land patterns: A primer. Key aspects on of determining parts layout from the manufacturer’s perspective.
- Is the industry ready for a solderless world? A groundbreaking advancement in solderless electronics manufacturing.
- For design tools, another record. Can it last? Making sense of the current market trends.
- A case study in solder balling and process optimization. The importance of a methodical troubleshooting approach.
- TFT module development. Expertise surrounding TFT module design in the US appears to have diminished, largely due to increasing operational costs.
- Managing the design room. So you want to be in charge?
- July 2025 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – July 2025
Hello members!
We truly enjoyed our week in the Motor City during our premiere of PCB Detroit. We are especially grateful to our exhibitors, including Cofactr, which sponsored our networking event, and Wayne State University, which hosted the conference.
One of the aspects that I came away with was how eager the local college students were in learning about the PCB industry. They showed up all day, listened actively even though the content was aimed at much more experienced designers and engineers, and stuck around and chatted (“networked”) after the classes ended each day.
This runs counter to the perception that college students are software-focused and not necessarily interested in hardware, other than buying the latest iPhone. Several of those present were in the PCEA Certified Printed Circuit Designer course we taught at Wayne State last spring, and have now passed the CPCD exam. And there was widespread lobbying – from academia and industry – for PCB Detroit to return next year.
All in all, we feel we learned as much as the attendees. The industry often talks about how we must attract the next generation. It’s great to be part of an organization that is working on doing just that.
In June we opened our annual salary survey of printed circuit board designers, design engineers and other layout specialists. We undertake this each year to get an understanding of salaries, job functions, experience, education, job satisfaction, and ECAD tools used, among other data. We then publish the aggregate data in a free downloadable report on our website and in the PCD&F/Circuits Assembly magazine. Individual responses are not shared. The survey can be taken here. For a list of past results, click here.
And don’t forget registration is open for PCB West, featuring more than 125 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training spread over more than 50 sessions. The program includes 30 classes never before taught at the show. Among the industry experts scheduled to speak this year are Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Stephen Chavez, Chuck Corley, Karen Burnham, Tomas Chester, and Charlene McCauley. The conference will be held September 30 to October 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netPCEA Training Update
Congratulations to our newest certified designers:
- Arthur Gonzalez
- Yael Legaria
- Joanna Pang
- Raymond Schad
- Kimberlee Shimizu
- Tara Taylor
- Jason Trout
- Noah Vilceus
Recent Discord Chatter
Overheard on the PCEA Discord server:
-
- Skills and certifications employers seek
- Converting designs across ECAD tools
- Requirements and Service Portal in Altium
Want to join? Send a note to membership@pcea.net.
Local Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: Thanks to John Johnson of ASC Sunstone will present a free webinar last this summer.
PCB East 2026 will take place at a new location. The one-day exhibition takes place Apr. 29, at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. The four-day technical conference takes place Apr. 28 to May 1. The DCU Center is a first-class facility, and Worcester is the second-largest city in New England, with all the amenities of Boston but at a much lower cost for attendees. Abstracts for the technical conference are due Sept. 5. The conference focuses on training and best practices for printed circuit board design engineers, electronics design engineers, fabricators and assemblers. Preference is given to presentations of two hours in length or more, and no presentations of less than one hour will be considered. Please use the link; no emailed abstracts will be accepted.
Orange County: The next chapter meeting is Jul. 22 from 11 to 2 at the Siemens Costa Mesa facility (located within The MET at 535 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA). Stephen Chavez of Siemens will speak on Optimizing Engineering to Manufacturing Efficiencies. Contact Terri Kleekamp for more information.
Portland, OR: Our June presentation featured Don Telian of SIGuys, the SI designer of the PCi bus and the originator of IBIS, who contrasted the pace of IC density versus PCB design and the dramatic effect it has on signal integrity as we know it.
The next meeting takes place Jul. 24, featuring Michael Gay of Advanced Chip and Circuit Materials, who will discuss new materials and capabilities. Contact Stephan Schmidt for details. Our Oct. 23 meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Portland State University Electronics Prototyping Lab.
Richmond, VA: Dan Beeker presented on transmission lines design to pass EMC compliance testing at our kickoff meeting in June. We have interest from a few people to start planning future presentations. Contact Michael Burns if you are interested in helping.
Silicon Valley: Thanks to Jayson Harames and Siemens EDA for hosting and presenting at our June meeting.
New Corporate Members
Click here to find a supplier or join today!
Upcoming Events
- PCB West. Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
- Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25, Sept. 2
- Sept. 12, 19, 25, Oct. 10, 17
- Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, Dec. 1
- PCB East. Apr. 28-May 2, 2026, at the DCU Center, Worcester, MA.
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- Breaking the Six Sigma wall with causal AI. By seamlessly linking and analyzing all data across the entire value chain, a new level of transparency and efficiency can be achieved.
- Optimizing mixed signal circuit designs. An analog world is where we live. A digital world drives our data.
- The importance of test probing in PCB manufacturing.. Verification processes are highly challenging and require a full understanding of the design scope of ECAD tools and the mechanical capabilities of the equipment used.
- Developing organizational culture for troubleshooting. Continuous improvement and problem troubleshooting are integral to using Lean Six Sigma in global manufacturing industries. How senior executive commitment, critical thinking, understanding root causes, solutions and knowledge management all play a role.
- When do you need nitrogen in reflow? A good process might be enough. When does nitrogen make a difference, and when is it just added overhead.
- Read it all here: https://digital.pcea.net/issues/july-2025/ Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- June 2025 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – June 2025
Greetings!
If this is June, this must be Detroit!
PCEA is happy to cruise over to the Motor City this month, where we will hold the inaugural PCB Detroit, a two-day technical conference on the campus of Wayne State University. If you are reading this on or before June 2, join us for a welcome reception from 5 to 6 p.m., or stop by our Designers Meetup on June 3 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Registration is also open for PCB West, featuring more than 125 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training spread over more than 50 sessions. The program includes 30 classes never before taught at the show. Among the industry experts scheduled to speak this year are Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Stephen Chavez, Chuck Corley, Karen Burnham, Tomas Chester, and Charlene McCauley. The conference will be held September 30 to October 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.
Our latest PCEA Training certified printed circuit designer curriculum schedule is out. Register now for the June class!
We are here for you: let us know how we can help advance your work and your career.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netPCEA Training Update
Congratulations to our newest certified designers:
- Daniel Forta
Recent Discord Chatter
Overheard on the PCEA Discord server:
- Fabricators capable of building UHDI and M-SAP boards
- Role of education in designers’ salaries
- Insulated metal base (IMS) boards
- Aluminum-core rounded boards for high-power LEDs
Want to join? Send a note to membership@pcea.net.
Local Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: Thanks to Dave Lackey of ASC Sunstone for his PCEA member webinar in May on flex material selection, fabrication notes, design tool considerations, panel/array usage and manufacturability.
Orange County: We are looking at a meeting the week of July 21. Stephen Chavez is our speaker and the topic is PCB Best Practices: Optimizing Engineering to Manufacturing Efficiencies,
Portland, OR: Our June 26 meeting starts at 12 p.m. Pacific and features renowned SI expert Don Telian. Thank you to our May presenter, Daniel Lindmark of Allspice.io, who shared higher-level details on design for manufacturing challenges and solutions. Contact Stephan Schmidt for details.
San Diego: Still finalizing plans for an in-person meeting this summer.
Silicon Valley: The Silicon Valley Chapter will hold a lunch-n-learn meeting in Fremont on June 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pacific. The topic is Demystifying Manufacturing Validation from a PCB Designer’s Point-of-View, presented by Jayson Harames, application engineer consultant with Siemens. To reserve a seat, email Bob McCreight.
Virginia: Our kickoff meeting is on June 11 at 12 p.m. EST and features a presentation from Dan Beeker of NXP Semiconductor. Contact membership@pcea.net for the Zoom meeting link.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB Detroit. June 2-3, Detroit
- PCB West. Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
- June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21
- Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25, Sept. 2
- Sept. 12, 19, 25, Oct. 10, 17
- Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, Dec. 1
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
-
Fundamentals of PCB stack-up and signal integrity. A sound and properly designed stack-up minimizes circuit vulnerability to external noise and helps improve electromagnetic compatibility.
- AI in electronics manufacturing: What’s working now, and what’s not (but should be).
- Factors contributing to solder ball formation. Improper paste viscosity and incorrect reflow ramp profiles are two root causes. Here’s how to mitigate them.
- Collaborative robots. Mechatronics assembly techniques you should be using
- Designing for high-pin count devices. Careful where you drop your vias.
- Bluetooth circuit board design guidelines. avoid interference, lost data and poor signal integrity.
- Board buying in Thailand. It’s up-and-coming, but not quite there yet.
- May 2025 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – May 2025
Greetings!
We had a tremendous week in the Boston suburbs earlier this month for PCB East!
We were very pleased at the turnout this year, especially given the economic uncertainty in the industry. Attendance for the exhibits rose nearly 4% year-over-year, and attendance among the exhibits-only category was up 15% from a year ago.
Exhibitors were roundly supportive of the show floor activity, and conference registrants were particularly pleased with the additional networking events.
Some of the comments we heard:
- “What a great conference! The speakers were of the highest caliber and the topics varied greatly. They were not all focused on PCB design but on the efforts related to hardware design more broadly.”
- “We had a fantastic few days connecting with engineers, OEMs, and industry partners from across the country.”
- “Busy day at PCB East! Met with customers, reps, and discovered new, exciting leads.”
We are already looking forward to next year’s show.
Join us on May 14 for a free one-hour webinar on flex and rigid-flex circuits. Whether starting with a simple flex design or a complex rigid-flex design, this presentation offers a different perspective. Presenter Dave Lackey of ASC Sunstone will cover material selections, fabrication notes, design tool considerations, panel/array usage, and manufacturability.
And be sure to register now for our newest event, PCB Detroit, a two-day technical conference coming in June, and take advantage of our buy one, get one free offer.
Our latest PCEA Training certified printed circuit designer curriculum schedule is out. We have open classes beginning in June, September, and November. Plus, we continue to do private classes for companies.
Hope your summer plans are rounding into shape.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netP.S. Join our Discord server, bringing together PCEA members from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities. Send a note to membership@pcea.net.
PCEA Training Update
Congratulations to our newest certified designers:
- Shujat Ali
- Syed Wasi Hassan Bokhari
- Patrick Chiu
- Margaret Frachioni
- Jaymole Kaduparambil
- Sergio Monroy Mendoza
- Daniel Mignanelli
- Joel Suddaby
- Ayman Suhrawardy
- Andrew Touma
- Ali Yassine
Local Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: The annual PCEA meeting will be held September 30 during PCB West at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. An update on all association programs, plus the annual awards, will be presented.
Orange County: We are looking at a meeting the week of July 21. Stephen Chavez is our speaker and the topic is PCB Best Practices: Optimizing Engineering to Manufacturing Efficiencies,
Portland, OR: Our May presentation will feature Daniel Lindmark of Allspice.io, who will talk about design for manufacturing challenges and solutions: a discussion about real problems, workarounds, and fixes. Thanks to Bob Carter of Oak-Mitsui and John Andresakis of Quantic Ohmega for their March and April talk, respectively, talks on embedded materials. Contact Stephan Schmidt for details.
San Diego: A big shout-out to John Ranieri of Oak-Mitsui for his April presentation on the impact of ultra-thin laminates on PCB design, signal and power integrity, and EMC. Also thanks to Marshall Tibbetts of ACI for his talk on additive manufacturing. Two great sessions! Stay tuned for an in-person meeting this summer.
Virginia: Michael Burns is heading up the new chapter here. A Zoom kickoff meeting featuring Dan Beeker is coming up this summer.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB Detroit. June 2-3, Detroit
- PCB West. Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
- June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21
- Sept. 12, 19, 25, Oct. 10, 17
- Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, Dec. 1
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- Are you using too many vias? Almost the entire industry believed that if the conducting cross-sectional area of the trace is n times greater than the conducting cross-sectional area of the via, then n vias are needed. We were wrong.
- Component land patterns: A primer. Key aspects on of determining parts layout from the manufacturer’s perspective.
- Is the industry ready for a solderless world? A groundbreaking advancement in solderless electronics manufacturing.
- For design tools, another record. Can it last? Making sense of the current market trends.
- A case study in solder balling and process optimization. The importance of a methodical troubleshooting approach.
- TFT module development. Expertise surrounding TFT module design in the US appears to have diminished, largely due to increasing operational costs.
- Managing the design room. So you want to be in charge?
- March 2025 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – March 2025
Greetings!
When industry colleagues ask what’s new with the Printed Circuit Engineering Association, I sometimes don’t know where to start.
Do I bring up our AI in Electronics project, which to date has produced the first industry roadmap outlining the status of the technology and the requirements for broad implementation of this exciting (and often confusing) game-changer?
Do I point to the PCEA Training certified printed circuit designer curriculum, the only one developed by a cadre of experts like Stephen Chavez, Mike Creeden, Gary Ferrari, Rick Hartley and Susy Webb, and how it is being adopted by blue chip companies and major academic institutions around the world?
Do I mention our new Discord server, bringing together PCEA members from around the world on a private channel for discussing technical questions and career opportunities? (Want to join the PCEA Discord? Send a note to membership@pcea.net.)
Do I highlight the chapters forming in Missouri, Virginia and Michigan?
Do I share the news of our newest event, PCB Detroit, a two-day technical conference coming in June to the heart of Michigan’s largest city?
Indeed, PCEA has more going than we have room to mention. So feel free to ask us about anything you are interested in. Whatever it is, we are probably working on it.
And last call to register in time for the early bird discount for PCB East, coming April 29-May 2 to the Boxboro (MA) Regency Hotel and Conference Center in Boxborough, MA. You’ll gain access to more than 75 hours on everything from circuit grounding to RF and mixed signal design, DDR5 routing, board stackups, simulation, controlling EMI, and power delivery system design. It’s the only place on the East Coast you’ll find Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Dan Beeker, Steph Chavez and so many other experts.
Plus, there’s a full day of free sessions on April 30, and you can connect with 60+ exhibitors representing such leading PCB software companies as AllSpice.io, Altair, Altium, Arena AI, AutoPCB, Cofactr, DownStream Technologies, EMA, InstaDeep, Polar Instruments and Siemens. All attendees will be treated to a free lunch on the show floor on the exhibition day.
The discounted price for the PCB East 2025 technical conference ends March 29. Book now!
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: The annual PCEA meeting will be held September 30 during PCB West at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. An update on all association programs, plus the annual awards, will be presented.
Missouri: The new PCEA Missouri chapter hosted an outstanding talk on DfA by Dale Lee in February. To hear the recording, click here.
Portland, OR: Our March meeting is on on embedded capacitors and resistors. And thanks to Greg Starrett for a lively talk on stencil technologies in February. Contact Stephan Schmidt for details.
San Diego: The chapter is sponsoring a pair of talks on April 23 during the Del Mar Electronics Show. Check the pcea.net site or contact Luke Hausherr for details.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB East. Apr. 29 – May 2 in the Boston suburbs.
- PCB Detroit. June 2-3, Detroit
- PCB West. Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
– May 9, 16, 23, 30, Jun. 6
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- Controlled impedance on high-speed flex PCBs. With a mesh or hatched ground plane, it is possible to design systems that include high-speed signals, both single-ended and differential.
- The via-in-pad and wrap plating process. A look at the process from a manufacturing perspective.
- Is the industry ready for a solderless world? A groundbreaking advancement in solderless electronics manufacturing.
- The benefits of nitrogen in PCB soldering.Whether for reflow, selective or wave soldering, nitrogen can simplify post-soldering cleanup and limit oxidation and contamination.
- AI-driven solutions. PCB design’s AI integration is at hand.
- Board procurement. New tariffs are top of mind for many in our industry right now.
- NIST 800-171 compliance. Are your PCB supplier’s security measures up to par?
- January 2025 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – January 2025
Greetings!
Hope your new year is off to a rousing start!
The core of PCEA is its membership: sharing of technical information and networking. That’s why I’m pleased to see some of our newer chapters getting together regularly for tech talks and check-ins.
Two chapters in particular stand out. The Portland (OR) chapter meets each month online over lunch. In January, the guest speaker was Tony Lentz of FCT Solder, who presented on low-temperature solders and processes. The chapter is also conducting a local study on electronic design data transfer.
And the new Missouri chapter holds a kickoff meeting next month with a special presentation titled “Manufacturing by Design is the New DfM” from Dale Lee of Plexus. See the Chapter News below for more on these and other upcoming events.
We are pleased to announce a new technical event, PCB Detroit, which is coming to Michigan on June 2-3. See pcea.net for more details.
And a reminder to register now for PCB East, coming April 29-May 2 to the Boxboro (MA) Regency Hotel and Conference Center in Boxborough, MA. It offers more than 75 hours of the best in-depth technical training for printed circuit board design and engineering you can find on the East Coast. Plus, there’s a full day of free sessions on April 30, and you can connect with 60+ exhibitors representing the leading companies in the PCB industry. All attendees will be treated to a free lunch on the show floor on the exhibition day.
The scope of classes ranges from the basics of design engineering, documentation, libraries and circuit grounding to more advanced fare such as RF and mixed signal design, DDR5 routing, board stackups, simulation, controlling EMI, and power delivery system design.
More than half the presentations are new to the conference, including ones on maximizing routing channels, successful design release, differential pair design for 112 Gbps and faster systems, EMI shielding, flex design, UHDI design, controlling for tin whiskers, and AI and other upcoming changes in PCB design.
The discounted price for the PCB East 2025 technical conference ends March 29, so register now!
The winter/spring schedule for the Certified Professional Circuit Designer training and certification program is underway. It includes 40 hours of classes taught one day a week over five weeks. The next classes start on February 28 and May 9, respectively. Each class includes a copy of Printed Circuit Engineering Professional, a 400-page handbook on circuit board design, and the optional certification exam. More details are here.
Interested in presenting at PCB West this fall? Submit your abstract now for the September 30 – October 3 event, which takes place at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
Stay warm!
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: The annual PCEA meeting will be held September 30 during PCB West at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. An update on all association programs, plus the annual awards, will be presented.
Missouri: The new PCEA Missouri chapter will sponsor a talk on DfA by Dale Lee, staff DfX process engineer at Plexus, on Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. To register, click here.
Abstract: Today’s SMT and PTH assembly processes are driven by component packaging technology and functional design requirements. These requirements, combined with the growth in automobile electrification, space commercialization, wearable/disposable medical electronics and no touchup/rework allowed assembly designs, are driving manufacturing/test toward “build right” and increased reliability requirements.
With this transition, DfM needs to migrate away from general assembly design guidelines primarily driven by general assembly equipment/process capability toward component/printed board-specific driven assembly and understanding the requirements and tolerances of each solder connection on a single device location on the assembly. Manufacturing now has to be able to report design issues not only from assembly-level effects/process customization but also to be able to communicate with designers on potential functional design mitigation strategies and/or cost impacts.
Manufacturing by design is now required to match the assembly/test processes to the functional requirements of the design and address when traditional material limitations, industry standards and assembly tolerances are not adequately addressed with traditional DfM reviews.
The presenter, Dale Lee, is a principal DfX engineer with Plexus, primarily involved with printed board/printed board assembly DfX analysis, root cause failure analysis and definition/correlation of design, process and tooling impacts on assembly processes and manufacturing yields including impacts of new technologies.
Portland, OR: A big shout-out to Tony Lentz from FCT Solder for joining us in January to talk about low-temperature solder. If you’d like to check out Tony’s presentation, you can download it here.
Our next meeting is Feb. 20 at 12 p.m. PST. Contact Stephan Schmidt at stschmidt@pcea.net for details.
San Diego: The chapter is planning on hosting a one-hour presentation at a local library in February. Our planned presenter is a material vendor that has some unique additive materials. Contact Luke Hausherr at lucashausherr@gmail.com for details.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB East. Apr. 29 – May 2 in the Boston suburbs.
- PCB West. Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
– Feb. 28, Mar. 7, 14, 28, Apr. 4
– May 9, 16, 23, 30, Jun. 6
Reading Material
See below for highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly. Read it all here.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- Clearance and creepage in PCB design. An overview of standards and guidelines for high-voltage applications.
- Maximizing yields with minimal iterations. Design practices that help prevent common fabrication and assembly defects.
- Comparing coated and uncoated stencils. Implications of using uncoated stencils are weighed against the more-expensive, but more-effective, nanocoated versions.
- Board procurement. Managing the buyer-supplier relationship.
- STI Electronics. A look inside the North Alabama-based EMS company.
- The profession. Can EDA tools keep up with workforce needs?
- Additive manufacturing in EMS. 3-D printing gains ground in assembly.
- August 2024 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – August 2024
Greetings!
We are gearing up for the annual PCB West technical conference and exhibition, coming in just a few weeks!
PCB West is, of course, the largest exhibition and conference for printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly in the Silicon Valley. And we are happy to report the exhibition floor space is sold out for the Oct. 9 exhibition.More than 100 exhibitors showcasing the leading companies in the PCB industry, including the top CAD and CAM vendors and top names in printed circuit fabrication and electronics assembly. Attendees will be treated to a free lunch on the show floor on the exhibition day.
The technical conference features a range of classes from designing all types of printed circuit boards to complex signal and power integrity and power delivery systems design. Foundational topics such as circuit grounding and PCB stackups are interspersed with advanced tutorials on DDR5, thermal management, analog measurements, system mechanical design, and more.
The discounted price for the PCB West 2024 technical conference ends Sept. 7, so register now!
PCB West will be held October 8 – 11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. Register here.
The fall schedule for the Certified Professional Circuit Designer training and certification program includes classes on Sept. 16 – 20 and Oct. 28, Nov. 1, 9, 15, and 22, respectively. Each class is 40 hours long and includes a copy of Printed Circuit Engineering Professional, a 400-page handbook on circuit board design, and the optional certification exam. More details are here.
Interested in presenting at PCB East next spring? Submit your abstract now for the Apr. 29 – May 2 event, which takes place in the Boston suburbs.
Also see us this fall at SMTAI and PCB Carolina!
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
National: The annual PCEA meeting will be held Oct. 8 from 9 to 10 a.m. during PCB West at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. An update on all association programs, plus the annual awards, will be presented.
Portland, OR: In August we welcomed Bill Loving of ScanCAD International for a discussion about PCB reverse engineering. We will hold a live meeting at Axiom Electronics in October. Those interested should email stschmidt@pcea.net.
San Diego: Our meeting on Aug. 20 featured Mark Finstad, director of engineering at Flexible Circuits Technologies. Chapter members enjoyed a presentation on flex circuit design and manufacturing over lunch. Among the door prizes was a free annual subscription for PCB Libraries.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB West: October 8-11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
- PCB East: Apr. 29 – May 2 in the Boston suburbs.
PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
Classes currently scheduled for 2024 are as follows:
- Sept. 16-20
- Oct. 28, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22
More classes will be scheduled. Learn more at pceatraining.net.
Reading Material
Highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- Compensation trends. Is the PCB design workforce finally getting younger? After years of consternation from the PCB industry – and the country as a whole – about the daunting task of replacing retired or soon-to-be retired workers, those worries may be coming to a head as the workforce begins to skew younger. That’s the suggestion of the annual PCD&F/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Designers Salary Survey.
- Designing for board thickness.For as long as there have been printed circuit boards, the nominal thickness seems to have been set at 0.062″.
- Wet processing. The most used distribution in reliability analysis may be the Weibull distribution. This sytudy shows how to use Weibull distribution to model gold wire bonding on ENEPIG.
- PCB’s green evolution.Electrification is one of today’s dominant megatrends. Taking the utmost care of every joule is critical to maximize the harvest from the scarce ambient energy sources and to minimize waste throughout the conversion system, distribution infrastructure, storage and – ultimately – the load. Exercising that care demands control.
- Solder paste dispensing. While stencil printing has long been the cornerstone of applying solder paste, it faces limitations with extremely small or large components. Dispensing offers the advantage of infinite flexibility, capable of producing both minuscule and substantial deposits while seamlessly integrating into the existing SMT process.
- Component obsolescence. Managing parts selection for the inevitable future.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- March 2024 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – March 2024
Greetings!
PCEA’s first UHDI & Substrates: Design to Package Forum will be held on June 5, in conjunction with PCB East in Boxborough, MA.
UHDI, or ultra high-density interconnect, describes lines and spaces of less than 25 microns on a printed circuit board. Among the presentations are talks on standards, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, direct imaging for less than 15 microns, a new mSAP process, a new replacement for ABF (Ajinomoto Build-Up Film), planning a new UHDI facility, and new materials for UHDI. Each presentation will be 30 minutes. The program will close with a panel discussion. The forum is chaired by Gene Weiner of Weiner International Associates. Peter Bigelow, president of FTG East, and Alun Morgan, technology ambassador of Ventec and president of the European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) are vice chairmen.We are looking forward to our webinar on AI in Electronics on March 6. This special panel of domain experts will debate where they consider the actual intelligence in these tools, and the ways – and how soon – they might impact the industry. To register for the AI webinar click here.
All webinars include time for audience questions.
Past webinars can be seen on our YouTube channel or at Printed Circuit University.
Registration for PCB East 2024 is coming along nicely, well ahead of last year’s pace. And watch the website for further details on the special UHDI (ultra HDI) Forum being held concurrently at PCB East.
We expect to be at several events this spring, including the SMTA Dallas Expo and the Del Mar Electronics Show, among others, so please look for us.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
Denver: We are considering holding a chapter meeting on May 13 in the greater Denver area. If you have a meeting space that can accommodate at least 30 persons, please email mike@pcea.net.
New England: The chapter plans a kickoff meeting on May 2, probably in the Andover (MA) area. Among the planned speakers are Gopu Achath of EMA Design Automation on supply chain-driven circuit design and Paul Yang of Jove PCB on embedded inductors. Contact Mike Buetow at mike@pcea.net for details
San Diego: Stephen Chavez headlines our special chapter session taking place in conjunction with the Del Mar Electronics Show on Apr. 24. Chavez will speak on PCB design best practices. For information, contact Luke Hausherr (luke.hausherr@freedomcad.com).
Silicon Valley: The next chapter meeting is Mar. 14 from 11:30 to 1:30 PST. The meeting topic is Design Essentials to Maintain Signal Integrity, presented by Amit Bahl of Sierra Circuits. The meeting will be held live at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Please RSVP no later than 12pm on Mar. 7. To sign up send “RSVP” to Bob.McCreight.PCEA@gmail.com. Include name, job title and company. Also, let us know if you need a vegetarian meal.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB East: June 4-7 in the Boston suburbs.
- PCB West: October 8-11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
Classes currently scheduled for 2024 are as follows:
- April 5 – May 3
- June 14 – 28
More classes will be scheduled for later in the year. Learn more at pceatraining.net.
Reading Material
Highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- Ruggedized electronics. Automotive electrical systems require more robust hardware due to their unusual working conditions and environmental exposure. A discussion of material choices designed to combat temperature, vibration, heat and various aggressive environments, as well as a showcase of test methods used.
- Parts libraries.With more than 16 million components and 250,000 unique downloads per month, Ultra Librarian has built what it calls the biggest CAD library in the world. PCD&F visited the company’s office in Alabama to find its secret to success.
- Designing for PCB manufacturability. Tips for preparing for fabrication.
- Low-temperature soldering. It can bring a host of benefits to electronics, but the lack of a standard solder alloy and the unique properties of emerging alloys require development of new fluxes and processes. Several factors are explored, including the limited availability of low-temperature alloys, the disadvantages of high-bismuth alloys and the impact of additive elements on alloy properties.
- Artificial intelligence. The growth of AI brings a new set of questions about the role of automation in factories. Arch Systems cofounder and CEO Andrew Scheuermann offers his perspective on the emerging technology.
- Component stratgies. Integrating FPGA and PCB design.
- M&A. Renesas’ acquisition of Altium brings questions.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- February 2024 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – February 2024
Greetings!
We have more member webinars to announce this month, plus some upcoming chapter meetings.
This month our special member webinar is on high-performance PCB materials for thermal management. On Feb. 27, Chris Hanson, Pesh Patel and Chad Wood will deliver a one-hour talk on thermal IMS (insulated metal substrate). The term “IMS” refers to PCBs built on a metal (typically aluminum but also copper), which acts as a thermal substrate, while the dielectric adhesive (prepreg) provides high thermal transfer from the components while maintaining dielectric insulation. They can be used to replace direct bonded copper (DBC) substrates for power modules and devices.
The webinar takes place Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. EST. Register here.
We had to reschedule our webinar on AI in Electronics. The new date is March 6. This special panel of domain experts will debate where they consider the actual intelligence in these tools, and the ways – and how soon – they might impact the industry. To register for the AI webinar click here.
All webinars include time for audience questions.
Past webinars can be seen on our YouTube channel or at Printed Circuit University.
Registration for PCB East 2024 is coming along nicely, well ahead of last year’s pace. And watch the website for further details on the special UHDI (ultra HDI) Forum being held concurrently at PCB East.
We expect to be at several events this spring, including the SMTA Dallas Expo and the Del Mar Electronics Show, among others, so please look for us.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
New England: The chapter plans a kickoff meeting on May 2, probably in the Andover (MA) area. Among the planned speakers are Gopu Achath of EMA Design Automation on supply chain-driven circuit design and Paul Yang of Jove PCB on embedded inductors. Contact Mike Buetow at mike@pcea.net for details
Silicon Valley: The next chapter meeting is expected to take place in March.
Upcoming conferences:
- PCB East: June 4-7 in the Boston suburbs.
- PCB West: October 8-11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. Abstracts are now being accepted at pcbwest.com.
PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
Classes currently scheduled for 2024 are as follows:
- April 5 – May 3
- June 14 – 28
More classes will be scheduled for later in the year. Learn more at pceatraining.net.
Reading Material
Highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- Effects of certain materials on conductivity. Some suggest that coating a trace or filling a via cavity can result in significant thermal and/or electrical conductivity improvements, but this is usually not the case. A look at via fillings and trace coatings and the effect that different materials can have on conductivity.
- An overview of high-density interconnect technology. Production and assembly of HDI PCBs comes with unique technical challenges centered around reliability and quality. An overview of standards and best practices for designing and building HDI PCBs.
- A Windy City tour. We visit a trio of EMS companies in the Chicago area, each of which specializes in different niches.
- A new EDA company springs to life. EMA Design Automation recently announced that it will be spinning off its software products for library management, component supply chain data, and other areas into a new company, Accelerated Designs. President Manny Marcano discusses the rationale and plans for the new company.
- Anatomy of crosstalk. Crosstalk in PCB and packaging interconnects can cause signal degradation that results in costly redesigns, but many designers do not know how to correctly identify its sources and mitigate its effects. An overview of crosstalk sources and terminology, plus models for identifying its effects.
- WLCSP design. Should the ground connections share vias?
- Aspect ratio and annular ring in flex circuits. Coupling buried vias with microvias can solve many manufacturing challenges.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- January 2024 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – January 2024
Happy New Year, members!
We continue our member webinar series this month, with presentations on thermal management and the impact of artificial intelligence on electronics.
On January 17, Doug Brooks and Dr. Johannes Adam will present Via and Trace Currents and Temperatures.. Rather than thinking of current density, the presenters say, focus on material parameters and properties that determine the temperature of a trace and how these are calculated. Results of some simulations of vias of varying widths and amps will be shown.
And on January 23, a special panel of domain experts will debate AI in Electronics. Artificial intelligence has made its way into ECAD and other software used in electronics manufacturing. But what’s the actual intelligence in these tools? And in what ways — and how soon — can we expect them to impact our roles? Experts from a handful of key ECAD companies will offer a snapshot of where we are, what’s feasible, and the forecasted timeline for implementation.
Past webinars can be seen on our YouTube channel or at Printed Circuit University. The most recent addition is from December, when Tony Senese and Eriko Yamato of Panasonic presented PCB Material Properties – Considerations for Design and Manufacturing.
All webinars include time for audience questions. To register, visit the PCEA Events page.. Be sure to click on the “Register now here” link. You will receive an email confirmation for the event; if you do not receive a confirmation, you are not registered.
We are also excited to announce registration is open for PCB East 2024. This year’s technical conference features more than 75 hours’ of training for all experience levels. And stay tuned for a special addition: the UHDI Forum.
Finally, this month we welcome Will Bruwer as our new senior sales executive. Will joins us from CBT News, where he served as director of sales for all media solutions across the CBT News platform with strong emphasis on digital, video/interviews, and custom media. He has 20 years’ experience in media sales and is a Navy veteran and a graduate of Georgia State University.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
Portland: On Jan. 11 from 3 to 4pm Eastern, the Portland Chapter will host an online presentation: Establishing Design Rules for the Laser Depaneling of Printed Circuit Boards, by Stephan Schmidt. All PCEA members are invited to attend.
Upcoming conferences:
- *PCB East 2024: June 4-7 in the Boston suburbs.
- PCB West: October 8-11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. Abstracts are now being accepted at pcbwest.com.
PCEA Training. PCEA will hold Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification classes as follows:
Classes currently scheduled for 2024 are as follows:
- Feb. 5 – March 4
- April 5 – May 3
- June 14 – 28
More classes will be scheduled for later in the year. Learn more at pceatraining.net.
Reading Material
Highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- Electrical and thermodynamic parallels. Most designers have exposure to the fundamentals of electrical engineering principles, but most have almost no exposure to thermodynamic fundamentals, which can be just as important. A presentation of parallel information on the two disciplines that board designers can use to understand the basic principles of thermodynamics that they often have to deal with.
- Signal integrity. How to calculate transmission line impedance with dispersion and roughness, no field solver needed!
- Depaneling. Establishing design rules for laser depaneling of printed circuit boards.
- Ultrasonic wirebonding. Wirebond technology’s flexibility gives it a major advantage as an interconnect method, but its durability is lost in open-air applications. Here, the authors look at ultrasonic wirebonding as currently used in EV battery packs, where they are vulnerable to breakage due to vibration in part because they are not encapsulated.
- Who owns the fakes? AI design brings questions of ownership.
- The benefits of internal benchmarking. Look within for improvements.
- Sintered copper can handle the pressure. The ability to electrically connect two cores or sub-laminated sections together without drilling through the entire section and then going through the plating process can be both a significant time- and cost-saver on the manufacturing side, as well as a huge win for the designer.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- December 2023 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – December 2023
Hello members!
In the next two months PCEA will host three free PCEA member webinars on PCB materials, PCB thermal management, and the impact of artificial intelligence on electronics to be presented by industry experts.
On December 13, Tony Senese and Eriko Yamato of Panasonic will present PCB Material Properties – Consideration for Design and Manufacturing. Engineers use PCB material product charts to reference electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties to seek solutions for specific applications. It is important to understand the significance of a given property and how it affects PCB design and manufacturing. This presentation will cover key material properties such as Tg, CTE, and modulus to guide how they can impact PCB design and processing. Knowing the capabilities and limitations of these tests and reported values is critical when defining the boundary conditions for a given design. How normal product line up variations in construction, resin content, and use conditions may change a given value will be discussed.
On January 17, Doug Brooks and Dr. Johannes Adam will present Via and Trace Currents and Temperatures. Rather than thinking of current density, the presenters say, focus on material parameters and properties that determine the temperature of a trace and how these are calculated. Results of some simulations of vias of varying widths and amps will be shown.
And on January 23, a special panel will debate AI in Electronics. Artificial intelligence has made its way into ECAD and other software used in electronics manufacturing. But what’s the actual intelligence in these tools? And in what ways — and how soon — can we expect them to impact our roles? CTOs and related domain experts from a handful of ECAD companies will offer a snapshot of where we are, what’s feasible, and the forecasted timeline for implementation. All webinars will include time for audience questions. For more info or to register, click here.
In other news, we received more than 60 abstracts for PCB East 2024, one-third of which are from new presenters. The Conferences Task Group is working to develop the technical program, which will be announced in early January.
As 2023 draws to a close, a work of thanks and gratitude to our members, customers, board of directors, and other friends and colleagues, of which there are far too many to cite, for your support this year. Pursuit of the ideals encapsulated in our motto – “Collaborate, Educate, and Inspire” – starts with each of you, and we at PCEA draw from your energy and passion every day. Thank you.
Mike Buetow
PCEA President
mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
Steph Chavez and Mike Buetow are planning a four-city chapter roadshow for 2024. The tentative schedule:
- March 7 – Austin
- April 11 – Phoenix
- May 2 – Boston
- October 24 – Portland (OR)
Each meeting will include at least one tech talk, plus some time for networking. We will have more details in the new year.
Education committee. John Watson is working on a series of videos on design, with the first couple scheduled to be complete by year-end.
PCB East 2024 will take place June 4-7 in the Boston suburbs. And PCB West will take place October 8-11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. Abstracts are now being accepted at pcbwest.com.
PCEA Training. On July 31, PCEA acquired PCE-EDU, the developers of the Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and certification program.
Classes currently scheduled for 2024 are as follows:
- Feb. 5 – March 4
- April 5 – May 3
- June 14 – 28
Learn more at pceatraining.net.
Reading Material
Highlights of the recent issues of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- PCB design reuse. Reusing proven circuits and layouts can enhance innovation. Here’s how.
- Virtual is getting real. PCB design for virtual and augmented reality headsets.
- Basics of high-frequency materials. As more electronic devices function at high frequencies, selecting materials suitable for high-frequency work is becoming crucial for new product development. An overview of the important characteristics of high-frequency PCB materials.
- Assessing data independence and normality for SPC charts. Many printed circuit board chemical manufacturing processes can violate the assumption of data independence, which along with normality is crucial for accurate statistical process control charts. Being able to confirm data’s independence and normality before plotting them on an SPC chart can save valuable time for a process engineer.
- In-house fixture fabrication. Leveraging additive manufacturing technology to mistake-proof production.
- Going green. Speed is of the essence at Green Circuits, a Silicon Valley EMS that offers same-day (!) turns.
- Ready for 6G? While the 5G era continues to take hold, materials science must advance for us to move to the next stage.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
- August 2023 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – August 2023
Hello members!
Our big news this month: PCEA has closed on the acquisition of the assets of PCBDesign-Edu, Inc., (dba PCE-EDU, Inc.), including its industry leading printed circuit designer training and certification program. The deal extends PCEA’s position as the leading association for training printed circuit engineers worldwide.
The transaction includes the Printed Circuit Engineering Professional curriculum and related Certified Printed Circuit Designer (CPCD) certification exam, licensing agreements and customer database, among other assets, including the 400-page handbook created by the PCE-EDU founders – Michael R. Creeden, Stephen V. Chavez, Gary Ferrari, Rick Hartley and Susy Webb.
The PCE-EDU founders developed the best training handbook I’ve ever seen for PCB design. There is tight overlap between PCEA and PCE-EDU’s respective missions and approaches. We feel strongly we will be able to expand on the work of the PCE-EDU founders and reach a larger audience for the CPCD curriculum.
For more information about the Certified Printed Circuit Designer program, visit pceatraining.net.
Also, we are pleased to announce Louis Feinstein will keynote PCB West this year. Lou is High Tech Industry Strategy Director, High-Tech at Dassault Systemes. He is a seasoned executive and visionary engineer with profound knowledge and experience in the high-tech market. His talk is titled Revolutionizing Electronics Cyber-Physical Systems: Unleashing the Power of MBSE and AI for Electronics System Design, and focuses on the next paradigm in Electronics Cyber-Physical Systems (ECPS) development.
For more on the keynote, which takes place September 20 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and is free to all conference and expo registrants, see below under Education.
Mike Buetow PCEA President mike@pcea.net
Local Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
SILICON VALLEY – Next meeting is August 30, from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at Siemens EDA, 46871 Bayside Parkway in Fremont. The topic is Leveraging Advanced Technologies to Accelerate Electronic Systems Design, and the speaker is David Wiens, Xpedition product manager, Siemens.
National News
Trace temperature video. Stop thinking about current density! In a new 30-minute video, available for free at Printed Circuit University, Doug Brooks and Dr. Johannes Adam explain the material parameters and properties that determine the temperature of a trace, how these are calculated, and show results of some simulations of vias of varying widths and amps.
Brooks and Adam are coauthors of several publications on trace and via temperatures, including “PCB Design Guide to Via and Trace Currents and Temperatures” and “Predicting Fusing Time of Overloaded PCB Traces Can We Predict It At All?”
Education committee. We are preparing the call for abstracts for PCB East 2024. We will have some examples of good (and incomplete) abstracts available at pcbeast.com to help prospective speakers with their submissions.
The Conferences Task Group is headed by Troy Hopkins.
PCB East 2024 will take place June 2-5 in the Boston suburbs.
PCB West keynote. As noted above, Lou Feinstein will keynote PCB West this year. Says Lou: By leveraging model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and artificial intelligence (AI), we accelerate the design of electrical and electronic systems. MBSE streamlines integration, while AI-driven optimization ensures alignment with design intent and derived requirements. The synergy of MBSE and AI empowers efficient ECPS development, establishing new benchmarks in quality and speed. A use case will be showcased to validate the approach, paving the way for the future of ECPS.
Lou’s diverse background, which ranges from design systems to the assembly floor at leading companies like Dassault Systèmes, Textron and EMC, makes him ideal to explain the impacts of the array of coming technologies on the day-to-day operations of almost every engineer and production staffer. To register for the keynote and the other Free Wednesday sessions, visit pcbwest.com.
Sept. 20 is also the date of the one-day exhibition. This year’s show is sold out, so be sure to see the more than 100 companies on site — and grab a free lunch starting at 12 noon.
Reading Material
Highlights of the latest issue of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- The heat is on. Thermal interface materials (TIM) are used between components to help with heat dissipation. Claire Wemp, Ph.D., a thermal applications engineer at DuPont, discusses the use of TIMs, as well as her involvement in the Society of Women Engineers.
- A plethora of pitches. The evolution of integrated circuit package technology drove the electronics industry to its present state, but a closer look at the past reveals missed opportunities to create a more coherent set of IC standards, as well as lessons to be learned for future choices to improve design efficacy and product performance and reliability.
- Cpk or Ppk? A look at using both capability indices. . Summary statistics can be misleading, but in different ways. Always graph your data.
- Selectively assembling high-value components based on warpage in order to improve reliability. Surface warpage, or flatness, is an established source of reliability issues in surface mount devices, particularly when these surfaces are considered as they warp due to heat generated in production or real-world use. While measuring samples for thermal warpage is a common practice, an experimental concept is presented based on measuring warpage on SMD devices and the PCB landing areas where they would attach in assembly, then deciding which sample to place on which PCB.
- Managing library and design data.Automating data maintenance and revision control.
- Copper vs. CuNI for flexible heater elements. Voltage, heater size and material costs all factor into the decision process.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
Committees
The Education Committee receives requests each month for mentors. If you are open to helping coach colleagues looking to develop their design or engineering skills, or provide career advice, please let us know at pcea@pcea.net.
- June 2023 Newsletter
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER – June 2023
Hello members!
The Printed Circuit Engineering Association has opened registration for the technical program for PCB West 2023 featuring nearly 50 presentations and more than 130 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training.
Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s show are Rick Hartley, Lee Ritchey, Susy Webb, Tomas Chester and Dan Beeker.
The conference will be held Sept. 19 to 22 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.
The scope of classes ranges from basics on design engineering and DfM, to designing and building RF and microwave products, board stackup, circuit grounding, PCB layout of DDR memory, thermal management, manufacturing PCBs, and more. New courses this year include the role of AI in PCB design, system level simulation, and signal integrity in thin PCB materials, among others.
Also new this year: Ask the Experts, a series of help sessions with experts in signal integrity, high-speed design, EMI, DfM, flex circuits and more.
Conference registrants who sign up by Aug. 18 can take advantage of the Early Bird Special discounts for the conference.
An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held Sept. 20.
Mike Buetow PCEA President mike@pcea.netLocal Chapters
Please forward your chapter news to pcea@pcea.net for inclusion on our website and in future newsletters.
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The RGV Chapter had its first public meeting on June 1. We are planning our next meeting for September and will have more details as we get closer.
SAN DIEGO – Palomar Community College is offering a comprehensive online PCB design course, taught by John Watson. The classes include a 16-week beginner course and a 16-week advanced course, with the beginner classes starting on Aug. 22, 2023, and the advanced courses starting on Jan. 30, 2024.
The chapter has elected John Watson vice chair and Nick Maldonado communications director.
National News
EMI seminar. Rick Hartley will present a special live two-day workshop on “Control of EMI, Noise and Signal Integrity in High-Speed Circuits and PCBs,” coming June 20-21 to the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. As Hartley notes, EMI is a leading concern for electronics designers and a major cause of failures. The seminar has been updated to contain a fair amount of new information that was not taught in years past. Each attendee will receive a color PDF copy of the full slide deck. For details, visit pcb2day.com.
PCB fabricator database available. PCEA now offers FabFile Online, a list of active North American printed circuit board fabricators, free as an industry service.
This database was initially compiled and provided to the industry by Harvey Miller. For over seven decades, Miller was a leading source of data on market and technology trends for the printed circuit board industry. Using the FabFile database, Dr. Hayao Nakahara of N.T. Information performed extensive editing to clean up and add commentary to the list.
The database is available for download in the free section of Printed Circuit University .
Education committee. Free content overview feedback is due in mid June. This project is being managed by John Watson. The committee is also updating the 2023 PCD&F Salary Survey prior to distribution to the membership. And we are pleased to announce Troy Hopkins has been named chair of the Conferences Task Group.
PCB East 2023 registration up 59% year-over-year. Registration for the PCB East 2023 conference and exhibits rose 59% overall from last year. Conference registration more than doubled, rising 110% from last year, while the expo-only trade show registration rose 63% over the same period.The annual trade show was held May 9-12 at the Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center in Boxborough, MA. In all, more than 60 leading suppliers of electronics design tools, manufacturers of bare boards and assemblies, and suppliers of fabrication and assembly equipment and materials exhibited at the show.
Plans for PCB East 2024 will be announced shortly.
Reading Material
Highlights of the June issue of PCD&F/Circuits Assembly:
- Onderdonk’s and Preece’s equations: How do they compare? Two unique equations can be used when fusing a trace – each offering its own strengths and weaknesses.
- Simulating electronics components in the cloud. 3-D models and numerical methods can analyze CAD models of electronic devices and components. Numerical computations of conduction, convection and radiation are essential for understanding how these heat transfer mechanisms can be utilized for effective cooling techniques.
- Cpk or Ppk? A look at using both capability indices. Summary statistics can be misleading, but in different ways. Always graph your data.
- The CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Top 50 EMS companies. Putting aside the obvious supply chain disruptions, the two big stories out of the EMS industry in 2022 were the emergence of India, led in particular by Apple’s pivoting from China, and the number of IPOs.
- Power to the PCB. Thermal considerations for printed circuit board designers.
- High-speed rigid-flex Rigid-flex can meet the speed you need – with the right design and materials.
- The printer and the pea. In the stencil printing process, seemingly small settings or interferences can prevent a good print outcome – particularly as assemblies continue to move toward higher densities and miniaturization.
Have an idea for an article? Contact us at pcea@pcea.net. No writing experience required!
Committees
The Education Committee receives requests each month for mentors. If you are open to helping coach colleagues looking to develop their design or engineering skills, or provide career advice, please let us know at pcea@pcea.net.