Pcb Chat

"Humans just aren't the greatest at designing circuit boards." That's according to Sergiy Nesterenko. Nesterenko is founder and CEO of a new software company called Quilter, whose goal is to accelerate hardware development by fully automating circuit board design. His eureka moment came when an early design at a previous employer couldn't be autorouted, then after it was hand-routed and built, it caught on fire. Listen to why the former Space X engineer thinks the margins designers build in are excessive and how AI-driven, physics-based platform can resolve and even violate some "human" rules and still generate superior printed circuit boards.  

We’ve discussed the silver tsunami on the show numerous times, the unprecedented rate of which employees are retiring. When engineers and other employees retire from companies, they take with them more than a set of gold cufflinks or an engraved plaque. In many cases, they also take with them wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps this is never truer than in the case of Mike Konrad's guest today. And who is that? Doug Pauls. Pauls holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics from Carthage College, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He worked nine years for the Navy, eight years as technical director of Contamination Studies Labs, and more than 20 years at Rockwell Collins (now Collins Aerospace), in the Advanced Operations Engineering group where he is a technical fellow and, a principal materials and process engineer. He was awarded the Rockwell Collins Arthur A. Collins Engineer of the Year Award in 2004 as well as numerous other awards. Paul is a longtime (well over 30 years

Businesses are not immune to the many complex social situations present on many prominent college campuses today. Executives and managers must grasp with how best to understand the changing environment as part of their talent acquisition and talent building processes, and implement those methods in practical ways to accommodate today's employees' life cycle.  Audrey McGuckin is a global HR executive who for more than 25 years has lived and worked across the globe in Asia, Europe and the US. She spent more than 20 years at Jabil, rising to vice president and chief talent officer. Today, as head CEO of The McGuckin Group, McGuckin consults with top CEOs and CHROs to solve complex business challenges through innovative talent and people solutions. Her client base includes a broad spectrum ranging from startups to Fortune 100 organizations. She shares her thoughts and approach to business leadership, team building, managing employee movements and needs, and the power of empathy with PCB Chat host Mike Buetow.

This episode was recorded at SMTA's Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium on the Big Island of Hawaii. Mike Konrad's guests on this episode are Dr. Chuck Bauer, founder of PanPac, Keith Bryant, and Dr. Ron Lasky. We discussed the history of PanPac, technologies introduced at PanPac, and what makes PanPac so unique. We also discuss Dartmouth College's unique engineering innovations program.   Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Reliability Matters Podcast 00:01:35 - Introduction: Dr. Chuck Bower and Keith Bryant 00:03:23 - The Motivation Behind Starting IMAPS and SMTA 00:05:16 - Global Participation in the Event 00:07:25 - High Level Participants and Learning Experience 00:09:23 - The Conference of Interesting Things 00:11:01 - Speaking to the Thought Leaders of the Industry 00:12:40 - Preconceived Notions about the Event 00:14:26 - The Best Event for Networking and Fundamental Research 00:16:05 - Networking at Conferences 00:17:42 - The Advantage of Combining Innovation and Engineering 00:19:17 -

Optimization has become an important goal within the electronics assembly industry. While modern electronics assembly techniques utilize a variety of equipment, one specific type of equipment often consumes a disproportionate percentage of the overall equipment budget, that is the place machine. The cost of the machine, associated conveyors and feeders, require that the machine is running as often as possible. The airline industry refers to this as “wheels up” time. Airlines make money when the aircraft is in the air “wheels up.” On the other hand, anytime the wheels are down, the aircraft is not making money for the airline. I listened to an interview a few years ago with the CEO of Southwest Airlines, a US discount carrier. Unlike most other airlines, Southwest does not charge its customers to check bags. The CEO was asked by the reporter why they have not joined the rest of the industry in charging for checked bags. The CEO's answer was genius. If Southwest Airlines began charging for check bags, it woul

Electronic System Design (ESD) industry revenue increased 14% to $4.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2023, with printed circuit board design software leading the way, up 21% for the period.  Wally Rhines, executive sponsor of the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data report, gives his quarterly update on the state of the electronics design software market.

The High-Density Packaging User Group, the nonprofit consortium of electronics manufacturers and suppliers that collaborate on various technical problems in order to reduce cost and time to market, has nearly 25 projects underway, several of which are due to be completed this year. We spoke this month with Madan Jagernauth, marketing director and project facilitator of HDP, about their current research on lead-free solder alloys, the recent conference Best Papers, and whether the consortium members are ready to tackle artificial intelligence.

Today, we delve into an increasingly critical aspect of technology and electronics manufacturing - the pursuit of environmentally responsible electronics manufacturing. Our industry has witnessed many environmental revolutions.  The elimination of popular cleaning solvents brought on by the Montreal Protocol in 1989, soon followed by strict VOC regulations pertaining to cleaning chemicals. The switch from lead-based solders to lead-free alloys, led by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, known as RoHS, implemented within the EU in 2003 and adopted nearly worldwide, regulations regarding the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) resulting in many countries mandating regulations and programs for the safe recycling and disposal of electronic products, and more. These regulations and others have inspired some companies to seek eco-friendly alternatives to traditional printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication.  The combination of numerous environmental regulations has resulted in many companies’ i

Matthias Wagner is chief executive and cofounder of Flux, a developer of a browser-based PCB design platform and programmable simulator. When spoke with Matthias last spring, the company was introducing Flux Copilot, an AI-powered hardware design assistant. Flux Copilot uses a large language model that the company’s engineers trained and integrated into its design tool. Flux recently added vision capability to its signature tool, whereby users can upload photos of images such as block diagrams to CoPilot and it can recommend parts for their design. This week, we talk about those advances, some real-use cases Flux is seeing, the Renesas-Altium merger, and more. 

Today we're diving deep into the world of precision and craftsmanship—two crucial elements in the realm of hand soldering and rework of circuit assemblies. Whether you're a seasoned electronics enthusiast, a hobbyist, or just someone with a curious mind, this episode promises to demystify the art and science behind hand soldering and rework. We'll be exploring the latest tools, techniques, and trends that define this intricate process, shedding light on the unsung heroes who meticulously bring circuit assemblies to life, or in the case of rework, back to life. There is archaeological evidence that soldering was employed as early as 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Soldering and brazing are thought to have originated very early in the history of metal-working, before 4,000 BC. Sumerian swords from 3,000 BC were assembled using hard soldering techniques. While soldering applications have morphed and expanded over the centuries, the basic “rules” of soldering have not. On this episode, we’re going to talk abou

Today, we delve into the crucial aspects of maintaining well-being on this journey — how to sidestep the notorious burnout, and perhaps more importantly, how to fuel and maintain your motivation. Because, let's face it, the road to creating a meaningful impact can be demanding, and it's essential to navigate it with resilience and purpose. Join Mike Konrad for a conversation with Rick Coulson. Rick recently retired from a 34-year career at Intel, most recently as senior fellow in the Intel Optane Group.  Coulson is a passionate advocate for career sustainability and for servant leadership. He was awarded the Intel Achievement Award four times for his team's work on storage subsystems and SSD technology. He holds more than 90 patents. Coulson has a bachelor's in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Colorado and a master's in electrical engineering from Stanford. He is currently a board member at Co-Serve International, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching Servant Leadership around

We welcome back one of our favorite guests, David Schild, the executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founded about three years ago to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials. The organization is made up of corporate members of all sizes, and includes fabricators, assemblers and suppliers. Schild brings us up to date on the US Department of Defense's National Defense Industrial Strategy, how industrial production is tied to military readiness; the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party's December 2023 report on how to staunch the flow of IP offshore and rekindle tech leadership and economic resilience; and whether the US government plans to get into the manufacturing business.

Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most discussed – and least understood – topic in technology today. We in electronics design and manufacturing know, of course, that automation is part and parcel of what we do. But while the landscape has changed, be it the transition from mechanical drawings to CAD tools with their autorouters, or from manual and semi-automatic printers and placement machines to lights-out factories where cobots have replaced operators, the industry still has a long, long way to go in terms of widespread implementation of AI, or even understanding what it all means. Andrew Scheuermann joins Mike Buetow to share some perspective on this emerging technology. Scheuermann, along with his business partner Tim Burke, is cofounder and CEO of Arch Systems, a Silicon Valley-based developer of software tools that collect raw machine data and use predictive analytics to calculate manufacturing key performance indicators, or KPIs. Scheuermann has published numerous scientific papers in the areas of

Reliability Matters covered the topic of ultrathin conformal coatings back in November. We covered various conformal coating materials from traditional acrylics and silicones to ultrathin parylene coatings. What other coating materials are available? Where do these types of coatings fit within specific applications? Where do health and safety, environmental concerns, and sustainability programs fit in with a coating process? To answer these other questions, Dr. Cassandra Zentner, VP of Health and environment at Actnano, a manufacturer of coating materials, talks with Reliability Matters host Mike Konrad. Dr. Zentner earned a BA from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in organic materials chemistry from MIT.

EMA Design Automation has for years been the exclusive distributor of OrCAD Cadence in North America. Through acquisitions and internal development, EMA now has a series of its own software products for library management, component supply chain data. And this year EMA announced it would spin off those CAD-agnostic products into a new subsidiary called Accelerated Designs. EMA president and founder Manny Marcano joins Mike Buetow to break down the thinking behind the new company, its products, management and distribution agreement, and gives his take on Cadence's thoughts.

Printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue soared 24% year-over-year to a record $426 million in the third quarter 2023, according to the ESD Alliance's latest Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD) report. ESD Alliance spokesperson Wally Rhines joins Mike Buetow to explain the latest data trends.

In today's increasingly connected and digital world, PCBs are the unsung heroes that power our devices, from smartphones to spacecraft. Yet, the art and science of designing these crucial components often go unnoticed. That’s where this episode comes in.   Today, we shine a spotlight on the critical role PCBs play in modern technology and explore the best practices that drive innovation and reliability. In this episode, Mike Konrad tries to unravel the mysteries of PCB design, tackle complex challenges, and unlock the secrets to creating high-performance, efficient, and reliable circuit boards. Whether you're a seasoned PCB designer looking to sharpen your skills, a budding engineer eager to learn the ropes, or simply a tech enthusiast curious about the technology that shapes our lives, this episode has something for everyone. He is joined by Dr. Zach Peterson. Zach is a well-known researcher and electronics designer. In 2017, he founded Northwest Engineering Solutions as a technology consultancy and has si

Episode 134 - 2023 Podcast Season Wrap-Up On this episode, I have no guests as this is the final episode of the Reliability Matters Podcast for the 2023 season. Instead, let's review what happened on the podcast this year. A special thanks to my guests and listeners/viewers for making this podcast so successful.   Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Reliability Matters Podcast 00:00:12 - The Electronic Assembly Industry Techniques 00:00:26 - Review of the 2023 Season 00:00:43 - Liquid Metal in Electronic Circuits 00:00:56 - Instant Solidification of Liquid Metal 00:01:14 - Counterfeit Component Detection 00:01:31 - Making Sense of Big Data in the Electronic Assembly Space 00:01:49 - IPC Apex Expo: Supply Chain Challenges 00:02:07 - Circuit Assembly Failures and Big Data Analysis 00:02:22 - Interview with David Raby on High Liability Contract Manufacturing 00:02:37 - Training for Effective and Entertaining Reliability 00:02:53 - "Fire Your Hiring Habits" with President and CEO of IPC 00:03:08 - Introduction t

We are all aware of the damage electrostatic discharge can wreak on components and electronic products. We mitigate ESD damage through various forms of monitoring. We wear wrist and heel straps, stand on ESD-safe flooring, utilize ESD workstations, and more. We even have ESD testing locations that will test a human standing on a specialized testing station. But what happens the moment that person steps off the tester? My guests today are Dr. Daan Stevenson and Dr. Jonathan Tapson of IONA Tech, a manufacturer of a novel wearable ESD monitoring device that provides constant real-time ESD monitoring. Normally, we don’t talk about specific products on the show. We usually limit our conversations to best practices. This is a bit of an exception to rule. From time to time, a product is introduced that is so novel, it's worthy of a conversation. And that’s the case here.  Dr. Daan Stevenson is chief executive officer of IONA Tech. Dr. Stevenson has a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering. During his

David Schild is executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America. PCBAA was founded in 2021 to advance US domestic production of PCBs and base materials.  We discuss major investment announcements by US PCB companies, industry funding from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the need for intense engagement at every level of government, and the latest on the Protecting Printed Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023.