I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

While news outside our industry keeps our attention occupied, the big news inside the industry is the rechristening of IPC as the Global Electronics Association. You can find the press release here, but my must-reads begins with Marcy LaRont’s exclusive and informative interview with Dr. John Mitchell, president and CEO of the Global Electronics Association. 

Also this week, I include the Global Electronics Association’s generally upbeat May reports on PCB and EMS. For designers, have we finally reached the point in time where autorouters will fulfill their potential? Finally, I highlight columns on using glass as a substrate, and tin whiskers, especially in aerospace applications. 

IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
Published June 22

In Marcy LaRont’s exclusive interview, Dr. John Mitchell provides details on why now is the right time to update the name and brand for the organization. In many ways, this rebranding simply reflects the association’s current mission and purpose, Mitchell points out.

North American PCB Industry Sales Up 21.4% in May
Published June 25

There is plenty of ongoing strength in the PCB fabrication part of the supply chain for May, with a book-to-bill ratio slightly positive at 1.03. While the EMS report headline reads somewhat negatively, book-to-bill holds at 1.43 for May. So, while there is a certain ebb and flow in both sectors, the overall trend is strong and upward.

Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
Published June 19

Patrick Davis has guested on some of our “On The Line With…” podcasts, and here he tackles the question, “will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?” This article appeared in the June 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, which thoroughly covers the topic of autorouters and their place in today’s PCB designs. Which team are you on? Can you be on both? Patrick has some interesting observations.

The Chemical Connection: Through-glass Vias in Glass Substrates
Published June 24

Columnist Don Ball gives his take on one of the persistent challenges to using glass as a PCB substrate: via creation. Seems there are many obstacles, but he sees progress toward making glass a new standard substrate.

Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
Published June 25

Nash Bell continues his exploration of tin whisker migration in his column, with this, the third part of his ongoing series. In this installment, Nash looks specifically at aerospace applications, but Nash’s points are good information for any application sector.