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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
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I-Connect007 Launches Six-Part Podcast Series Highlighting the Critical Role of PCB Materials
February 24, 2026 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
I-Connect007, the leading media source for the electronics manufacturing industry, today announced the release of the first episode in a new six-part podcast series, “PCB Materials: The Backbone and Future of Electronics.”
Titled “Material Selection—The Key to Manufacturing Success,” the debut episode examines the critical role PCB base materials play in product reliability, manufacturability, and long-term performance. The discussion features Sean Mirshafiei, president of Isola, who shares his perspective from the PCB laminate materials sector.
Marcy LaRont of I-Connect007 hosts the episode and offers listeners a practical, engineering-focused look at why laminate selection remains one of the most consequential early decisions in any PCB build, often determining success or failure long before fabrication begins.
During the conversation, Mirshafiei discusses how evolving technology demands are shaping the development of new material solutions and highlights Isola’s role in supporting today’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem. He also shares insight into Isola’s current material portfolios designed to address increasingly stringent requirements, particularly in harsh-environment reliability, signal integrity, and power performance.
“This new series is designed to help engineers, fabricators, and decision-makers better understand the fundamentals that most directly impact manufacturing outcomes,” says LaRont. “And it starts where successful builds begin: material selection.”
The six-part series will continue with episodes focused on key topics shaping today’s PCB fabrication and manufacturing landscape.
Listeners can now access the episode via I-Connect007’s podcast platform, or through Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
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Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
TPCA Launches AI-Powered PCB GPT Knowledge Platform
05/15/2026 | TPCAThe Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) has launched the "PCB GPT Industry Knowledge Platform," which uses generative AI to connect PCB professional knowledge services and help the industry improve the efficiency of cross-border and professional talent training.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/15/2026 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007When you work in the news business, even in trade media, you can never really get that far away from it. We never want to miss something important. Chances are, even the books we take on our “vacations” end up having to do with the business. For example, my colleague Michelle Te recommended “Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull, a business skills study wrapped up in stories about Pixar, which I brought with me on a trip through the stunning U.S. Mountain West. Now, I’m back, and here are my recommendations for the week.
STARTEAM GLOBAL Achieves A Score in CDP’s Supplier Engagement Assessment
05/14/2026 | STARTEAM GLOBALSTARTEAM GLOBAL has achieved an A score in CDP’s Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA).
Rethinking Stackup, Materials, and Tolerances in Modern Designs
05/14/2026 | Kristin Moyer, Global Electronics AssociationThe simple rectangular rigid PCB is becoming increasingly infrequent. This reality necessitates designing with concepts well outside traditional rigid PCB methodologies. For example, the designer of wearable electronics may need to implement conductive fibers integrated into the textile material. Heads-up displays, like those in VR/AR headsets and glasses, require transparent circuitry etched into the display glass. The process of designing without a rule book usually starts with something other than the traditional board design process.
Separating Fact from Fear on the FCC ‘China Lab Ban’
05/14/2026 | Jan Pedersen, NCAB GroupRecent news headlines have suggested that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has “banned all testing laboratories in China and Hong Kong.” Understandably, this has created concerns around PCB testing, material approvals, UL listings, and the continued use of established test laboratories in Asia. The good news is that for most PCB, PCB material, and PCBA testing, nothing has changed. Let’s separate fact from fear.