When trying to get a new product to market, time can be the most important factor when it comes to its future success or failure. And time is always passing whether you use it productively or not. When it comes to new product introduction (NPI), loss of time can mean everything. Thus, it’s critical to choose the right PCB and PCBA supplier to deliver your new product to market on time.

With that in mind, here are 12 characteristics you should look for when choosing and developing a long-term working relationship with that right NPI supplier. Quick turnaround suppliers must be:

1. Capable: They need to have all the capabilities to handle your NPI needs... More >

Carpenters have hammers, bricklayers have trowels, and painters have their brushes; for PCB designers, the tool that defines us is our CAD software. Designers spend hours, days, or weeks in their CAD tool for each circuit board design, examining each connection, plotting each through-hole, and carefully placing each specific component. They discover quickly that not all CAD tools are created equally. 

How can designers find the right CAD tools to fit their particular methodology and needs?

Not every designer spends the same amount of time immersed in a CAD tool. Some designers may just work on a few designs per year, which means there is limited opportunity to learn the ins and outs of complex CAD software... More >

I had the opportunity to speak with Anaya Vardya, president and CEO of American Standard Circuits, about The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to…Thermal Management: A Fabricator’s Perspective, which serves as a desk reference for designers on the most current thermal management techniques and methods.

Dan Beaulieu: I just finished reading your new book, and I enjoyed it a great deal. I loved the idea that it is from the fabricator’s point of view, showing the various processes for building thermal management PCBs... More >