PCBDesign007 Newsletter

Featured Columnist

The Shaughnessy Report: LogicSwap Loses Nothing in the Translation
LogicSwap President Dilip Pitil built his data conversion company around the idea that PCB designs, schematics and libraries should be able to move in and out of any CAD vendor's PCB design tool. Dilip and Marketing Manager Mike Wilson sat down with Andy at the Z-DAC Zuken users group meeting in Long Beach.

Features

New Embedded Via Fill Technology Arises out of Strong Manufacturer-Supplier Relationship
The IMPACT Conference exemplifies this market's thirst for information and new manufacturing processes. One of the more interesting papers detailed a new horizontal trench fill plating process for ultra fine lines. As Atotech Director of Technology Strategy Dave Baron explains, the process was developed in close partnership with Amkor.

Guest Columnist

Maxed Out: Programmable Logic
Well, hello again, and welcome to a brand-spanking-new mini-series. This one is going to cover the different flavors of programmable logic. We'll start with FPGAs, PLDs CPLDs and move on to some of the esoteric technologies that are sprouting up here and there.

Contributing Authors

Loaded Parallel Stub Common-Mode Filter
EMI radiation problems are usually due to certain unwanted common-mode signals. This paper presents a novel structure, applicable to PCBs or backplanes, that can be used to filter selected frequencies of the common mode present on high-speed differential signals. This paper was authored by Predrag Acimovic, a technical advisor in PMC-Sierra's Mixed-Signal Design Group, and presented at DesignCon 2008.

Design News & Additional Information

SIA: Semiconductor Sales Slowing; Consumer Market to Blame
"The current global economic turmoil is clearly having a significant impact on semiconductor sales," said SIA President George Scalise. "The fortunes of the semiconductor industry are increasingly tied to consumer spending on electronic products. Consumer purchases now drive well over half of worldwide semiconductor sales."

Mentor Graphics Reports Revenue of $184.9 Million
Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced revenues for fiscal third quarter ending October 31, 2008 of $184.9 million, a GAAP loss of $.85 per share, and a non-GAAP loss of $.04 per share.

Technology Breakthroughs: Bending the Design Rules
Moderated by SMART Group Technical Director Bob Willis, TechnologyWorld08 included presentations from Joe Fjelstad of Verdant Electronics; Thomas Ahrens of Fraunhofer Institute; Craig Hillman of DfR Solutions; David Pedder of TWI; and Markys Cain of NPL.

Zuken Introduces CADSTAR 11
Zuken has announced the upcoming release of CADSTAR 11, the latest version of Zuken's desktop PCB design solution. CADSTAR 11 offers a host of new functions of direct benefit to front-end engineering development teams, and is slated for a December 2008 release.

IPC Enhances IPC-7351A with Free Land-Pattern Calculator
In a move that will help PCB designers work with greater accuracy and efficiency, IPC has partnered with PCB Matrix Corporation to include a free Land Pattern Calculator with IPC-7351A, Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard.

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