The Most-read I-Connect007 Articles of 2022

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Each December, we like to look back at the most popular articles of the past 12 months. You never know which article is going to blow up like an Avril Lavigne album

So, grab a cup of eggnog and curl up by the fire! For your holiday enjoyment, here’s a blast from the past: the top five most-read I-Connect007 articles of 2022.  

Review: Institute of Circuit Technology 2022 Annual Symposium
Once again, European Technical Editor Pete Starkey holds onto the top spot. Pete covers conferences and trade shows around Europe. Everything Pete writes is golden, and he has fans across Europe and around the world. Stop by our booth at IPC APEX EXPO and say hi to Pete. 

Jahr Turchan Discusses Blackfox's Training Scholarships for Veterans
Nolan Johnson’s interview with Jahr Turchan of Blackfox Training Institute drew a lot of eyes to the page. There’s a shortage of subject matter experts in the industry, and Blackfox’s Veteran Advanced Manufacturing Certification program is helping bring transitioning veterans into the workplace. We need more ideas like this. 

Finally! A Book About PCB Stackups
The PCB design industry is hungry for information about stackup design, and Bill Hargin of Z-zero seems to have written the right book at the right time. This I-Connect007 eBook has been flying off the virtual bookshelves all year. It would make a perfect late Christmas present. 

PCB Plating Still Comes Down to Physics
As I said, we never know what articles are going to hit it big each year. This interview with columnist Michael Carano covered the ins and outs of plating technologies and processes, which might seem like a fairly “mature” topic. But this interview drew big numbers. Readers are looking for information, and we seem to have what they’re looking for. 

A Definitive Review of New Expert Guide to High-Performance Materials
This year, we published a variety of eBooks on topic from across the spectrum. Happy Holden’s review of the I-Connect007 eBook The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… High Performance Materials really took off. As Happy explains, this book, written by Michael Gay of Isola, lays out everything you need to know about high performance PCB materials.  

03/23/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

On the Wednesday of IPC APEX EXPO week, IPC President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell stylishly delivered his keynote address, “Fire Your Hiring Habits!” to a packed ballroom full of round tables all immaculately laid for a sit-down lunch. Announced by IPC Hall-of-Famer Joe O’Neil with a Rolling Stones track in the background, Mitchell’s presentation, subtitled “Finding and keeping the best talent is fundamental to building electronics better,” offered relevant and valuable guidance on understanding human nature and how this knowledge can help you find and keep the right individuals for your organisation.

03/22/2023 | John W. Mitchell, IPC

What goes down must also come up. This is not the idiom we’re used to hearing, but I’d like to apply it to IPC APEX EXPO 2023. After a few years of lower attendance numbers due to the COVID pandemic, 2023 ushered in a re-invigorated group of attendees, exhibitors, speakers, event contractors, and staff to the show floor and meeting rooms. IPC APEX EXPO 2023 was fueled by the possibilities of new advances in electronics manufacturing.

03/21/2023 | Christopher Bonsell, Chemcut

This year, I had the great opportunity to come to IPC APEX EXPO in San Diego as a contributing member in Chemcut’s booth. Being an exhibitor is always interesting because you never know what you will learn or who you will meet. Truly, it seems that every IPC APEX EXPO is an eye-opening experience. This was the second show I attended, and last year I was amazed to see how in-depth and interconnected the electronics industry is. Seeing how many different companies contribute to manufacturing today’s core technology never fails to impress me.