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90 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2021 RF high-frequency circuits are in almost every vehicle being produced today, with side, front, and rear radar to warn of potential col- lisions. Specialized RF technology high-fre- quency PCBs are in high demand. Newer flex designs for automobiles are used in many areas: seat wiring, dash, and even replacing hard wiring within the car. Flex lays flatter, takes up less room, and weighs less than hard wires. ermal insulated metal substrates (IMS) are experiencing rapid growth in LED light- ing, cars and homes, and even streetlights. Power circuits are utilizing IMS to shrink the size and control heat. IMS allows for more cur- rent through smaller track widths and elimi- nates some heavy copper traces. Higher-frequency laminate with lower Dk and very low-loss Df will be used for 5G. e new 5G system will be the go-to technology for controlling communications and even machine control, offering wider band width, higher speed signals and more computing power in a smaller package. e PCBs which will be used will need to be able to handle 5 GHz frequencies, requiring new types of lami- nates. Artificial intelligence is here, from autono- mous cars to automated factories. It is poten- tially the biggest thing to change your life and our PCB business. Smart computers need not only fast, high frequency PCBs, but they need all the sensors to send the signals to the AI computer which they need to understand and PCB Technologies We Need Now and Later Consider This by John Talbot, TRAMONTO CIRCUITS