Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1533085
MARCH 2025 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 tion. Here again, it's the little things that can cause big misunderstandings. It must be frustrating to be a PCB designer. ey're thinking, "I know what I mean. Why don't you know what I mean, Mr. Fabricator?" Of course, the fabricator is thinking the same thing in reverse. "What are you trying to tell me, Mr. Designer? Is this copper weight before or aer processing?" In this month's issue, our expert contribu- tors clear up many of the miscommunication problems between PCB designers and their fab and assembly stakeholders. But as we see, a little extra planning early in the design cycle can go a long way toward maintaining open lines of communication with the fab and assembly folks. We start with an interview with Jen Kolar and Kelly Dack, who discuss some of the most common communication breakdowns between designers and manufacturers. Ray Fugitt points out some typical pitfalls in the data handoff process. Gerry Partida explains exactly what it takes for designers to achieve first-pass success. Stephen Chavez helps bridge the gap between PCB designers and manufactur- ers, and Paul Cooke discusses how designers can coordinate efforts with fab. As Joe Fjel- stad says, flexible circuits demand even bet- ter communication between design and fab. We also have interviews with Karen Burnham and Paul Park, as well as columns by Kelly Dack, Matt Stevenson, and Barry Olney. We also feature an article by Tony Plemel of Flex- ible Circuit Technologies. We'll be attending IPC APEX EXPO. If you're at the show, stop by our booth. See you next month. DESIGN007 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 23 years. To read past columns, click here. Ever notice that batteries in electronics don't last as long as they did when they were brand new? An international research team led by The Uni- versity of Texas at Austin took on this battery chal- lenge, called degradation, with a twist. They're focusing their work on real-world technology: wireless earbuds. They deployed X-ray, infrared, and other imaging technologies to understand the complexities of all the technology packed in these tiny devices and learn why their battery lives erode over time. They found that other critical components in the compact device, like the Bluetooth antenna, microphones and circuits, clashed with the bat- tery, creating a challenging microenvironment. This dynamic led to a temperature gradient that damaged the battery. These findings, the researchers say, illustrate the need to think more about how batteries fit into real-world devices such as phones, laptops and vehicles. To conduct experiments, Liu and his team worked closely with UT's Fire Research Group, led by mechanical engineer Ofodike Eze- koye. They used Ezekoye's infrared imaging tech- nology to complement their laboratory X-ray tech- nology at UT and Sigray Inc. But to get the full picture, Liu and his team turned to some of the most powerful X-ray facilities on the planet. They collaborated with teams from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Brookhaven National Lab- oratory's National Synchrotron Light Source II, Argonne National Laboratory's Advanced Photon Source, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. Liu says his team will continue to investigate battery performance in real-world conditions. (Source: University of Texas) Why Your Headphone Battery Doesn't Last