IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1542698
66 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2026 applications where electronic assistance devices have become ubiquitous and lifesaving. Consider airbag deployment systems, automatic braking sys- tems in automobiles, aircraft instrumentation, and satellite electronics, where consistent and reliable operation is mission-critical. Electrical Performance Gains From an electrical standpoint, flex circuits offer the ability to improve signal integrity and lower elec- trical noise compared to traditional interconnects. The electrical properties of the materials, which are homogeneous rather than a composite, allow for controlled impedance and shorter signal paths, reducing resistance-sapping performance con- cerns, including parasitic capacitance and induc- tance. In recent years, this has become increas- ingly important in high-speed digital systems, RF communication, and precision analog electronics, and now in AI electronics. To amplify the point, maintaining signal clarity at high frequencies is critical for 5G (and increas- ingly 6G) and advanced Wi-Fi applications. Flexi- ble circuits can be fabricated with great precision to support high-speed data transmission without significant signal degradation. The reduction in interconnect length and elimination of multiple tran- sition points also help minimize latency and energy loss, contributing to overall system efficiency. This is just one of the key insights from my for- mer startup, SiliconPipe, that we identified and high- lighted to the industry almost 25 years ago when we demonstrated the benefits of OTT (over-the-top) technology, which effectively separated the vital few from the trivial many (Figure 4). We also wrote about the potential of embedded "channels" within the PCB, but felt at the time that the OTT concept was the better option, echoed these days by what is now often called "fly over" interconnection. Figure 4: This graphic was originally created almost 25 years ago at SiliconPipe to illustrate the intrinsic benefits of separat- ing the "vital few from the trivial many" in design, a variation of the venerable Pareto Principle, by providing alternate pathways for high and lower speed signals. Simplicity is admittedly not always the easiest course to take but its correctness cannot be argued against.