The Electronics Brief | Electronics intelligence for engineers and buyers

Rockwell adds CompactLogix 5390 controller with local PointMax I/O

SEALSQ prepares quantum-resistant chip demonstrations for electronica

US Army selects VIAVI transceivers for test-range modernisation

Prototype glasses use facial movement to generate sensing signals

Read this week’s challenge →

Fujifilm invests $18m in Arizona CMP slurry expansion

TROUBLESHOOTER

Where would you place the next thermocouple, and how would you distinguish mutual heating from a poor termination?

Beyond the Brief

All Beyond the Brief →

Analysis and explainers that put electronics developments in context.

The team’s flexible waveguide glows under ultraviolet excitation.

A flexible quantum dot sensor reads temperature through light

A silicone waveguide containing quantum dots provides a flexible optical route to temperature measurement, with a prototype materials cost of $36.63.

The SonoFlex acoustic inspection system. Manufacturer product image.

What Nordson’s faster acoustic inspection changes for package panels

Faster scanning is only part of package inspection. SonoFlex also tackles the interpretation of acoustic images and the handling of larger panels.

Illustrative bench measurement photograph, not a test of the MCU families discussed.

Silicon errata before design freeze: check the revision you will ship

An errata review needs to connect the silicon revision being purchased with peripheral modes, firmware workarounds and production tests.

Illustrative electronics workbench. This is not a photograph of an HTOL qualification test.

Zero failures in qualification: what reliability figures really tell you

A zero-failure result needs a sample size, exposure and confidence level before it can support a reliability claim.

Editorial illustration of a semiconductor factory inside an hourglass, with chips falling into the lower chamber against a textured orange background

Roundup

The Friday Briefing: Who gets the capacity?

TSMC’s record results arrived in a week of falling technology shares and fresh manufacturing commitments. There is plenty of money going into semiconductors. Where it goes matters rather more than the headline total.

Kradex ZD1004J modular DIN-rail enclosure

Choosing a DIN-rail enclosure before the PCB layout becomes expensive

Board supports, terminals, covers and protection requirements belong in enclosure selection before the PCB outline is fixed. Kradex’s range through TME provides the examples.

Illustrative close-up photograph of a patterned semiconductor wafer

Analysis

Nvidia’s fab software push puts three different engineering jobs on GPUs

Atomic simulation, virtual fabrication and inspection need different models and validation. Nvidia’s partnerships show where GPU acceleration fits each task.

Keysight FITS 16-channel interconnect test equipment

Why a clean eye diagram does not finish interconnect qualification

Eye diagrams, error ratios and FEC statistics answer different questions. Test duration and error distribution determine what an error-free result can establish.

Silicon wafer, illustrative image rather than a Tower or Semtech product

Analysis

Why Semtech is reserving SiGe capacity for faster interconnects

Semtech is reserving capacity across Tower’s US, Israeli and Japanese fabs for the analogue devices used in optical and copper interconnects.

TDK ICM-45608 and ICT-15318 PositionSense components

What nine-axis sensing adds to a robot’s heading estimate

An IMU and magnetometer provide complementary orientation measurements. Calibration and magnetic conditions determine how useful the heading estimate is.

Removable lithium-ion traction battery, illustrative sourcing image

Battery sourcing under the UK-EU rules due in 2027

The scheduled end of transitional origin rules connects battery sourcing to product classification, manufacturing records and supplier declarations.

Processor and motherboard, illustrative image rather than an ASE PowerSiP implementation

Analysis

Moving the regulator beneath the processor changes where power is lost

ASE’s vertical power-delivery platform shortens the final high-current path. Its claimed routing-loss reduction describes one part of system efficiency.

GUIDES & RESOURCES

Decisions that outlast the news

All guides & resources →

Component selection, sourcing, production and the details in between.

Epson. FC2012AA crystal unit, illustrative product example.

Passives

Crystal oscillator start-up margin: load capacitance, ESR and negative resistance

Load capacitance, crystal ESR and oscillator negative resistance determine whether a circuit starts reliably within its firmware timeout.

Miguel A. Padrinan / Pexels. Illustrative PCB; no claim that the pictured design meets an isolation standard.

Standards & Compliance

Creepage and clearance: turning isolation requirements into PCB spacing

Insulation distances depend on the circuit boundary, operating environment and shortest paths through the finished assembly.

Andrey Matveev / Pexels. Illustrative PCB production, not a stencil-printing process photograph.

Manufacturing & Assembly

Choosing stencil thickness when fine-pitch parts and large pads share a PCB

Aperture area ratio, paste volume and transfer efficiency reveal the competing demands of fine-pitch parts and larger terminations.

Two unmounted RP2040 microcontrollers shown as an illustration of packaged surface-mount components

Manufacturing & Assembly

Moisture-sensitive components: managing floor life after opening the bag

Moisture exposure follows a component through stores, kitting and assembly. Keeping that history intact determines whether it can proceed to reflow or needs controlled drying.

Milk-V Jupiter RISC-V single-board computer

Embedded Boards & Modules

Choosing a RISC-V evaluation board starts with the software you need to run

Core count and memory capacity are only part of a useful comparison. Vector-extension versions, toolchains and the board's software environment can determine what an evaluation actually proves.

Close-up of grouped cylindrical battery cells

Batteries & Energy Storage

Battery management systems explained: protection, monitoring and cell balancing

A battery management system measures cells and controls the pack so that voltage, current and temperature remain within the cell manufacturer's permitted operating area. It supports safe operation but cannot compensate for an unsuitable cell, weak mechanical design or incorrect protection settings.

Two engineers checking a circuit board in a workshop

Supply Chain & Trade Policy

Electronic component lead times explained: quoted, confirmed and actual availability

A lead-time figure can refer to a manufacturer's standard planning value, incoming distributor stock or a confirmed delivery against a purchase order. Buyers and project teams need to know which clock they are using before promising a production date.

Automated printed-circuit-board inspection equipment

Manufacturing & Assembly

ICT vs flying probe vs functional test: which PCB test method do you need?

In-circuit, flying-probe and functional testing answer different questions. The best production strategy usually combines methods according to volume, access, fault coverage, fixture cost and the value of diagnosing a failure quickly.

Industrial control modules with wiring and indicator lights

Telecoms & Networking

RS-485 termination and biasing: seven mistakes that cause unreliable links

RS-485 is electrically robust, but it cannot correct poor topology, uncontrolled stubs, misplaced termination, weak idle-state bias or an undefined ground relationship. These seven mistakes explain why a link can work on the bench and fail on the installed cable.

Populated electronic circuit board on a workshop bench

Passives

Decoupling capacitors explained: value, placement and common mistakes

A decoupling capacitor is a local source of transient current and part of the power-distribution network. Its effectiveness depends on impedance, loop inductance, package, vias and placement, not simply on adding 100 nF beside every supply pin.

Close-up of circuit-board traces, chips and surface-mount components

PCB & Interconnect

Controlled impedance PCB design: what engineers need to specify

Controlled impedance is a relationship between the signal, its return path, trace geometry, material and manufacturing process. Quoting 50 ohms on a drawing is not enough if the stack-up and target nets remain ambiguous.

Technician examining electronic components on a circuit board

Supply Chain & Trade Policy

Counterfeit electronic components: warning signs and incoming inspection checks

Counterfeit risk cannot be controlled by visual inspection alone. The strongest defence is an authorised, traceable supply route supported by purchasing controls, document review and risk-based testing when the normal channel cannot be used.

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Tech Updates

All tech updates →

Harwin Kona right-angle connector family, manufacturer press image.

TECH UPDATE

Harwin’s right-angle Kona connectors change the route into the board

Right-angle board and cable options give designers another way to position Kona power connections inside compact equipment.

Conceptual semiconductor cross-section distinguishing package-top temperature from junction temperature and heat flow into the board.

TECH UPDATE

A cool-looking package can still hide a hot junction

A thermal camera measures the package surface. Assessing the junction temperature needs the right device data, a defensible power figure and a record of the test conditions.

Conceptual wireless product enclosure containing a module, antenna keep-out area and nearby hardware; not a recommended layout.

TECH UPDATE

The antenna worked on the bench. Then the lid went on.

A wireless module reduces integration work, but the enclosure, ground plane and nearby hardware remain part of the RF design. Reserve time to test the product you will ship.

CAREERS IN UK ELECTRONICS

Electronics jobs

Selected engineering, hardware, buying and sourcing opportunities from employers and specialist recruiters.

All electronics jobs →

Electronics Engineering

Graduate Electronics Engineer

Oxford Instruments

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Salary not disclosed

On-site

Support the design, reliability and maintenance of scientific imaging electronics for Oxford Instruments Andor in Belfast.

graduate-electronics-engineer-oxford-instruments-belfast

View role →

Electronics Procurement

Buyer

Oxford Instruments

Belfast, UK

Salary not disclosed

Hybrid

Purchase electrical and mechanical products for Oxford Instruments Andor, supporting reliable supply and supplier relationships.

buyer-oxford-instruments-belfast

View role →

Test & Validation

Assembly and Test Engineer

Landguard Systems

Fareham

Salary not disclosed

Not specified

Build, configure and test specialist electronic systems, including RF measurement, fault diagnosis and board-level repair.

assembly-test-engineer-landguard-systems-fareham

View role →

OFF THE PAGE. INTO THE INDUSTRY.

Dates for your diary

Upcoming exhibitions, conferences and industry meet-ups.

All industry events →

13OCT 2026

San Francisco, USA
13–15 October 2026

Semiconductors & supply chain

SEMICON West

Where semiconductor capacity, advanced packaging and the supply chain meet.

10NOV 2026

Munich, Germany
10–13 November 2026

Components & sourcing

electronica

The broadest meeting point for component technology, design and distribution.

10NOV 2026

Munich, Germany
10–13 November 2026

Semiconductors & manufacturing

SEMICON Europa

A closer look at Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing and packaging ecosystem.

6JAN 2027

Las Vegas, USA
6–9 January 2027

Emerging technology & embedded

CES

An early view of the technologies moving towards the next generation of products.

2FEB 2027

Farnborough, UK
2–4 February 2027

Manufacturing & sourcing

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics

A practical UK meeting point for electronics suppliers and manufacturing partners.

2FEB 2027

Santa Clara, USA
2–4 February 2027

High-speed design & test

DesignCon

Chip, board and system design, with signal and power integrity at its centre.

7MAR 2027

New Orleans, USA
7–11 March 2027

Power electronics

APEC

Applied power electronics, from circuit choices to practical implementation.

16MAR 2027

Nuremberg, Germany
16–18 March 2027

Embedded systems & design

embedded world

Processors, modules, software and tools for the complete embedded product.

11MAY 2027

Nuremberg, Germany
11–13 May 2027

Power electronics

PCIM Expo & Conference

Power semiconductors, conversion and the engineering around them.

9JUN 2027

London, UK
9–10 June 2027

Embedded systems & edge AI

Hardware Pioneers Max

Electronics, embedded systems and edge AI in one UK-focused meeting place.