PEACHTREE CITY, GA – NOVEMBER 21, 2024 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today issued a call for abstracts for the PCB West 2025 technical conference. The conference, the largest of its kind in Silicon Valley, focuses on training and best practices for printed circuit board designers and design engineers, electronics hardware engineers, fabricators and assemblers.

The four-day technical conference will take place September 30 – October 3 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 1.

Papers and presentations of the following durations are sought for the technical conference: one-hour lectures and presentations; two-hour workshops; and half-day (3.5-hour) and full-day seminars.

Preference is given to presentations of two hours in length or more, and no presentations of less than one hour will be considered.

Abstracts of 150-750 words and speaker biographies should be submitted to PCEA. Papers and presentations must be noncommercial in nature and should focus on technology, techniques or methodologies related to printed circuit board design, fabrication, assembly, test, components or packaging, and additive manufacturing. 

Submit abstracts at pcbwest.com by January 24, 2025. No emailed abstracts will be accepted. Submitters will be notified by early April if their abstract has been accepted. Presentations are due September 5, 2025.

Speaker Benefits: Presenters of accepted abstract(s) for the 2025 program receive the following event benefits.

• Complimentary access to the online proceedings
• Complimentary pass to the technical conference
• Invitation to the Speaker Reception

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mike@pcea.net. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 16, 2024 – Registration for the technical program of PCB West held last week grew 9.6% year-over-year, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) announced today. Overall exhibition and conference registration rose nearly 4% for the annual event, which is held in the Silicon Valley each fall.

It was the highest registration mark since before the Covid pandemic.

Exhibitors for the sold-out exhibition shared positive reports from the busy show floor. 

“The show was a great experience for AdvancedPCB,” said Tony Harris, chief commercial officer of AdvancedPCB. “Great to see a strong turnout.”

“Thank you, PCEA, for your energy and amazing partnership,” added Kenneth Chang, chief of staff at JITX. “It was reflected in the attendee enthusiasm and bustle. We truly appreciate the focus on customer and exhibitor experience!” 

“A special shout-out to PCB West for hosting such a fantastic event, bringing together innovators and thought leaders in the industry,” said John Andresakis, director of business development, Quantic Ohmega. “We’re proud to be part of such an inspiring community.” 

“We are thrilled with this year’s response to PCB West, which was the busiest we’ve experienced since 2019,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “It really is a testament to the direction and efforts of our board of directors and Conference task group, who put together the leading event for training design engineers, designers, and manufacturers. 

“A special thank you to all those who attended the first PCB Design Community Meetup, which we hosted with JITX during the show,” he added.

The exhibition featured more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry. PCB West 2025 takes place September 30 – October 3, 2025, with the one-day exhibition on October 1.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 8, 2024  – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced Susy Webb as recipient of the third annual PCEA Leadership Award. 

PCEA gives the award to recognize members who have made significant, long-term contributions to the association and the industry. The announcement came at the PCEA annual meeting in conjunction with the PCB West conference and exhibition.

Susy Webb is vice chairman of the PCEA Executive Board and a member of the Education Committee and Conferences Task Group. She co-authored PCEA’s Certified Printed Circuit Professional training and certification curriculum, and is a regular speaker at PCB East and PCB West, and international design conferences, and consults for individual companies and PCEA chapters. She is a former writer/columnist for PCD&F, a chapter writer for Clyde Coombs’ Printed Circuits Handbook, and one of the judges for the annual Siemens TLA competition. A senior PCB designer with 40 years of experience, her career includes experience in coastal and oceanographic oil exploration and monitoring equipment, point-to-point microwave network systems, and CPCI and ATX computer motherboards. 

“Name the job in the printed circuit industry, and Susy Webb has done it,” said Stephen Chavez, chairman, PCEA, in announcing the award. “She has been one of the most popular presenters in the history of the PCB East and PCB West technical conferences, a significant contributor to the PCEA Training Design Certification curriculum, and a strong leadership voice and mentor across the organization. 

“We can think of no one more deserving than Susy Webb for the 2024 PCEA Leadership Award,” he added.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 8, 2024  – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced Stephan Schmidt as recipient of the third annual PCEA Membership Award. 

The award recognizes individuals for standout contributions to their local chapter. The announcement came at the PCEA annual meeting in conjunction with the PCB West conference and exhibition.

Schmidt is the leader for the Portland (OR) chapter, which meets each month and is now embarking on a review of intelligent data transfer processes. He is a global technology executive with over 20 years of experience in the laser and electronics industry, most recently as the North American President of LPKF Laser & Electronics, a leading provider of laser-based solutions.

“Stephan Schmidt has completely revitalized the Portland chapter, and it is now functioning as perhaps the most active group within PCEA,” said Stephen Chavez, chairman, PCEA, in announcing the award. 

“Moreover, his energy and thoughtfulness about ensuring local members have a range of presentations – from design to fabrication to assembly – make him an invaluable leader in our organization. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Stephan Schmidt with the 2024 PCEA Membership Award.”

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association and JITX today announced the printed circuit board design industry’s first meetup will take place October 9, 2024, at the PCB West exhibition.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced a special free panel session on AI in Electronics will take place at the PCB West technical conference next month at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

The discussion will give a snapshot of the current industry status regarding the use of artificial intelligence, what’s feasible, and the expected timeline for implementation, offered straight from companies that are driving the technology. The panel will be moderated by Phil Marcoux, an electronics industry expert with over 50 years of experience, and will take place October 9 at 4 p.m.

Panelists include: Tomide Adesanmi of Circuit Mind, Matthew Leary of Newgrange Design, AI expert Reddy Mallidi, Kyle Miller, Ph.D. of Zuken, and Timon Ruban of Luminovo.

“AI is coming to a design or assembly tool near you,” said Marcoux. “Will it take your job OR make you a superstar?” Join us in a free session on October 9 with experts who can shed light on what’s happening in AI for electronics.” 

The panel will also discuss the new PCEA Roadmap for AI for Electronics. 

PCB West is the leading technical conference and exhibition in North America for electronics design, fabrication, assembly, and test engineers. It will take place October 8 – 11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 9.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 7, 2024 – The exhibition floor space is sold out for PCB West, the largest exhibition and conference for printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly in the Silicon Valley, Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) said today. It is the tenth time in 11 years all booths have been sold for the popular exhibition, PCEA added.

“Coming off an outstanding PCB West 2023, booth sales for our 2024 event have been strong,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing at PCEA. “We’re looking forward to another great event.” 

PCB West will be held October 8 – 11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 9.

This year’s show will feature more than 100 exhibitors showcasing the leading companies in the PCB industry, including the top CAD and CAM vendors and top names in printed circuit fabrication and electronics assembly. Attendees will be treated to a free lunch on the show floor during the exhibition on October 9. 

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mike@pcea.net. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 5, 2024 – The discounted price for the PCB West 2024 technical conference ends September 7, conference organizers said today. From September 8 through October 8, registrants will pay the advanced conference price, which is $100 more than the “early bird” rate.

The technical program for PCB West 2024 features more than 115 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training from leading experts such as Rick Hartley, Lee Ritchey, Tomas Chester, Dan Beeker, Gerry Partida and Susy Webb.

The conference will be held October 8 to 11 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. It features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert. 

The scope of classes ranges from designing all types of printed circuit boards to complex signal and power integrity and power delivery systems design. Foundational topics such as circuit grounding and PCB stackups are interspersed with advanced tutorials on DDR5, thermal management, analog measurements, system mechanical design, and more.

“This year’s lineup of presenters is second to none,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “It is literally the only place where you can meet Rick Hartley, Lee Ritchey, Susy Webb and Dan Beeker in one place. That’s what makes PCB West the industry’s leading event for technical information and professional networking.”

Registration for the technical conference and the exhibition is open at pcbwest.com.

An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design, manufacturing and assembly industry will be held October 9.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – JULY 19, 2024 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced electronics design software architect Charles Pfeil will keynote the PCB West conference and exhibition in October. 

Pfeil’s talk, “AI Roadmap for PCB Layout: New Opportunities for PCB Designers,” illustrates the capabilities and methodologies that will be needed for AI success with complex PCB designs, with a focus on constraints, place and route. Success, he says, lies in balancing the growing capabilities of AI with the preservation of proprietary design knowledge and methodologies. His talk will take place October 9 at 11 a.m. at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

“AI functionality for effective place and route of simple designs is currently available; however, using AI for place and route of complex designs is still in the first stages. But the ultimate goal of AI-driven PCB design tools is to replicate and potentially surpass the capabilities of experienced human designers, particularly for complex designs,” Pfeil notes.

“Communicating PCB design expertise and decisions to an AI program involves several steps, including knowledge extraction, representation, and the development of an appropriate system to leverage this knowledge. But significant challenges remain, particularly in capturing and applying the nuanced expertise of experienced designers and the unique methodologies of different companies.”

Over his 50-year career in the PCB industry, Pfeil has been a designer, owner of a service bureau, and had engineering management and product definition roles at Racal-Redac, ASI, Cadence, PADS, VeriBest, Mentor Graphics, and Altium. Most of his career was at Mentor Graphics, where he was a software architect focused on the advanced development of PCB design tools. He was the original product architect of Expedition PCB, and an inventor of Team PCB, XtremePCB, XtremeAR, and the Sketch Router. He is also the author of BGA Breakouts and Routing and High-Speed Constraint Values and PCB Layout Methods.

“Charles Pfeil is synonymous with electronics design automation,” said Mike Buetow, president of PCEA and conference chairman, PCB West 2024. “He has guided the development of two platforms in wide use today, and his presentation focuses on both the fundamental issues that are obstacles to AI implementation for complex designs, and the viable paths forward. Those interested in knowing how AI might change their jobs in a positive manner should not miss this keynote address.”

PCB West is the leading technical conference and exhibition in North America for electronics design, fabrication, assembly, and test engineers. It will take place October 8 – 11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 9.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – MAY 28, 2024 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced registration is open for the technical program for PCB West 2024, featuring more than 110 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training spread over nearly 50 sessions. 

Among the industry experts scheduled to speak this year are Lee Ritchey, Susy Webb, Zachariah Peterson, Tomas Chester, John Watson and Charlene McCauley. The conference will be held October 8 to 11 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert. 

The scope of classes ranges from designing all types of printed circuit boards to complex signal and power integrity and power delivery systems design. Foundational topics such as circuit grounding and PCB stackups are interspersed with advanced tutorials on DDR5, thermal management, analog measurements, system mechanical design, and more. 

New courses this year include the role of AI in PCB design, PCB cost drivers, designing with embedded inductors, HDI and sub-lamination structures, new low-cost and sustainable PCB material performance and reliability, and avoiding PCB respins, among others.

PCB West will also see the return of the popular Ask the Experts help session, featuring recognized authorities in design for manufacturing, EMI/EMC, signal integrity, flex circuits and more. 

“Whether you are after training on printed circuit board design and manufacturing, or building your network, PCB West is hands-down the best place to go,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West. “It offers more than 110 hours of in-depth training from the industry’s most-recognized experts, all in one place and for a fraction of the cost.” 

Conference registrants who sign up by September 7 can take advantage of the Early Bird Special discounts for the conference. 

An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held October 9. 

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 31, 2023 – The exhibition floor for PCB West 2024 is now open to any interested company, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) announced today.

The show floor is expected to sell out, show organizers added, as booth space is now open to companies that did not exhibit last year. 

Booth sales opened in mid-October to returning exhibitors, and the show floor is currently more than 50% sold out.

“PCB West has sold out nine of the past 10 years, and we fully expect it to do so again,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing at PCEA. “Attendance at the show was up 5% year-over-year in 2023, and attendees have noted the access to vendors and each other as the primary reasons why they come to PCB West.” 

PCB West will be held October 8-11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 9.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mike@pcea.net. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 – Nearly 2,000 industry professionals, representing 36 countries and 46 states, registered for the PCB West conference and exhibition held last week, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association announced today. Overall attendance was up 5% year-over-year, and the show floor was completely sold out for the exhibition.

The annual conference took place September 19-22, including a one-day exhibition on September 20, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. It attracted engineers and other professionals from a range of printed circuit and electronics design, fabrication, assembly and advanced packaging companies. 

“PCB West isn’t just a trade show; it’s an amazing event that brings industry minds together and sparks innovation,” said Kelly Atay, marketing program manager, ASC Sunstone Circuits, a US-based printed circuit board fabricator. “Can’t wait for the next one!” 

“The ICAPE team had a wonderful time at PCB West 2023!” said ICAPE USA, a supplier of printed circuit boards and electronic assemblies. “We were very impressed with the turnout!”

“We really enjoyed it, and it has given us more confidence that we should be doubling down on the US market,” said Sebastian Schaal, founder and managing director at Luminovo, a provider of software for monitoring, quoting and procuring PCBAs.

PCEA also announced PCB West 2024 will take place October 8-11, 2024, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on October 9. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 – Registrants for the PCB West exhibition this fall will gain access to seven free technical sessions, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association announced today. The sessions take place on September 20 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, and cover topics about AI for electronic systems, reverse engineering PCBs, ultra-high interconnects, trace technology, and more.

“Free Wednesday” leads off with a panel on “Next-Generation Engineers,” moderated by Phil Marcoux, a legend in SMT and advanced packaging. Show attendees can interact with the panel of seers as they attempt to divine what’s in store for the entire electronics design to assembly supply chain.

The panel is followed by a pair of sessions that address leading-edge circuit board wet processing (“Novel Embedded Trace Technology”) and automated assembly inspection using artificial intelligence (“Transforming PCBA Visual Inspection through Generative AI”).

Later that morning, the keynote speaker, Louis Feinstein, Global Director of High Tech Strategy at Dassault Systèmes, will speak on “Revolutionizing Electronics Cyber-Physical Systems: Unleashing the Power of MBSE and AI for Electronics System Design.”

Following a lunch on the show floor sponsored by Sierra Circuits, which is free to all show attendees, the free sessions resume with a one-hour explanation on “Reverse Engineering PCBs: How to Recreate a Lost Design.”

Filling out the afternoon schedule are two sessions including a panel discussing “AI in Electronics: What Can We Expect?” moderated by Feinstein, and a presentation on ultra-high density interconnects, including the technology approach and manufacturing processes.

Following the free sessions is a reception on the exhibition show floor.

Anyone who registers at pcbwest.com for the exhibition and free sessions by September 18 will receive free admission. Day of show registration for the exhibition and free sessions is $25.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 29, 2023 – The exhibition floor is sold out for PCB West, the largest conference and exhibition for printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly in the Silicon Valley, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association said today. It is the ninth time in 10 years all booths have been sold for the popular exhibition, PCEA added.

PCB West 2023 will be held September 19-22 in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a four-day technical conference and one-day exhibition, to be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

“We are delighted to announce that the exhibition floor for PCB West is sold out again,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing, PCEA. “Coming on the heels of last year’s successful event, we think the mood and needs are aligning for another great show.”

This year’s show will feature 110 booths showcasing the leading companies in the PCB industry, including the top CAD and CAM vendors and top names in printed circuit fabrication and electronics assembly. Attendees will be treated to a free lunch on the show floor, sponsored by Sierra Circuits, during the exhibition on Sept. 20.

PCB West, the leading technical conference and exhibition in North America for electronics design, fabrication, assembly and test engineers, takes place September 19-22, 2023, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on September 20.

 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 18, 2023 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced Louis Feinstein of Dassault Systèmes will keynote the PCB West conference and exhibition in September.

Feinstein’s talk, Revolutionizing Electronics Cyber-Physical Systems: Unleashing the Power of MBSE and AI for Electronics System Design, focuses on the next paradigm in Electronics Cyber-Physical Systems (ECPS) development. His talk takes place September 20 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and is free to all conference and expo registrants.

By leveraging model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and artificial intelligence (AI), we accelerate the design of electrical and electronic systems. MBSE streamlines integration, while AI-driven optimization ensures alignment with design intent and derived requirements. The synergy of MBSE and AI empowers efficient ECPS development, establishing new benchmarks in quality and speed. A use case will be showcased to validate the approach, paving the way for the future of ECPS.

Feinstein is High Tech Industry Strategy Director, High-Tech at Dassault Systemes. He is a seasoned executive and visionary engineer with profound knowledge and experience in the high-tech market. His current role at Dassault Systèmes involves the global management of High Tech Solutions within the Dassault Systèmes portfolio. His responsibilities encompass product strategy, global market development, technology acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and technology roadmaps for the High Technology portfolio of products and solutions.

“Lou Feinstein’s diverse background, which ranges from design systems to the assembly floor at leading companies like Dassault Systèmes, Textron and EMC, makes him ideal to explain the impacts of the array of coming technologies on the day-to-day operations of almost every engineer and production staffer,” said Mike Buetow, president of PCEA and conference chairman, PCB West 2023.

PCB West, the leading technical conference and exhibition in North America for electronics design, fabrication, assembly and test engineers, takes place September 19-22, 2023, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on September 20.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – JUNE 12, 2023 – Experts in printed circuit design and manufacturing will be on hand at PCB West 2023 to answer attendee questions during the exhibition on September 20, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association announced today.

Among the industry experts who will be available are Rick Hartley (signal integrity and noise control), Susy Webb (design layout and routing), Nick Koop (flexible circuits), Stephen Chavez (PCB design), and Keven Coates (design for assembly).
The experts will be available at scheduled times at the PCEA booth during the show hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit pcbwest.com to see the schedule and to register.

“Past attendees have asked for more time to network and get help, and our ‘Ask the Experts’ series with experts in signal integrity, high-speed design, EMI, DfM, flex circuits and more is intended to do just that,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West.

The help sessions are free to all expo attendees. Those who register for the exhibition will also have access to more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – MAY 22, 2023 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association today announced registration is open for the technical program for PCB West 2023, featuring nearly 50 presentations and more than 130 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training.

Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s show are Rick Hartley, Lee Ritchey, Susy Webb, Tomas Chester and Dan Beeker. The conference will be held September 19 to 22 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.

The scope of classes ranges from basics on design engineering and DfM, to designing and building RF and microwave products, board stackup, circuit grounding, PCB layout of DDR memory, thermal management, manufacturing PCBs, and more. New courses this year include the role of AI in PCB design, system level simulation, and signal integrity in thin PCB materials, among others.

Also new this year: Ask the Experts, a series of help sessions with experts in signal integrity, high-speed design, EMI, DfM, flex circuits and more.

“PCB West is the preeminent technical conference for printed circuit board engineers in the industry,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West. “Nowhere else can designers, design engineers, and manufacturers find the in-depth training available at this conference.”

Conference registrants who sign up by August 18 can take advantage of the Early Bird Special discounts for the conference.

An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held September 20.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – NOVEMBER 28, 2022 – The exhibition floor space for PCB West 2023 is more than 50% sold, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) said today.

Booth sales began the middle of October, and the largest available spaces were immediately sold out. The show floor is expected to sell out shortly, show organizers added, as booth space is now open to companies that did not exhibit last year.

“Coming off an outstanding PCB West 2022, booth sales for our 2023 event have been strong,” said Frances Stewart, vice president of sales and marketing at PCEA. “We had several new companies approach us during this year’s show about exhibiting next year, and we expect to be sold out in early 2023.”

PCB West will be held September 19-22, 2023, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on September 20.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mike@pcea.net. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 13, 2022 – PCEA announced proceedings from the annual PCB West technical conference are now available. 

 

The proceedings include 40 presentations on printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly from the conference, which took place in October 2022. Presenters were selected by a volunteer panel of industry engineers.

To order the proceedings, click here.

Proceedings, which are copyrighted and cannot be duplicated, are $225. Proceedings from previous years’ conferences are also available at reduced prices. 

 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 13, 2022 – Nearly 2,000 industry professionals, representing some 35 countries, registered for the PCB West conference and exhibition held last week, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association announced today. The technical conference saw its highest registration in more than 10 years.

The annual trade show took place October 4-7 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. It attracted engineers and other professionals from a range of advanced packaging, design, fabrication and assembly companies.

“This was one of, if not the best, PCB West conferences I have ever attended,” said Stephen Chavez, MIT, CPCD, CID+, chairman, PCEA. “The industry buzz and PCEA euphoria was everywhere.”

“Congratulations on the best show yet!” added John Lee, vice president of marketing & brand strategy, Insulectro. “Your hard work and vision paid off for all of us. Great job. We had a ball.”

“I think the industry responded to the stellar lineup of experts who presented during the week,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA. “The initial panel discussion on where the design profession is going set a strong, positive tone that resonated the entire week.”

PCEA also announced PCB West 2023 will take place September 19-22, 2023, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The event includes a one-day exhibition on September 20.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mike@pcea.net. 

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 8, 2022 – Registrants for the PCB West exhibition this fall will gain access to nine free technical sessions, the Printed Circuit Engineering Association announced today. The sessions take place on October 5 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, and run the gamut from advanced packaging to design, fabrication and assembly.

“Free Wednesday” leads off with a panel on “How Heterogenous Integration Affects the PCB Industry,” moderated by Phil Marcoux, a legend in SMT and advanced packaging. Heterogeneous is the latest branding effort to promote the assembly of dissimilar electronic components. In the past these could be called multichip modules, 2.5-D, 3-D and even “hybrid” assemblies. Heterogeneous integration makes the design function much more complex than is typical for electronic products, however, because many parameters can impact performance. This panel will address those complexities and how to solve them for printed circuit board designs.

The panel is followed by a pair of sessions that look at design and fabrication considerations of semi-additive processes and high-frequency materials, followed by the keynote address, “Augmented and Virtual Reality, the Next Computer Revolution,” by Brian Toleno, Ph.D., Meta.

Following a lunch on the show floor, which is free to all show attendees, the free sessions resume with a pair of sessions looking at emerging PCB technologies and common design errors caught at fabrication, plus a review of the PCB outline drawing.

Two talks on how to leverage bi-directional data transfer using the IPC-CFX and IPC-2581 formats to create a digitized “smart” factory fill out the afternoon schedule.

Following the free sessions is a reception on the exhibition show floor.

Anyone who registers at pcbwest.com for the exhibition and free sessions by October 4 will receive free admission. Day of show registration for the exhibition and free sessions is $25.

Registration is open for both the technical conference and the exhibition at pcbwest.com.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – AUGUST 8, 2022 – Printed circuit engineers are ready to get back to face-to-face events, and the PCB West technical conference has all the reasons they need to make their return to live interaction more than worth their time.

Registrants who sign up by September 6 can take advantage of the Early Bird Special discounts for the conference, which features 40 presentations spanning more than 110 hours of classroom time.

Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s show are Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Tomas Chester and Dan Beeker, headlining a stellar list of technical experts presenting at PCB West. The conference will be held October 4 to 7 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.

An exhibition featuring 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held October 5.

The scope of classes includes:

• Controlling noise
• Signal integrity
• Designing and building advanced HDI
• Routing high I/O count chip packages
• Board stackups
• Power integrity, and more.

New courses this year include proper PCB layout of DDR, signal energy flowing through a PCB stackup, surface finish selection criteria, understanding high frequency materials test methods for Dk and Df, and PCB design for engineers.

Conference attendees receive free Lunch-N -Learn talks and a Professional Development Certificate.

“Surveys show engineers want to get back out among their peers, and as the leading technical conference in the world for printed circuit engineering, PCB West is the ideal place to do it,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West, and editorial director of UPMG. “Book now and save $200!”

Registration is open for both the technical conference and the exhibition at pcbwest.com.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – MAY 31, 2022 – The metaverses offer myriad opportunities not just for users but for developers of computing devices. As that market takes off, what novel innovations in materials and production will be needed for printed circuit designs to meet the requirements for weight, size, and functionality?

Those are the questions Dr. Brian Toleno, manager, Applied Materials at Meta’s Reality Labs, will tackle when he keynotes this year’s PCB West conference. His talk, Augmented and Virtual Reality, the Next Computer Revolution, will describe the current market, use cases, and the technology all around AR/VR, with a focus on the printed circuit board aspects.

At Meta, Dr. Toleno leads a multi-disciplinary team that works on the material challenges in Meta’s consumer electronics hardware. These devices include VR headsets (Quest 2), smart glasses (Ray-Ban Stories), Portal smart screens and other exciting devices that help bring people together.

Dr. Toleno is a leading expert in materials science for electronics applications. Prior to Meta, Dr. Toleno was director of new technology at Microsoft, working on the Hololens and director of global product management for underfills and encapsulants at Henkel. He was also a director of SMTA. He has a doctorate in chemistry from Penn State University and a bachelor’s of science in chemistry from Ursinus College.

His talk takes place Oct. 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center as part of “Free Wednesday.”

“Virtual reality is much further along than many people realize,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West. “It has more daily transactions than the two largest digital currencies combined. Dr. Toleno has a deep knowledge of electronics manufacturing, and I can’t think of a better person to explain the computing requirements from the cloud, the edge and localized devices this future will require.”

The PCB West conference will be held October 4 to 7 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center, featuring classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.

An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held October 5.

There is no fee to attend Dr. Toleno’s presentation, but advanced registration at pcbwest.com is required.

PEACHTREE CITY, GA – May 20, 2022 – The PCEA Conferences Task Group today announced the technical program for PCB West 2022, featuring nearly 50 presentations and more than 110 hours of in-depth electronics engineering training.

Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s show are Rick Hartley, Susy Webb, Thomas Chester and Dan Beeker. The conference will be held October 4 to 7 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert. 

The scope of classes ranges from basics on design engineering and DfM, to designing and building advanced HDI and routing high I/O count chip packages, board stackup, circuit grounding, low layer-count (IoT) board design, high-frequency design, thermal management, and a complete virtual plant tour of a flexible circuit manufacturing facility. New courses this year include RF and microwave design, PCB layout of DDR memory, mechanical design, and raw material selection.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Director of Group Shows, Frances Stewart at 678-817-1286; frances@pcea.com.

ATLANTA, GA – UP Media Group Inc. seeks abstracts for its annual PCB West technical conference coming in 2022.

PCB West will be held October 4 to 7, 2022, in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a four-day technical conference and one-day exhibition to be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Presentations of the following durations are sought for the technical conference: one-hour lectures and presentations; two-hour workshops; and half-day (3.5 hour) and full-day seminars.

Preference is given to presentations of two hours in length or more, and no presentations of less than one hour will be considered.

Abstracts of 100 to 500 words and speaker biographies should be submitted to UP Media Group. Papers and presentations must be noncommercial in nature and should focus on technology, techniques or methodology.

Abstracts for PCB West should be submitted at https://pcbwest.com/abstract-submission-guidelines by February 25, 2022. Accepted presentations are due August 31, 2022.

Speaker Benefits: If your abstract is accepted into the 2022 program, you’ll receive the following event benefits:

• Complimentary access to the online proceedings
• Complimentary pass to the technical conference
• Invitation to the speaker reception

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event, and the Printed Circuit Engineering Association is a sponsoring association.

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ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 21, 2021 – Industry engineers celebrated a return to live events as they gathered at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center at PCB West 2021 earlier this month, UP Media Group Inc. announced today.

“Even with all the Covid-19 challenges going on today, with the quality of content and in-person engagement, the PCB West conference continues to prove it’s the best of class!” exclaimed Stephen V. Chavez, principal engineer, SME PCB design, at Collins Aerospace and chairman of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA).

“I can’t overemphasize how grateful attendees were to be at PCB West this year,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West. “They were truly ecstatic to be back face to face with colleagues new and old. And there’s nowhere else you can go to see the true titans of board design and signal integrity, like Lee Ritchey and Rick Hartley, in one place.”

More than 1,000 electronics technologists registered to attend the four-day conference or exhibits, where more than 100 companies exhibited, show organizers said.

“Thanks so much for helping Avishtech’s first appearance at PCB West to be such a success,” said Kella Knack, director of strategic marketing, Avishtech. “It was great exposure for us. I think you did an excellent job in organizing and pulling off a successful event in such challenging times.”

“Great show … glad and grateful PCB West was able to happen this year!” added Joe Clark, founder, DownStream Technologies.

“Thank you to the PCB West team for all your hard work to make this happen!” said Anaya Vardya, president and CEO, American Standard Circuits.

PCB West annually provides a conference and exhibition focused on the design and manufacture of PCBs, HDI, electronics assembly and circuit board test. Next year’s show takes place October 4-7, 2022, at the Santa Clara Convention Center. And PCB East (pcbeast.com), the East Coast version of the event, takes place April 11-13, 2022, in the Boston suburbs.

ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 24, 2021 – Registrants for the PCB West technical conference will receive a free three-month subscription to Printed Circuit University, the new online learning platform for printed circuit engineers, UP Media Group announced today.

Printed Circuit University provides educational resources in technologies and techniques for the design and manufacture of printed circuit boards. The all-digital platform, available at printedcircuituniversity.com, features more 40 presentations spanning more than 100 hours of classroom time.

“All one-, three- or four-day paid registrants for the PCB West technical conference will receive a complimentary three-month pass for Printed Circuit University,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West, and editorial director of UPMG. “That’s a $795 value for free, and a great way to catch sessions that were missed at the live event.”

Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s PCB West conference are Lee Ritchey, Rick Hartley, Susy Webb and Dan Beeker. The conference will be held October 5 to 8 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.

Printed Circuit University has courses ranging from components, design software, DfF/DfM/DfA/DfT, EMI/EMC, flex circuits, high-speed, laminates, PCB design and layout, component placement, signal integrity, power integrity, fabrication, assembly, and test.

Register for the technical conference at pcbwest.com.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact conference director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mbuetow@upmediagroup.com.

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 30, 2020 – UP Media Group Inc. seeks abstracts for two technical conferences coming in 2021:

• PCB East 2021, to be held May 10 to 12, 2021, in Marlborough MA. The event includes a three-day technical conference and one-day exhibition to be held at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center.
• PCB West, to be held August 31 to September 3, 2021, in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a four-day technical conference and one-day exhibition to be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Papers and presentations of the following durations are sought for the technical conference: one-hour lectures and presentations; two-hour workshops; and half-day (3.5 hour) and full-day seminars.

Preference is given to presentations of two hours in length or more, and no presentations of less than one hour will be considered.

Abstracts of 100 to 500 words and speaker biographies should be submitted to UP Media Group. Papers and presentations must be noncommercial in nature and should focus on technology, techniques or methodology.

• Abstracts for PCB East should be submitted to https://pcbeast.com/abstract-submission-guidelines by December 11, 2020. 
• Abstracts for PCB West should be submitted to https://pcbwest.com/abstract-submission-guidelines by February 22, 2021. 

Speaker Benefits: If your abstract is accepted into the 2021 program, you’ll receive the following event benefits.

• Complimentary access to the online proceedings
• Complimentary pass to the technical conference

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Director of Group Shows, Frances Stewart at 678-817-1286; fstewart@upmediagroup.com.

ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 23, 2021 – Printed circuit engineers are ready to get back to face-to-face events, and the PCB West technical conference has all the reasons they need to make their return to live interaction more than worth their time. Registrants who sign up before September 7 can take advantage of the Early Bird Special discounts for the conference, which features 40 presentations spanning more than 120 hours of classroom time.

Among the industry experts on tap for this year’s show are Lee Ritchey, Rick Hartley, Susy Webb and Dan Beeker, headlining a stellar list of technical experts presenting at PCB West. The conference will be held October 5 to 8 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center and features classes for every level of experience, from novice to expert.

An exhibition featuring more than 100 leading suppliers to the electronics design and manufacturing industry will be held October 6.

The scope of classes ranges from basics on design engineering and DfM, to designing and building advanced HDI and routing high I/O count chip packages, board stackup, power distribution, controlling noise and signal integrity, and a complete virtual plant tour of a flexible circuit manufacturing facility. New courses this year include an introduction to PCB antennas for RF and microwave, PCB design optimization techniques, and land pattern modification techniques for mitigating component inventory problems.

“Surveys show engineers want to get back out among their peers, and as the leading technical conference in the world for printed circuit engineering, PCB West is the ideal place to do it,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West, and editorial director of UPMG. “Book now and save!”

Registration is open for both the technical conference and the exhibition at pcbwest.com.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Conference Director Mike Buetow at 617-327-4702; mbuetow@upmediagroup.com

ATLANTA, GA – JULY 22, 2021 – More than 100 leading industry suppliers for PCB design, fabrication and assembly are expected to exhibit at PCB West this fall, UP Media Group Inc. said today. The annual trade show will feature a who’s who of leading ECAD developers, printed circuit fabricators and assemblers, and other suppliers.

Registration is open at pcbwest.com for the annual PCB West technical conference and exhibition, which will be held October 5 to 8, at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The technical conference will span all four days, while the exhibition will be held October 6.

Ten hours’ worth of free technical sessions will take place concurrently with the exhibition. Among the nine presentations are “Improving Circuit Design and Layout for Accessibility and Success,” “PCB Design Optimization: What it Means and New Methods,” and the always popular “The 21 Most Common Design Errors Caught by Fabrication (and How to Prevent Them).”

Anyone who registers for the exhibition and free sessions by October 4 will receive free admission. Day of show registration for the exhibition and free sessions is $25.

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Director of Group Shows, Frances Stewart at 678-817-1286; fstewart@upmediagroup.com.

About UP Media Group Inc.
UP Media Group Inc.^TM (UPMG) (upmediagroup.com) serves the global PCB community through print, digital and online products, as well as live and virtual events. UPMG publishes PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB^TM (pcdandf.com) and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY^TM (circuitsassembly.com), as well as the PCB UPdate^TM (pcbupdate.com) e-newsletter. UPMG also produces trade shows and conferences, including PCB West^TM (pcbwest.com), PCB East^TM (pcbeast.com), the PCB2Day^TM workshops (pcb2day.com), the Printed Circuit University online training site (printedcircuituniversity.com), and the PCB Chat^TM (pcbchat.com) podcast series.

ATLANTA, GA – MAY 25, 2021 – UP Media Group Inc. today announced registration is now open for the annual PCB West technical conference and exhibition this fall. Registrants for the trade show, which provides in-depth technical training and access to a host of leading suppliers to the printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly industry, may sign up at pcbwest.com.

Registration is open for both the technical conference and the exhibition, the conference organizers added.

PCB West will be held October 5 to 8 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center. The technical conference will span all four days, while the exhibition will be held October 6.

“The industry is more than ready to get back to seeing each other in person, and PCB West is the perfect place to do so,” said Mike Buetow, conference director, PCB West, and editorial director of UPMG. “We are looking forward to a busy week in the Silicon Valley.”

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Director of Group Shows, Frances Stewart at 678-817-1286; fstewart@upmediagroup.com.

ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 5, 2021 – UP Media Group Inc. today announced new dates for the annual PCB West technical conference and exhibition this fall.

PCB West will now be held October 5 to 8, in Santa Clara, CA. In addition to the four-day technical conference, a one-day exhibition will be held October 6. All events will be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

As a result of moving the dates of the event, UPMG has changed the deadline for abstracts to March 22.

Papers and presentations of the following durations are sought for the technical conference: one-hour lectures and presentations; two-hour workshops; and half-day (3.5 hour) and full-day seminars. For details, visit Submit an Abstract – PCB West 2020. 

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY magazines are media partners for the event.

For more information about PCB West, visit pcbwest.com or contact Director of Group Shows, Frances Stewart at 678-817-1286; fstewart@upmediagroup.com.