Printed Circuit Boards

The big news in the tech world this week is the announcement of the latest iPhones by Apple and the all-new Apple Watch that is set to debut next year. While we have come to expect the latest and greatest features to be available to us at all times, we often overlook the technology that is used to get us there.

Engineers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University are currently working on a fabric knitted with wiring that can support printed circuit boards. If the technology is successful, it can lead to clothing that would include a number of devices used for biometric monitoring and other applications.

Recent advancements in circuit board technology have opened the doors for engineers and product designers to create stretchable electronics. In the medical field, stretchable electronics can assist in the development of skin-like circuitry that can be used to monitor vital signs.

When you think of new technology makings its way into the sports landscape, you think of machines that are designed to help athletes get stronger and faster in order to be more successful. However, Nike recently raised the bar when it debuted a new basketball court in China that is made entirely using LEDs.

Over the last few years there has been a shift in how engineers and PCB manufacturers share information for printed circuit board orders. The IPC is making a push for a single industry standard that will allow data to be seamlessly transferred and used throughout the production process.

When you have a lot of printed circuit boards to order for your business you want to be able to find ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality. Tab-route panelization and scoring are two ways that you can achieve this goal.

Driving down the street, you may not give a second though to the traffic lights on nearly every corner. For the past hundred years or so traffic lights have helped control the flow of cars moving through cities in an effort to reduce collisions, pollution and commute time.

In addition to consumer electronics and industrial applications that support growth in our economy, printed circuit boards help scientists and doctors understand more about our health and how we live as human beings. A rising trend for using technology to learn more about activity is taking place in collegiate athletics, most notably in outdoor sports like track and soccer.

According to an article published by Technology Review, electronic items in U.S. homes are estimated to have used 12 percent less energy in 2013 than they did in 2010. This is significant because during the same time frame nearly a billion more devices were sold on the market.