Tag Archives: embedded components

Altium to Release Designer 10 Next Month

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Altium will ship the next release of Altium Designer on Jan. 31.

The new release is said to change how designers manage component and design data, and take products from design to manufacture.

Release 10 will feature a new desktop platform; new dimensions to sourcing and managing component data; intelligent linking of supply chain data to the design environment; and new ways to manage component data throughout the design and production lifecycle, with a structured release process to ensure the integrity of all data leaving the system.

Keep watching here for more details.

Embedded Down

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Schweizer Electronic has filed for a patent for producing an embedded component multilayer circuit board, becoming approximately the 4,381st company to do so.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Embedding actual components — actives or passives — has been a technology that not only was conceived (and patented) years ago, but has been in production for years in high-reliability (read: missile) technology.

The literature is full of articles explaining how to design, fabricate and test such boards and devices.
Yes, there are slightly different processes for achieving the end-result, but none such I am aware of that at this point would qualify as truly novel.

Here’s a thought. Instead of creating even more potential barriers to entry by muddying the IP waters even further for this important technology, let’s all call a truce and set out to help build what the OEMs want: cheaper, faster, lighter products.