Component technology. Design insight. Supply intelligence.

Energy & Power Generation

Representatives of Wärtsilä, Schneider Electric and Stanley Consultants

‘Generator-to-Chip’ framework links data-centre power planning from plant to rack

Electrical wires inside industrial equipment — illustrative stock photograph

Distribution & Channel

Cableteque brings wire-harness quoting platform to Europe

Electronic circuit boards on a production line — illustrative stock photograph

Manufacturing & Assembly

ERS combines three panel-packaging steps in a 310 × 310 mm automated system

Read this week’s challenge →

Latest news

News

An approved op-amp substitute passes room-temperature testing but develops a repeatable measurement error as the board warms. Which operating-point parameters were missed?

Beyond the Brief

All Beyond the Brief →

Conceptual illustration of a sensor-gloved human hand casting a robotic shadow against an orange background. Not a depiction of the actual product.

Roundup

Weekly briefing: Electronics starts to rethink how it builds

The week ending 1 October brought AI deeper into chip design, advanced packaging closer to the centre of semiconductor development and another step towards 800 VDC data centres. Alongside new manufacturing capacity and more capable embedded processors, the common theme was practical: turning ambitious technology into systems that can actually be built.

Illustration of large scale battery cell production supplied by Volkswagen AG

Analysis

Volkswagen’s Gotion deal reveals the cost of building Europe’s LFP battery industry

Gotion will invest €1.1 billion for a 49% interest in PowerCo’s Valencia battery operation. The agreement brings LFP production closer to European vehicle plants while exposing the technical and industrial depth required to localise the complete battery system.

Microchips and electronic traces on a circuit board

Explainer

Microcontroller vs microprocessor vs system-on-module: which does your design need?

The processor choice determines far more than computing performance. It shapes the memory architecture, operating system, boot time, PCB complexity, power demand, software maintenance and lifecycle of the finished product.

Explainer

GaN vs SiC vs silicon MOSFETs: which power device should you choose?

Silicon, silicon carbide and gallium nitride devices can all improve a power converter when used in the right operating range. The useful comparison starts with voltage, switching frequency, thermal limits, packaging and system cost, not with the newest material.

ENGINEERING & PURCHASING

Decisions that outlast the news

All guides & resources →

Engineer using an oscilloscope and other electronic test equipment on a laboratory bench.

Test & Measurement

The component datasheet: 12 details engineers cannot afford to overlook

The headline specification is rarely the complete requirement. Limits, conditions, package data and footnotes determine whether a component will perform in the real circuit.

Rows of populated electronic circuit boards arranged in a production setting.

Manufacturing & Assembly

Why a working prototype can fail in production

A prototype proves that one build can work. Production must prove that the design still works across component tolerances, process variation, environmental limits and repeated assembly.

Reels of surface mount electronic components with manufacturer labels and part information.

Obsolescence & Lifecycle

How to build a BOM that can survive shortages and obsolescence

A bill of materials should do more than identify what purchasing bought last time. Built properly, it becomes an early warning system for lifecycle, sourcing and substitution risk.

Electronics engineer assembling and inspecting a printed circuit board at a workbench.

PCB & Interconnect

Ten checks to complete before sending a PCB design for manufacture

A clean design rule check is not the same as a production ready data package. These ten checks can expose the mismatches, omissions and assumptions that delay fabrication or produce the wrong board.

Tech Updates

All tech updates →

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.

Shared embedded processor board architecture for display and headless products, created as an illustrative editorial image

TECH UPDATE

One board, two MPU tiers: where Renesas pin compatibility helps — and where it does not

The RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE are intended to support display and headless variants on a common PCB. Teams still need to validate memory, power, software and peripheral assumptions for each build.

OFF THE PAGE. INTO THE INDUSTRY.

Dates for your diary

Meet the people and technologies behind your next design decision.

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.