Coupling & Crosstalk: Testing the Supply Chain

change canstockphoto28381385_focalpoint_c350x350 Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Spring 2018 edition on pages 8-9.

Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column, by mixing technology and general observations, is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Testing the Supply Chain

Much the same as the world, test is not simply black or white but varying shades of grey and a jumble of colors. Test has continually responded to semiconductor technology challenges to provide the right solutions. As a result, the organizational placement and “supply chains” for test have rarely been Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Testing the Supply Chain”

Coupling & Crosstalk: Headlines, trend lines, or expertise?

Shanghai Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
Shanghai Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
 
Coupling & Crosstalk is my column in the MEPTEC Report. This column appears in the Fall 2015 edition on pages 10-11.

 
Electronic coupling is the transfer of energy from one circuit or medium to another. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes not (crosstalk). I hope that this column, by mixing technology and general observations, is thought provoking and “couples” with your thinking. Most of the time I will stick to technology but occasional crosstalk diversions may deliver a message closer to home.

Headlines, trend lines, or expertise?

The recent stock market sell-off caused significant emotional distress to many investors who were caught off-guard. Looking past “the sky is falling” headlines, what business lessons Continue reading “Coupling & Crosstalk: Headlines, trend lines, or expertise?”

BiTS Workshop – The Next 15 Years

Thanks to the BiTS Committee for the hard work to make this a great event!
Thanks to the BiTS Committee for the hard work to make this a great event!

Wow! The Burn-in and Test Strategy (BiTS) Workshop just turned 15! The world of semiconductors has certainly changed over the years. And the BiTS Workshop has kept up with what is “Now & Next” in the burn-in and test of packaged integrated circuits (ICs). These achievements were celebrated in style by the more than three hundred participants at the recently held 2014 BiTS Workshop in Mesa, Arizona.

“When the BiTS Workshop started in 2000, there were no Continue reading “BiTS Workshop – The Next 15 Years”

Riding Off Into the Sunset – BiTS 2013

Sunset over Phoenix, Arizona during BiTS Workshop
Sunset over Phoenix, Arizona during BiTS Workshop

As the Burn-in & Test Strategies (BiTS) Workshop 2013 fades into the sunset (queue the music), here is a round-up of the highlights. There were gun fights in the corral as well as technical questions for the presenters. The saloon girls and gunfighters took an edge off of the “geek” factor. This year over three hundred fifty people come to the “Circle BiTS Ranch” (aka the Hilton in Mesa, Arizona) for the premier conference focused on what is new and next for semiconductor test tooling and strategy. Oh, did I mention that the theme this year was Western?

This was the 14th annual BiTS Workshop, which has achieved the perfect conference trifecta of Continue reading “Riding Off Into the Sunset – BiTS 2013”