PCB Chat

PCB Chat 157: Tomachie's CJ Clark Discusses AI-driven Schematic and Test Analysis

Tomachie has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Its eponymous platform provides AI-assisted analysis of PCB schematic data. It optimizes DfT and identifies the ideal locations for physical test point insertion. And it generates a 0-100 layout-readiness score, providing design teams with an objective, data-driven metric.

Tomachie is the brainchild of CJ Clark, a veteran test engineer with a background in JTAG and boundary scan technology, not to mention five patents under his belt. He is also CEO of Intellitech, Tomachie's sibling company.

CJ spoke with Andy Shaughnessy about Tomachie, what AI can and can't do, and why he wishes his team had access to a tool like this 25 years ago.

RM 193: Why Post-Reflow Cleaning Is Becoming Mainstream Again

For decades, cleaning circuit assemblies after soldering was not optional. It was standard practice across the electronics manufacturing industry. Then, almost overnight, that changed.

In this episode of Reliability Matters, Mike Konrad takes you back to the origins of that shift. From the widespread use of CFC-based cleaning solvents to the global impact of the Montreal Protocol, this episode explains how environmental regulation led to the rapid adoption of no-clean flux and the removal of cleaning as a standard process step. But that decision came with assumptions.
Assumptions based on larger components, wider spacing, and assemblies that were far more tolerant of residues than what we see today.

As electronics evolved, so did the risk.

Miniaturization, increased component density, and the expansion of electronics into harsh environments have dramatically reduced the tolerance for contamination. And when cleaning was removed, it wasn’t just flux that remained. It was the totality of residues introduced throughout the manufacturing process.

This episode walks through how those residues, combined with moisture and electrical bias, can lead to electrochemical migration, including parasitic leakage and dendritic growth, often resulting in delayed or intermittent failures.

This is the story of how we got here.

In Part 2, we bring this discussion into the present.

What does “clean” actually mean today? Why did the industry move away from fixed cleanliness limits? And why is cleaning once again becoming a critical part of modern electronics manufacturing?
If you’ve ever asked the question, “Do I really need to clean?” Part 2 will challenge how you think about the answer.

RM 192: Why PCB Revision Errors Are a Hidden Reliability Risk

Today, we’re going to explore a topic that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves but has a direct impact on product quality and long-term reliability.

Mike Konrad is joined by Mehdi Nahali, founder of PCB Revision Control PRO. His platform is designed to replace spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected systems with a centralized approach to PCB revision lifecycle management and factory intelligence. 

They going to talk about how revision control, data integrity, and process discipline impact reliability, and where manufacturers are still getting it wrong.

RM 191: Why Maintenance Is Finally Getting a Seat at the Table

Today’s episode is going to resonate with anyone responsible for uptime, efficiency, and ultimately, product reliability. 

Because whether we’re talking about circuit assemblies, manufacturing lines, or entire facilities, reliability doesn’t start at inspection. It starts with maintenance.

Mike Konradf's guest is Paul Ross, chief marketing officer at Limble, a company providing modern maintenance and asset management solutions to thousands of organizations worldwide. With more than 25 years of experience in enterprise and high-growth software companies, Ross has spent his career helping organizations leverage data, systems, and strategy to improve performance.

Today, we’re going to explore how maintenance has evolved from a reactive necessity to a strategic driver of reliability, what companies are still getting wrong, and how modern tools are changing the game.

PCB Chat 156: Lauren Waslick and Kristen Aguiar of Newgrange Design

Printed circuit designers Lauren Waslick and Kristen Aguiar of Newgrange Design have become mainstays as presenters at industry conferences such as PCB East and PCB West. Neither, however, anticipated a career in PCBs coming out of college.

They discuss their career paths, finding mentors, and adjusting to a male-heavy industry with PCEA managing editor Ryann Howard. 

 

RM 189: Predict, Prevent, Produce: RoviSys' Bryan DeBois on Manufacturing's Al Future

What if your factory could predict failures before they happen, capture decades of human expertise, and make better decisions than ever before—without replacing the people who run it?

Today’s guest sits right at the intersection of innovation and industry. 

Bryan DeBois, director of industrial AI at RoviSys, is helping reshape what manufacturing looks like in the age of intelligent machines.

From predictive analytics that catch problems before they happen, to data-driven systems that optimize production in real time, DeBois's work is transforming how factories think, learn, and produce. But this isn’t about replacing people, it’s about amplifying human expertise and capturing decades of industrial knowledge before it disappears.

In this episode, we’ll explore how smart factories are changing the game, what it really takes to begin a digital transformation, and why trust and transparency are just as critical as algorithms and code. What stands out most is DeBois’s ability to make advanced technology practical. He’s not talking about theory, he’s helping real manufacturers integrate AI in ways that improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Mike Konrad speaks with DeBois about how artificial intelligence is redefining manufacturing, the challenges of digital transformation, and the future of smart factories.

PCB Chat 155: Breadboard's Nemanja Jokanovic on Automating BOM Management

Nemanja Jokanovic is the executive leader of Breadboard, an AI-powered platform that he believes will revolutionize BOM management. In this interview with Andy Shaughnessy, Jokanovic, an Octopart alum, discusses the many sourcing challenges facing EMS companies today, and he explains how Breadboard optimizes BOM analysis and supply chain management. 

Stop by and chat with Jokanovic in person at PCB East 2026. Breadboard will be exhibiting on April 29 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

RM 187: An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, and Why It Matters

Artificial intelligence is being promoted as the next revolution in electronics manufacturing, but what happens when the people evaluating it aren’t traditional AI experts, aren’t software vendors, and aren’t selling anything? 

Today’s conversation brings together engineers and professors who live at the intersection of education, reliability, and real-world manufacturing to separate meaningful progress from speculation.

This episode is all about “AI in Action: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Future of Electronics.” Artificial intelligence is becoming a frequent topic in electronics manufacturing—from inspection and process optimization to predictive maintenance and reliability modeling. 

But rather than approaching this conversation from the standpoint of AI evangelists or software developers, we’re taking a different path. Mike Konrad's panelists are Eva Hymes, Hayden Lee, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. John Evans, and Dr. Pradeep Lall. 

None of today’s panelists claims to be AI experts. Instead, they are engineers and professors who sit at the intersection of education, engineering, and real-world manufacturing challenges. Their perspective is grounded in physics, data, reliability science, and decades of experience teaching the next generation of engineers—many of whom will be working alongside AI-driven tools whether they choose to or not.

Because all of the panelists come from academia, this conversation intentionally steps back from hype and buzzwords. We’ll focus on how AI is actually being used, where it shows promise, where it introduces risk, and where critical gaps still exist—especially in high-reliability electronics manufacturing. We’ll also touch on broader societal questions, including how AI is shaping engineering education and professional intuition.

PCB Chat 154: Wally Rhines on the Latest ECAD Market Data

Wally Rhines is the spokesperson for the ESD Alliance, part of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. He joined Andy Shaughnessy to share details from the latest ESD Alliance report on sales of computer-aided engineering tools, semiconductor tools, PCB design software, related IP and services, and employment.

In this interview, Wally discusses the results for the fourth quarter of 2025, which marks the 20th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. What are the drivers behind this winning streak, and what "soft spots" should be on our radar screens?

PCB Chat 153: Karen Burnham on Taking the Pain out of EMC

Karen Burnham feels your pain - the pain of EMC, that is. Karen is an EMC engineer, instructor, and founder of EMC United, a consulting company that aims to make EMC less painful for the rest of the PCB design engineering community. Karen joins Andy Shaughnessy to discuss some of the most common EMC challenges facing our industry today, a variety of solutions for these challenges, and design practices that can help you avoid EMC problems the first place. Karen also explains why EMC needs to become part of every high-speed PCB design cycle, and not an afterthought that's only addressed when a board fails FCC.

Karen will be speaking at PCB East 2026, and she offers a preview of what attendees can expect to learn in her class, "EMC 101 - Fundamentals," which takes place April 30 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, MA.