Edited by Richard Ulrich and Leonard Schaper
14 chapters, 370 pages

I met Richard Ulrich for the first time this year and he is very enthusiastic about the use of embedded technology I enjoyed the last part of his workshop at APEX. We hope to have him present a workshop in the UK with NPL in the near future. I believe this is the first text book to cover this development in PCB technology, no doubt there will be more like the conferences and other infrastructure that is growing up to support it.

A strong point that Richard and his co-editor state is that this is still an evolving technology and it will continue to do so over the next few years. Richard is firmly of the opinion that resistor technology and the use of conductive inks will be the first process to be actively used. This is covered in his live "Engineering Spotlight" interview feature for the SMART Group web site www.smartgroup.org

The book covers each of the technology options, conductive polymers, capacitor techniques, integrated inductors, electrical performance, design and economics. There are guidelines on some of the design issues with fundamental information on capabilities and the PCB fabrication requirements. The chapter on the economics does give two case studies comparing conventional technology and the use of embedded resistors. A second case study is based around one of the NEMI projects.

A key point raised is the need for design tools and simulators. Inevitably these will come but there has to be a demand for time spent to develop tools for this technology. The basic material and their capabilities are known but not what happens during the fabrication and assembly stages. This comes from manufacturing experience in manufacture or funded research projects; it's that cart and horse thing again.

Sorry to Richard for scribbling notes over his book but thanks for autographing it; when he is rich and famous I may be able to sell the book to a fan.

Interactive Guide to Flexible Circuit Technology
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