SANTA CLARA, CA – RF and microwave printed circuit board design and manufacture are among the leading topics at the upcoming PCB West 2012 technical conference and trade show.

NORWOOD, MA – Advanced Thermal Solutions has published a paper that compiles 17 methods used by engineers for measuring thermal conductivity in electronics.

In one section, these methods are grouped according to the time dependence of the heat applied to the sample. Each method is classified under steady-state, periodic or pulsed. Another section compares the performance of each thermal conductivity measurement method, and provides an idea of sample size and preparation, and the operator skill required. There is also a list of the equipment typically needed to conduct each of these thermal tests.

Avoiding complicated boundary conditions, irregular part geometry, difficult heater placement/construction and encouraging the task of one-dimensional heat flow will simplify the measurement process, ATS says.

For more information, visit www.qats.com.

NEW YORK -- A Deutsche Bank analyst today reported the semiconductor supply chain inventory corrections are "likely complete."

SANTA CLARA, CA – Better technologies are shrinking the global TV replacement cycle, which in the past year has fallen to 6.9 years from 8.4, says NPD DisplaySearch. The research group attributes the trend to declining prices, a wider variety of sizes, and desire for the latest technologies.

In the next year, 31% of households are planning to replace an existing TV, while 22% are planning to add a new TV, based on a study of consumers across 14 different markets.

“The rate of TV replacement varies, but on a global basis, the majority of households are still replacing CRT TVs with flat panel TVs. We are also observing mature markets, such as the US, the UK, and others, replacing their first-generation flat panel TVs,” said Riddhi Patel, NPD DisplaySearch research director, consumer insights. “Overall, LCD TVs in the range of 32" to 44" are the most popular for planned purchases.”

The most critical driver of TV replacement in nearly all countries is a desire to trade up in size, followed by wanting to own a flat panel TV with improved picture quality, says NPD. Although price is not among the top three reasons for recent replacements, it does have an impact on the purchasing decision. Thus, pricing can be a key driver in increasing flat panel TV penetration (by replacing CRTs) and shortening the replacement cycle (by replacing older flat panel sets).

As TV prices fall and profit margins are compressed across the supply chain, the push to introduce new premium features has taken on increased importance, says the research firm. The hope is that these new features, such as 3D and Internet connectivity, will drive consumers to replace TVs faster. However, results suggest otherwise, as these new features were reported to be only somewhat important in selecting a new TV, and not a strong motivator to upgrade.

“The good news is that a large number of markets still have a long way to go toward replacing all CRTs with flat panel TVs, which should continue to sustain growth, but mostly in emerging markets,” Patel said.

Other findings include:

Moving one’s household to a new location was found to be a very weak driver in all markets surveyed.

Nine markets in the study have more than 50% penetration of flat panel TVs. There are still five markets with 40% of households having only CRT sets.

The average age of the primary TV in households ranges between 4 and 7 years, with India the highest at 6.7 years and China-Urban the lowest at 3.5 years.

Households in emerging markets, such as Russia, Brazil, Mexico, and China, are much more likely to be planning to either replace or add TVs than in the US and European countries.

Over 40% of households in China are planning to replace their first-generation flat panel TVs, similar to the rates found in mature markets.

32" remains the most desired size in the majority of emerging markets, whereas 40" to 44" sizes dominate planned purchases in mature markets.

OSAKA – Panasonic is reportedly planning to cut 3,000 to 4,000 workers at its headquarters here in Japan as the money-losing enterprise tries to stem the tide.

Some employees could be relocated or offered early retirement, according to published reports citing an unnamed source at the plant. Currently, the site employs 7,000.

The firm previously announced 17,000 layoffs.

Panasonic posted a $9.7 billion loss in 2011. The electronics giant employs 350,000 workers globally.

BEIJING – China is “shocked” that the US is alleging Chinese companies provided counterfeit electronic parts to the US army, says a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry.

China’s Foreign Ministry believes the US government should first investigate contract details and identify suppliers, according to published reports.

The statements came in response to a US Senate Armed Service Committee report that states the finding of more than one million suspected counterfeit parts in the Department of Defense's supply chain, about 70% of which were determined to have come from Chinese companies. The committee also said the US Defense Ministry and US-based defense contractors worked with hundreds of independent distributors.

The parts were slated for use in US Navy helicopters and surveillance planes, and Air Force cargo planes.

HONG KONG -- SMT Holdings Ltd. reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue fell 58% year-over-year to HK$182.7 million ($23.5 million) on operation downsizing and drops in demand for LCD TVs, computer peripherals, industrial and automotive products.

WATERLOO, ONTARIO -- Fresh off the departure of its global sales chief last week, RIM could be gearing up to lay off thousands more workers in the coming weeks, according to several media reports.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA -- A Teledyne Technologies subsidiary has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with LeCroy in an all-cash transaction worth $291 million.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – North American printed circuit board shipments in April decreased 4.5% year-over-year, and orders fell 8.3% from April 2011, says IPC.

Year to date, industry shipments were down 6%, and orders were up 0.8%. Sequentially, shipments for April decreased 10.6%, and orders decreased 13.5%.

The April book-to-bill ratio decreased slightly, but continued in positive territory at 1.04.

A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next two to three months.

Rigid circuit board shipments were down 3.6% year-over-year, and orders decreased 8.6% compared to the same month in 2011. Year to date, rigid PCB shipments decreased 5.8%, and orders increased 1.2%. Sequentially, rigid shipments decreased 10.5%, while orders decreased 13%.

The book-to-bill ratio for the North American rigid PCB industry remained above parity at 1.03.

Flex circuit board shipments were down 13.8%, and orders were down 5.2% compared to April 2011. Year to date, flex shipments decreased 8.9%, and orders decreased 2.4%. Sequentially, shipments decreased 10.9%, while orders were down 18.8%.

The flex book-to-bill ratio remained high at 1.16.

“April PCB sales and orders in North America continued slightly below last year’s levels and reflected normal seasonal patterns,” said Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research. “The good news is that the book-to-bill ratio continued to be positive for the fifth consecutive month. When orders exceed sales, there is potential for sales growth over the next three to six months.”

Rigid PCBs represent an estimated 89% of the current industry in North America. In April, 83% of total PCB shipments reported were domestically produced. Domestic production accounted for 82% of rigid PCB and 85% of flex board shipments.

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Intel will invest more than $40 million over the next five years in a worldwide network of university research communities to explore and next-generation technologies for computing, online security and connectivity.

IRVINE, CA -- Probe Manufacturing reported net income of $13,000 for the first quarter ended March 30, down 68% from a year ago.