In this conversation, David Schild, the Executive Director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), discusses the current state of PCB manufacturing in the U.S., the importance of national security for the industry, and the challenges posed by foreign dominance in the market. He emphasizes the importance of reshoring manufacturing capabilities and the intersection of industrial policy and national security. The conversation also touches on the implications of AI for hardware engineering jobs and the growth of PCBAA as an organization advocating for the PCB ecosystem.

The PCB design world is buzzing with frustration: skyrocketing costs, forced cloud migrations, and a widening gap between free tools like KiCad and heavy enterprise suites like Xpedition, Allegro, and Altium Designer. In this frank and non-nonsense conversation, Siemens' David Haboud explains how the company is stepping up with right-sized mid-tier solutions built on the proven Xpedition technology stack that allows for scalability, affordability, and gives designers real choice as individuals and SMB teams.

Join The EEcosystem Community for more free engineering Masterclasses from Eric Bogatin, resources, and member-only benefits at https://theeecosystem.com

Show Links:

Siemens PCB EDA Solutions: https://eda.sw.siemens.com/en-US/pcb/

Free 30-day trial of Xpedition Standard: https://tinyurl.com/562mc8rs

Sponsor Links:

👨🏽‍💻For free Technical Resources and to Learn more about Keysight Pathwave EDA Software Solutions visit the homepage now. https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/software/pathwave-design-software.html

💻 Visit Cofactr for AI-Powered real-time part data Intelligence and supply chain connected workflow and logistics. https://www.cofactr.com/

🔗For all of your high-speed and RF connectors visit the Samtec website and access excellent engineering resources while you are there. https://www.samtec.com/

⛰️Visit Summit Interconnect for all your complex PCB manufacturing needs. https://summitinterconnect.com/

🌎 Visit Isola Group global for High performance laminates and prepreg materials for PCB manufacturing, as well as new IC packaging interposer https://www.isola-group.com/

💽 For high complexity EDA solutions visit SIEMENS EDA Website https://eda.sw.siemens.com/en-US/

💡For SI/PI/EMI News and Technical Resources and to register for a free subscription visit the Signal Integrity Journal today. https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/

📡 For Custom RF and MW PCBs visit the Transline Technology Website to learn more. Visit https://translinetech.com/

🔌 Picotest specializes in high-fidelity testing and measurement tools, primarily for power-related applications. Visit their website for more product information and excellent training materials from expert Steve Sandler https://www.picotestonline.com/

In this conversation, Judy Warner and David Schild discuss the latest developments in the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry, focusing on the importance of a robust domestic supply chain, membership growth in the PCBAA, and efforts to support manufacturing here in the States. They highlight the significance of recent engagements with the decision maker on the Hill and the need for collaboration across the industry to ensure a secure and reliable supply chain for microelectronics.

PCBAA Website

David Schild on LinkedIn

Can your cell phone really connect straight to satellites? In this episode, Judy Warner and Keysight’s Murthy Upmaka explore 5G’s promises vs. reality, how non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are changing the game, and why digital twins + AI will unlock the future of 6G for engineers like you.

🔗Free Keysight Bootcamp: Design with 5G NTN System Simulation and Emulation Bootcamp https://www.keysight.com/us/en/learn/bootcamp/135003.html

🔗Free Solution Brief PDF: How to simulate a 5G NTN RF link and transmission channel https://www.keysight.com/us/en/assets/7123-1089/solution-briefs/How-to-Simulate-a-5G-NTN-RF-Link-and-Transmission-Channel.pdf Show Sponsor Links:

🤝Join The EEcosystem Community for more free engineering Masterclasses from Eric Bogatin, resources, and member-only benefits at https://theeecosystem.com

👨🏽‍💻For free Technical Resources and to Learn more about Keysight Pathwave EDA Software Solutions, visit the homepage now. https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/software/pathwave-design-software.html

💻 Visit Cofactr for AI-Powered real-time part data Intelligence and supply chain connected workflow and logistics. https://www.cofactr.com/ 🔗For all of your high-speed and RF connectors visit the Samtec website and access excellent engineering resources while you are there. https://www.samtec.com/

⛰️Visit Summit Interconnect for all your complex PCB manufacturing needs. https://summitinterconnect.com/

🌎 Visit Isola Group global for High performance laminates and prepreg materials for PCB manufacturing, as well as new IC packaging interposer https://www.isola-group.com/

💽 For high complexity EDA solutions visit SIEMENS EDA Website https://eda.sw.siemens.com/en-US/

💡For SI/PI/EMI News and Technical Resources and to register for a free subscription visit the Signal Integrity Journal today. https://www.signalintegrityjournal.com/

📡 For Custom RF and MW PCBs visit the Transline Technology Website to learn more. Visit https://translinetech.com/

🔌 Picotest specializes in high-fidelity testing and measurement tools, primarily for power-related applications. Visit their website for more product information and excellent training materials from expert Steve Sandler https://www.picotestonline.com/

What happens when a SpaceX engineer takes on one of the toughest problems in electronics?

In this episode, Quilter CEO Sergiy Nesterenko shares how first-principles thinking and lessons from his time at SpaceX led him to tackle the decades-old bottleneck in PCB design: manual layout.

From his triple major at Berkeley to building avionics for Falcon 9, Sergiy brings unique insights into why auto-routers failed, how reinforcement learning changes the game, and what the future of PCB design with AI might look like.

🔗 Learn more: Quilter.ai

🔗 Connect with Sergiy on LinkedIn

In this episode of The EEcosystem Podcast, Judy Warner speaks with David Schild, Executive Director of the PCBAA, about the state of U.S. electronics manufacturing and what it means for engineers.

Topics include:

• How supply chain resilience impacts product design

• New initiatives to support U.S.-based manufacturing

• Addressing workforce shortages in engineering

• Why engineers should engage with industry groups

If you’re an engineer in the U.S., this conversation is packed with insights on where the industry is heading , and how you can be part of shaping it.

🔗 Access free EEcosystem Masterclasses: https://www.theeecosystem.com

For educational and industry awareness purposes only. Not political or campaign-related.

In this exclusive interview recorded at Microchip MASTERs 2025 in Scottsdale, AZ, Judy Warner sits down with Roger Richey (Chief Architect, Microchip) and Matt Bromley (VP, Siemens EDA) to discuss the powerful new partnership between Microchip and Siemens.

Together, they explore how Siemens’s new PartQuest Design Enablement platform is transforming the engineer’s journey, from component discovery to design integration, leveraging AI and powerful data intelligence.

Learn More about Part Quest Design Enablement

Join Judy Warner, founder of The EEcosystem, and Professor Eric Bogatin, world-renowned signal integrity expert, as they introduce this graduate-level, 30+ hour course designed to sharpen your engineering intuition and skills in high-speed digital design.

This comprehensive, online masterclass is completely free to engineers worldwide, thanks to the support of our industry sponsors. You’ll get structured, bite-sized lessons covering signal integrity, power integrity, timing, stackups, vias, PDN, and measurement—practical knowledge you can apply immediately.

🚀 Advance your career. Build better designs. Become a better engineer.

👉 Register now: https://www.theeecosystem.com/hsdd-masterclass