The Companion Guide to DFM Essentials: Tips for Designing for Manufacturing is now available for free download. Building on the popular Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... DFM Essentials, this new resource from American Standard Circuits and ASC Sunstone Circuits offers advanced, real-world guidance to help PCB designers streamline production and avoid costly pitfalls.

Over the past year, Freedom CAD has seen a changing of the guard as many familiar faces retire and hand the reins to the next generation of leaders. At PCB East, I met with Brian White, the new president and CEO, and Geoffrey Hazelett, the business development executive who was hand-picked by the outgoing Scott McCurdy. I asked them to walk us through this shift in leadership and what it means to the company and its customers.

If you caught the movie “Barbie,” you may have laughed at its over-the-top utopia where every day begins with perfect weather, perfect smiles, and a perfectly pink commute. But beyond the plastic glam, the film subtly critiques the illusion of perfection—a message that feels surprisingly relevant to the world of PCB design and manufacturing.