OnTrack: The PCB Design Podcast

In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Rob Barton, Head of Platform API at Altium, for a deep dive into how programmatic access is transforming PCB design and electronics development. Rob traces the evolution of Altium's API—from the early disconnected SDKs and the launch of Nexar, through Octopart supply data, all the way to the new Platform API that expo...

Code-based PCB design is reshaping how engineers build hardware, and in this OnTrack Podcast episode, host Zach Peterson sits down with Ioannis Papamanoglou and Narayan Powderly, co-founders of atopile, to explore their code-first, AI-driven approach to PCB design. Drawing on backgrounds at Tesla and across the electronics industry, the founders explain why hardware has lagged behind software tool...

EMC testing is one of the toughest hurdles in PCB design, with industry pass rates often falling below 50% and every failure triggering expensive respins. In this OnTrack Podcast episode, host Zach Peterson sits down with Andy Eadie—owner of EMC FastPass and founder of Engentica—to unpack why so many products fail electromagnetic compatibility testing on the first attempt, and what designers can d...

Altium Develop unites your design, sourcing, and manufacturing teams in one cloud platform so EMC and layout problems get caught long before your board ever reaches the test house: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=70-of-pcbs-fail-emc-testing-and-ai-is-making-it-worse EMC testing failure rates are climbing toward...

Signal integrity engineers working on high-speed serial links, Ethernet, USB, PCI Express, and DDR memory interfaces need powerful simulation tools, but commercial software licenses can be cost-prohibitive. In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with David Banas, Solutions Engineer at Keysight, to explore three open-source Python packages that are transforming...

In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, Zach Peterson sits down with Gabriel Guglielmi, VP of Global Product Management at Infinite Electronics, to explore one of the most disruptive shifts in electronics today: the rise of unmanned systems. From group one commercial drones to group five collaborative combat aircraft, Gabriel breaks down how the same revolution that transformed the space industry...

The PCB industry has long relied on manual microsectioning to verify board quality — but as densities increase and skilled labor becomes harder to retain, that process is breaking down. In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson welcomes back Geoffrey Leeds, founder of SCAN Labs, for his third appearance on the show. Geoffrey breaks down what he calls the "metrology gap" — t...

What does it take to design interconnects for AI data centers pushing 112G, 224G, and even 448G? In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Matt Burns, Director of Technical Marketing at Samtec, to unpack how connector technology has evolved to meet the demands of modern high-speed systems. From co-packaged copper and optics to near-package interconnects, Matt...

What if you could parse your Altium project files from the command line, generate a full BOM in seconds, extract net lists as AI-readable JSON, and spin up a 3D HTML viewer with zero dependencies — all without ever opening Altium? In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Eli Hughes, principal at Wavenumber LLC, to dig into a suite of open-source tools he's built ar...

Is FPGA engineering the best career path for electronics engineers today? In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Adam Taylor — founder of Adiuvo Engineering and the FPGA Horizons conference — to explore the full landscape of FPGA development. From how Adam accidentally fell into FPGAs as a new graduate to building one of the UK's most talked-about technica...

Altium Develop gives your entire team real-time visibility into PCB designs, supply chain data, and manufacturing feedback — so thermal and power decisions never get made in isolation: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=ipc-2221-vs-2152-the-truth-about-pcb-trace-current-ratings   If you've ever sized a PCB trace u...

Altium Develop gives your entire electronics team — engineers, procurement, and manufacturers — real-time visibility into your PCB designs and supply chain, all in one platform: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=greenpak-for-automotive-reliability-integration-real-world-demos Renesas' Automotive GreenPAK is a con...

In this episode of the Altium OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Stephen Newberry, Victor Kronberg, and Ching-Ping Wong from Chipletz — a fabless advanced packaging company pushing the boundaries of die-to-die interconnect technology. The team shares their background, their work on chiplet-based package design, and the technical paper they presented at DesignCon, which introduces t...

Altium Develop connects your entire electronics product team — from design to supply chain to manufacturing — in one unified platform: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=ontrack-podcast&utm_content=violet-labs-the-integration-hub-solving-hardware-data-chaos   Hardware engineering teams have long struggled with disconnected software tools — C...

The hardware startup landscape has transformed dramatically since 2020, and investors are finally paying attention. In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Mihir Shaw and Benji Chia, co-founders of Hardware FYI, to explore why hardware companies are becoming attractive investment opportunities again.    From PCB fabrication innovations to manufacturing auto...

In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Karen Burnham, chief engineer and founder of EMC United, to explore why electromagnetic compatibility remains one of the most challenging aspects of product development. Karen shares her journey from physics to NASA Johnson Space Center and eventually into EMC consulting, offering invaluable insights into why so many...

In this episode of the Altium OnTrack podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with Todd Hubing, president of LearnEMC. With over 40 years of experience in electromagnetic compatibility starting at IBM in 1982, Todd brings unparalleled expertise to some of the most misunderstood topics in PCB design. This conversation dives deep into grounding myths, decoupling capacitor placement, stack-up strategie...

Quantum computing is no longer confined to research labs—it's entering the commercial space, and electrical engineers are uniquely positioned to contribute. In this episode of the OnTrack Podcast, host Zach Peterson sits down with quantum hardware designer Šimon Marek to explore the fascinating world of superconducting quantum chips. From transmon qubits and Josephson junctions to control electron...

Explore AI's role in the future of electronic design and hardware development with Avinash Harsh, co-founder of Wizerr AI. Discover how AI can help engineers make better decisions, reduce design risks, and unlock unprecedented creativity in PCB and electronic component design.   In this revealing Altium OnTrack podcast episode, Harsh challenges the notion that AI will replace engineers, instead pr...

Join host Zach Peterson for an illuminating journey through the pivotal moments in PCB design and electronics manufacturing in 2025. This year-end review explores critical industry developments, from global trade restructuring to the dramatic expansion of Ultra High-Density Interconnect (UHDI) production capabilities in the United States and beyond.   Discover insights from expert guests who disse...

Join Zach Peterson in an insightful conversation with Jay Patel, CEO of Amtech, as they dive deep into the world of electronics manufacturing. Discover the critical challenges in PCB production, from supply chain complexities to design for manufacturability (DFM) strategies that can make or break a product's success.   Learn about the evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing, including the...

Dive into the revolutionary Altium Requirements Portal, a groundbreaking solution transforming how engineers manage complex project documentation. Hear from Marco Witzmann, Head of Requirements Portal at Altium, as he shares insights on simplifying document management, streamlining requirements tracking, and solving the long-standing challenges of engineering documentation.   Learn how this innova...

Dive into the cutting-edge world of AI-powered signal integrity design with Yuriy Shlepnev, founder of Simberian. In this exclusive Altium OnTrack podcast episode, discover how large language models are revolutionizing PCB design workflows, enabling unprecedented automation and intelligent decision-making in electronic engineering.   Learn how Simberian's latest breakthrough – the AI agent system...

Dive into the world of intelligent electronics manufacturing with Nemanja Jokanovic, VP of Breadboard. Learn how cutting-edge platforms are transforming Bill of Materials (BOM) management, bridging the gap between design engineers and procurement professionals. Discover how automation and smart tools can streamline your electronics design workflow, reduce costly respins, and optimize your supply c...

Dive into the dynamic world of printed circuit board manufacturing with Mike Buetow, President of PCEA, in this exclusive, final interview from PCB West 2025. Discover the latest trends, the growing diversity of the industry, and the exciting influx of young talent reshaping the technological landscape. 👉 Resources from this Episode:  - Watch all of our PCB West 2025 Interviews: https://www.youtu...