Spirit: Behind the Screen

Electromagnetic Pulse Risks and Protections with Dan Rebeck of Transtector and PolyPhaser

Here's Part 1 of our HEMP interview. But no, we're not talking THAT kind of high! High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse is a special type of electromagnetic pulse (or EMP) that could easily smoke our infrastructure. This kind of HEMP could wreak havoc on our power grids, communication, and critical electronic operations, leaving us in the dark and vulnerable.

 

In this episode, Dan Rebeck from Infinite Electronics brands Transtector and PolyPhaser teaches us about the basic risks posed by EMP and HEMP. EMP is something many of us are more familiar with. Whether it's a lightning strike, a solar flare, or a localized device detonation, the electromagnetic field generated by these common events can easily damage electronics. HEMP on the other hand, is generated by a nuclear detonation at extremely high altitudes, and can generate multiple EMPs that would affect electronic systems on a wide scale.

 

Dan talks with Marti about why it's important to understand the risk of EMP/HEMP, and the basic protections available on the market for critical electronic systems.

 

Listen to Dan and Marti talk about:

(3:00) Threat of EMP/HEMP to daily life and national security

(6:56) What HEMP is and how it compares to EMP

(9:25) The types and severity of damage EMP/HEMP can cause

(13:05) What government or community infrastructure could be affected

(16:25) Customizing a solution to protect from EMP/HEMP

(17:45) Surge protection, grounding, filtering, and shielding

(21:05) What you can do to protect your household from an EMP/HEMP event

 

Stay tuned for Part 2 with Dan and Marti next week covering the unique product solutions and how Spirit and Transtector/PolyPhaser can help with implementation.

 

While it sounds like a doom and gloom risk, you can protect your electronic operations and even your household from EMP/HEMP with the four types of protective measures Dan describes. If you're interested in surge protection, grounding, filtering, and shielding solutions for your business or your product, you can get a quote for products and tailored solutions at Spiritelectronics.com.

Customizing a Test Program with Spirit‘s Sean Macdonald

What does your component testing and qualification need to include? We've talked with experts about electrical testing, PEMs qualification, XRF, acoustic microscopy. But what your test program tests and how is going to depend on your product and its application.

 

Spirit team member Sean Macdonald has talked with customers big and small across multiple applications, for single parts all the way up to a full bill of materials, about how to put together the right tests in the right parameters. He helps customers consider requirements from MIL standards, source control drawings, and applications to make sure we test parts under the right conditions for reliability.

 

And as Sean explains, the benefit of running a complete test program with Spirit is keeping the cost and handling all in house instead of extending your supply chain. Listen in to hear how you can accomplish procurement, inspections, qualification, assembly, and system-level testing in one order, one shipment.

 

Sean talks with Marti about:

(0:55) What electrical parameters to test

(3:18) How application affects test requirements

(5:19) How to customize a program with cost and schedule in mind

(7:10) Customize your data sheet, streamline your supply chain

(11:50) Copper inlay boards from Taiyo Kogyo and circuit board assembly

 

Get in touch with Sean and our agile team to talk about how to customize a test program for your needs at spiritelectronics.com. Or as Sean says, give us a call, and someone at Spirit is always ready to answer: 480-998-1533.

XRF Analysis with Hitachi's Matt Kreiner: What Is It Made Of?

XRF, or X-ray Fluorescence analysis is a nondestructive compositional analysis, especially useful in the Aerospace & Defense industry for verifying lead composition and finishes. Hitachi produces several analyzers from handheld all the way up to bench analyzers that can identify elemental composition, measure coating thickness, and perform complex mapping.

 

In today's episode, product manager Matt Kreiner talks with Marti about Spirit's new Hitachi EA6000VX and what it can do. From coating analysis to component mapping, the EA6000VX can tell you what you need to know to inspect and qualify your component lot for production.

 

Listen in for

(1:26) What is XRF?

(8:30) How deep does x-ray analysis go?

(12:00) How are Hitachi's XRF analyzers superior?

(17:28) Just for fun: what strange things have you analyzed?

(22:58) Hitachi and the test equipment supply chain

 

For a limited time, Spirit is offering a free XRF analysis report with your regular component purchase order. Ask us to try out XRF analysis and see what it can tell you about your product.

 

Matt Kreiner is Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science's product manager for their coatings analysis product line. In his current role, he focuses globally on Hitachi's coatings customers across numerous industries to find new solutions to the challenges they face in their everyday work environment. He has 18 years of experience working with XRF technology, starting his career as an applications engineer, and has held many different roles within the organization. Matt resides in Chicago and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Challenges of a Career in Service: Saying Farewell to Our Veteran Teammate for Deployment

Spirit's team includes several veterans who have served in our nation's military, some even still in reserve or Guard service. It's a major challenge to juggle a civilian career with the demands of military service. This week, Team Spirit is saying farewell to our teammate Zac who is headed out for a year of active deployment.

 

Zac joined Spirit only a few months ago for his first ever corporate job. In this episode, he shares with Marti what has made the biggest impact on him in his time with the company.

 

Before joining Spirit, Zac served over 20 years, beginning with enlistment in the Navy, navigating a reduction in force, serving in civilian contractor roles, and finally earning his commission. We are so honored that Zac chose to bring his call to service to our team, supporting the Aerospace & Defense supply chain.

 

We wish you the best of luck, Zac, and hope for your safety on deployment. We hope to welcome you back when you return, knowing as our team does what that transition can be like for those who serve.

 

For more information on how to help Spirit in our mission to support veterans and families in service and beyond, visit our nonprofit at SpiritGives.org.

(Replay) What Can GaN Do in Space? Rad Hard Products and Applications with EPC Space

In the replay of this popular episode, Marti and EPC Space's CEO Bel Lazar talk about GaN reliability and performance in extreme space environments.

 

With growing interest in public and private space ventures and our increased dependence on satellite networks and space tech, devices like EPC Space's GaN products must withstand radiation and extreme temperatures.

 

Jump to these times to hear about

(2:08) The story behind the move from Silicon to GaN

(3:24) The GaN market size

(5:40) Space applications and product portfolio

(8:07) Radiation tolerance in space

(10:37) Reliability and testing to failure

(11:54) EPC Space design support

 

Spirit Electronics is an authorized distributor for EPC Space products. Visit spiritelectronics.com for a quote on EPC's GaN devices. 

Support Local Kids with Our Back-to-School Drive with Spirit Gives

What does it take to send your child back to school prepared for success? Any parent can tell you, it takes more preparation and investment than you think!

 

Our Back-to-School Backpack & Suppliers Drive is collecting school supplies, backpacks, and donations to support 29 local children to start off the school year. You can make a donation at SpiritGives.org, drop off supplies locally at our office, or even ship to us through Amazon. The drive runs now through August 6.

 

We want to have some fun giving fun and useful supplies to our children so they can be excited for their return to school while taking some of the financial burden and shopping stress off their parents. We've partnered with our Gold Star Families and local organization UMOM.

 

Spirit Gives is a nonprofit arm of Spirit Electronics. You can reach us at 480-998-1533 or visit SpiritGives.org for more information. To drop off or ship a donation, you can find us at 11202 N 24th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85029.

(Replay) Zef Malik on Why to Perform Component and System Level Testing to Insure Your Mission

Commercial manufacturers are already pushing toward the DDR5, but with the military transition to DDR4, memory's performance in the field is essential. 

 

In this episode, Spirit VP Zef Malik talks with Marti about why memory speed needs to be faster and why it buys critical minutes in the military mission. In applications when multiple memory devices are used in tandem and you have one weak link fail, performance suffers to the speed of the slowest device.

 

Manufacturers are already experts in their product, but the supply chain will need to provide product above and beyond the "can it run?" or "can it work?" rubber-stamp tests. Expert value-add service like Spirit's will pick up where the OEM leaves off and deliver a fully qualified part to our customers.

 

And once you know your product can perform, Zef and Marti remind us System Level Testing (SLT) can go the extra distance to keep up with the millions of possible combinations a chip may see on a board.

 

You can find out more about our new value-add services like System Level Test and board assembly at spiritelectronics.com/services.

Tech Jobs and the Housing Market Growth in Arizona with Preston Tribble

With TSMC moving to Phoenix, the tech industry is booming right in Spirit's back yard. This has meant rising demand for both experienced employees and houses for them to live in.

 

Buying and selling homes has been a challenge nationally, but Marti talks with local real estate investor Preston Tribble of the Ellens Team about the unique perks and challenges we're seeing in the Phoenix area.

 

From changes in the workforce to the benefits of desert living, Preston talks numbers and trends around what to expect if you're part of the population boom relocating to AZ. The good news for locals and newcomers: Arizona still offers competitive affordability compared to other growing states.

 

Spirit Electronics is growing along with our local industry. If you're interested in working with our dedicated team, you can find out more at spiritelectronics.com/careers. 

Veteran Highlight: Transitioning from Military to Civilian with the Spirit Team

Wherever you are this weekend, we hope you will join us in honoring our service members who have sacrificed their lives for our nation.

 

Our nonprofit foundation Spirit Gives also recognizes the family members that share in this sacrifice by supporting gold star families who have lost a loved member in service.

 

As a veteran-owned business, Spirit is deeply connected to our military background, and we are welcoming many new team members who have also served in the military. Today's episode is highlighting our Spirit veterans and their stories about their transition from military career to civilian life.

 

You can hear our team talk about how this is a challenging transition for many of our service members. Listen in whether you're a veteran about to transition or a civilian interested in how to help a team member out in their new career. 

The Roadmap to Zero Defects with Marco Paolucci of ELES

ELES is an Italian manufacturer of test equipment and systems that exercise and qualify semiconductors around the world. Marco Paolucci is the sales and business development director delivering the ELES zero defect goal to Spirit and the US.
 
ELES uses a process called "RETE," Reliability Embedded Test Engineering, which translates from Italian as "net." Marco explains how the ELES approach is a safety net to prevent dangerous product failures.
 
Listen to Marco and Marti discuss . . .
(2:08) The RETE approach
(5:42) ELES test platform flexible solutions
(7:53) Characterizing failure
(12:04) Failure analysis
(14:24) System level test 
 
Your test and qualification process is only as good as your test equipment. Not only is Spirit building out a test lab with the best equipment on the market, but we are also offering capital equipment sales to support your test programs. Visit spiritelectronics.com/capital-equipment-sales/ to learn more.