TAD electronics

16/10/2026

Friday 1 October 2025.

That's when O2 began withdrawing inbound roaming access to its 2G network for devices using international roaming SIMs.

In other words, some changes affecting legacy 2G equipment started years before the headline UK switch-off dates.

That's why a migration plan shouldn't simply have 2029 circled on the calendar.

Check which networks your devices actually use, how the SIM provider handles roaming and whether fallback connections will still be available.

The final switch-off date isn't necessarily the first date that matters.

15/10/2026

Changing the communications technology in a connected product rarely affects just the modem.

Power requirements can change. The antenna may need reviewing. Firmware commands and recovery behaviour can differ. The finished product still needs testing in the environment where it will actually operate.

That's why our work on connected products such as Hultsteins' refrigerated transport control systems brings hardware, software and communications together rather than treating them as separate problems.

It's also how we'd approach a 2G migration.

Start with what the product needs to do, then design the replacement connectivity around it.

14/10/2026

May 2029.

That's when EE plans to begin switching off its 2G network. O2 follows from summer 2029, with Vodafone's switch-off planned for spring 2030. That can sound like plenty of time.

But for telemetry products already installed in the field, migration may mean identifying every affected unit, redesigning hardware, updating firmware, sourcing components, testing replacement connectivity, manufacturing upgrades and arranging customer access.

And a different SIM won't make a 2G-only modem communicate over 4G.

Replacement technology may sound like the obvious first step, but it's really about working out exactly what you already have in the field.

14/10/2026

The UK’s 2G switch-off is still a few years away. That doesn’t mean the engineering can wait.

https://tad-electronics.co.uk/news/uk-2g-switch-off-telemetry-product-design/

For telemetry products already in service, moving away from 2G can involve much more than replacing a SIM. The modem may need changing. The antenna may need reviewing. Power demands can shift. Firmware behaviour can change. SMS functions, roaming arrangements and recovery logic all need checking.

And once the new design works, there is still the practical job of manufacturing upgrades and getting them into equipment already installed in the field.

Our latest blog looks at how manufacturers of trackers, remote monitoring systems and industrial controllers can start preparing for the UK 2G switch-off now.

The real question isn’t just when 2G disappears. It’s how long your complete migration will take.

Prepare telemetry and IoT products for the UK 2G switch-off, from modem & antenna changes to power budgets, firmware, field testing and more

09/10/2026

5V × 3A = 15W.

That's the power available from a USB-C source advertising 3A at 5V. But not every USB-C connection provides that much.

For a portable product that's charging its battery while running a display, radio or other power-hungry components, the difference matters. A product needs to respect the power available from its connected source and respond appropriately when that isn't enough.

Otherwise, the charger that worked perfectly during development might become a recurring customer support problem. The power budget needs to account for the charger, not just the product.

08/10/2026

Good electronics design considers how a product will work with everything around it.

Our work with Hultsteins is a good example. Developing its refrigerated transport control system involved bringing together electronics, software, CAN Bus integration, onboard Wi-Fi and a practical HMI.

Each element needed to work as part of the finished system, rather than simply functioning independently.

That's the approach behind our Electronic Design service, where we consider integration, operating conditions and the wider product requirements from the outset.

Because the finished product is what needs to work.

07/10/2026

Two configuration-channel pins. One easily overlooked design requirement.

USB-C uses two pins, CC1 and CC2, to detect a connection and establish how the power source and device should behave. They also allow the connector to work in either orientation.

For a product receiving power through a USB-C socket, both pins need the correct, separate pull-down connections. Miss that requirement and you can end up with a product that works when connected using a USB-A-to-USB-C cable but refuses to power up with a USB-C-to-USB-C cable.

The reason is that a compliant USB-C charger with a USB-C socket waits to detect a valid connection before enabling power.

It's a useful reminder that adding a familiar connector doesn't automatically make a product compatible with every cable or charger that fits it. USB-C compatibility needs to be designed in, not assumed.

06/10/2026

Why does your USB-C product work with one charger but refuse to start with another?

https://tad-electronics.co.uk/news/usb-c-pcb-design-charger-cable-compatibility/

It's a frustrating problem when a product works perfectly on the development bench but behaves differently as soon as somebody connects their own cable or power supply.

The connector might look identical, but the power available and the way the connection is established can be very different.

Missing configuration-channel connections, incorrect power negotiation and insufficient power during demanding operating conditions can all cause compatibility problems.

Our latest blog looks at USB-C PCB design, including connection detection, power delivery, protection and how to test products against representative chargers and cables before they reach production.

Because the real test isn't whether a product works with the charger on your desk. It's whether it works with the connections your customers are actually going to use.

Learn how USB-C PCB design improves charger & cable compatbility through connection detection, power negotiation & practical prototype testing

05/10/2026

An electronic product needs to work with more than the equipment on the development bench.

Different power supplies, cables, operating conditions and user behaviours can all expose problems that weren't obvious during initial testing.

At TAD, our risk-free Electronic Design service considers those real-world requirements from the beginning, with hardware and firmware developed together before the product moves into prototyping and manufacture.

Because a successful prototype is only the beginning.

02/10/2026

Up to 2% improvement in yield from using solder-paste data more intelligently.

One electronics manufacturing project presented by iNEMI used SPI measurements to adjust component placement according to the actual position of the solder paste.

Reported yield improvements reached up to 2%, depending on printing quality. The interesting part isn't simply the percentage. It's that data collected at one stage of production was used to improve what happened at the next.

SPI stopped being just another inspection checkpoint and became information the manufacturing process could act on. The measurement itself doesn't improve yield. What you do with it might.