Month-to-month semiconductor sales dipped last month. Still, April 2020 was an improvement over April 2019, which is welcome news during these uncertain times. Read this week’s Electronics News Byte for news on the semiconductor industry, SpaceX’s successful launch, and more.

News on Semiconductor Sales and More 

  • April Global Semiconductor Sales Update: According to SIA, global semiconductor sales in April 2020 were 1.2% less than March 2020. However, the results were positive compared to a year before. The April 2020 number of $34.4 billion was up 6.1% over April 2019. Note that month-to-month sales dropped 7.65% in Europe. Sales dropped 1.1% in the Americas, while China increased 2.1%.
 
  • Automotive Power Semiconductors Revenue Drops: Tech research firm Omdia reports that COVID-19 pandemic has clearly hurt automotive power semiconductor sales (e.g., power ICs and power modules). The firm expects revenues to fall from $10.8 billion in 2019 to $9.1 billion in 2020. It cites factors such as automotive plant shutdowns and lower new vehicle demand. "Power module revenues grew by 7 percent in 2019, benefitting from the increased manufacturing volumes of electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid EVs (HEVs). Similarly, only an 8 percent decline in power module revenue is forecast for 2020." 
​Electronics News Byte: Semiconductor sales and more
  • SpaceX’s Successful Launch: According to a recent survey, 65.4% of Elektor members said they would travel to the moon. Perhaps some of them will get the opportunity soon. According to SpaceX, the company's Starship spacecraft will eventually carry passengers to the moon, Mars, and perhaps farther. Last week, SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It marks the first time SpaceX has sent astronauts into space. The launch registered 2.5+ million views on the SpaceX YouTube channel. Watch the video here.
 
  • Elektor Offers Free Engineering Resources: Late last week, Elektor announced engineering resources for electronics innovators. Engineers can freely access the June 2020 “Sensors & Measurement” edition of Elektor Industry magazine. They can also access an upcoming webinar on the topics of sensor technologies, RF solutions, and 5G. Elektor offers the magazine download and the webinar as part of its “Elektor Helps” initiative, which aims to inform and inspire innovators during these challenging times.

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