Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

Escape the Pain of a Gerber Files Viewer and Invest in a 3D PCB Editor

Escape the Pain of a Gerber Files Viewer and Invest in a 3D PCB Editor As the design of printed circuit boards grows more challenging with flex, rigid-flex, RF, and other technologies, it is becoming more important than ever to be able to see exactly what it is that you are designing. Then compounded by shorter design cycles and fewer prototype builds the need for full verification of the design before manufacturing has become a necessity. Thankfully PCB design tools have kept pace with different ways to view and Read Article

Generate and Export Gerber File in Altium Designer: the Language of PCB Manufacturing

Generate and Export Gerber File in Altium Designer: the Language of PCB Manufacturing It is always exciting to travel to a new country and explore the culture, sample the food, and meet new people. On these trips, it seems like every day is an adventure that ends with greater understanding, an altered palate, or new friends. However, to make the most of the experience, it is great to learn to speak the language. Otherwise, you may wind up spending most of your time in a state of confusion. This is similar to the confusion that can Read Article

Ted Pawela, Altium COO, Shares Vision for the Future

Ted Pawela, Altium COO, Shares Vision for the Future Curious about the future of electronics design? Listen to this week's OnTrack episode with Ted Pawela, Altium COO, discuss Altium's mission to transform the industry for PCB designers. Read Article

Developing 3D Printed Electronics to Minimize PCB Design and Manufacturing Costs

Developing 3D Printed Electronics to Minimize PCB Design and Manufacturing Costs After moving to a new city, I couldn’t resist visiting the local library to pick up my library card and explore educational resources. As I walked in, the librarian cheerfully handed me a pamphlet on using a 3D printer. I was thrilled to see how easy it is becoming to access a 3D printer. Once restricted to research universities and high-budget labs, 3D printing is now ubiquitous. 3D printed electronics are also starting to become more reliable Read Article

Manufacturing Cost Tradeoffs with FR4 PCBs

Manufacturing Cost Tradeoffs with FR4 PCBs My frugal nature means that I tend to be a slow shopper. I don’t go to the mall too often, but when I do, I spend too much time weighing the costs and benefits of two different pairs of jeans. Such neurotic behavior will probably annoy your spouse, but it pays to be neurotic when you are debating which material and board thickness to use in your PCB. Most designers consider the PCB fabrication costs associated with FR4 PCBs to be a rather simple Read Article

Avoid the First Pass Perils in PCB Prototyping Runs

Five First Pass Perils in PCB Prototyping Runs The first pass prototyping run for a new design is where its functionality really gets put to the test. The functionality of your PCB depends on the quality of the design you create in your CAD tools, but sometimes the prototype just doesn't function as intended. There are many possible reasons for this, which could be related to your design choices, the capabilities of your manufacturer, or both. Founders without hardware experience might Read Article

annular ring NFP

Annular Rings for PCB and Nonfunctional Pads: Should You Use ‘em or Lose ‘em? Annular rings placed as non-functional pads in a PCB can affect via strength and signal integrity. Learn when to remove or keep them in this article. Read Article

7 Benefits of Bringing Additive Manufacturing In-House

7 Benefits of In-House Fabrication and Additive Manufacturing If you are like 98% of the PCB designers out there, you know what it can be like to run through the gauntlet of outsourcing a design to a third-party manufacturer to receive a prototype or two. The process is usually a little painful, often pricier than you’d have hoped, and leaves you waiting for longer than you’d expect. I often think that the manufacturing process is similar to going out to dinner at an overrated restaurant; you’ll wait on an Read Article

How to Panelize Your PCBs Before Lunch with Altium Designer

How to Panelize Your PCBs with Altium's PCB Panelizer Whether you have a slew of PCBs to mass produce for your customers or a handful of project boards you wish to prototype all in one simple swoop, PCB panelization is an effective way to bring high throughput and efficiency to PCB production. In earlier days of PCB design, you would need additional software, hours of clunky engineering, and maybe even feasibility meetings with manufacturing teams for PCB panelization. However, today's PCB design Read Article

Incorporating DFM for Panelization in Your Electronics

Incorporating DFM for Panelization in Your Electronics Oftentimes, in a larger production environment, companies seek small tips and tricks along the manufacturing route in the hopes of significant cost savings. As a ‘low hanging fruit’ of costs savings, manufacturing is (or at least should be) a highly discussed topic early on in the design phase. Keeping manufacturing principles and specifications in mind at the design stage is what is known as design for manufacturing (DFM). There are a handful of Read Article

Why You Need BOM Management Tools for PCB Design

Why You Need BOM Management Tools for PCB Design Although, I do not drive as much as I once did being on the road is still one of my most favorite activities. Not many things can equal the thrill and freedom that comes from being behind the wheel. Yet, there can be a great deal of difference in the experience depending on the vehicle you are driving. Almost any vehicle will perform the basic function of getting you from point A to point B, but there comes a time when basic is not enough. Moving Read Article

What PCB Designers Need to Know About Conductive Ink Printing With 3D Printers

Conductive Ink Printing for PCB Designers: What You Need To Know When you’re a father, there are many things that you have to get really good at doing really quickly. While I could take some time in prototyping to work out all the kinks in my designs, I don’t have that luxury when trying to decipher why my kid is crying at 3 in the morning. As a result, I’ve developed some skill at making milk formula and changing diapers quickly. If only I could’ve developed that sense of god-like speed in printed circuit Read Article

David Carmody’s DFM Report Integrating Design and Assembly

David Carmody’s DFM Report Integrating Design and Assembly Want to learn about Design for Manufacturing (DFM)? In this Altium OnTrack Podcast episode David Carmody and Judy Warner talk about DFM Reports can proactively fix manufacturing issues. Listen in now. Read Article

3D PCB Editor Simplifies Concurrent ECAD/MCAD Modeling

3D PCB Editor Simplifies Concurrent ECAD/MCAD Modeling Spending my weekends contending with powerful, yet non-intuitive modeling software is getting old. It is a shame we’ve come so far from the first CPU and its promise of computing power to still struggle with endless menus, and setting intricate parameters just to get started. The learning curves continue to suck precious hours from engineers and PCB designers, leaving many to give up new functions, such as 3D, in favor of reliable 2D environments Read Article

Coatings vs Resins for Your PCB: What’s Best for Providing Protection?

Coatings vs Resins for Your PCB: What’s Best for Providing Protection? In today’s world, protection is always a welcome asset. Whether it be protection from the rain above your head (mitigated by a roof), protection from the sun (mitigated by sunscreen), or protection from electromagnetic currents (mitigated by current isolation techniques amongst others). With resin and conformal coating for your PCB, you can think about the forces that attack your PCB from a physical (environmental) standpoint - beyond EMI Read Article

Manufacturing Checklists and Tools

Manufacturing Checklists and Tools When it comes to manufacturing, organization is critical. With so many different players involved in the design process (engineers, sourcing agents, manufacturers, etc.), maintaining documentation and utilizing checklists and other tools will keep everyone on the same page and avoid confusion. Additionally, checklists can help ensure that the PCB design is fully complete and ready to send for manufacturing, protecting you from any unexpected Read Article

PCB Design and CAD Software: Know What Governs Your Designs

PCB Design and CAD Software: Know What Governs Your Designs Every now and then, the phrase “rule of law” becomes part of conversations about how countries govern. Going all the way back to the 13th century Magna Carta, the “rule of law” speaks about the development of peaceful and equitable societies—and the need for basic human rights. Individuals living under the “rule of law” enjoy Equality under the law The transparency of law An independent judiciary and Access to legal remedy. Without rules for Read Article