Output formatsIts all about communication, design for fabrication/assembly and output generation!

OLE EJLERSENCTO, ansat siden 1995

oe@nordcad.dk

www.linkedin.com/in/ejlersen

©2018 Nordcad AS

Hvem er Nordcad AS?

Mål

• Tilby våre brukere den beste teknologiske plattform til elektronikkdesign.

• Øke brukernes kompetansenivå som resulterer i en rask og effektiv designfase.

Misjon

• Være den største og mest seriøse leverandør av verktøy til elektronikkdesign i Norge, Danmark, i Grønland, på Island og på Færøyene.

Visjon

• Bidra til at norske og danske elektronikkvirksomheter får et forsprang i konkurransen på det globale marked.

• Gratis programvare og utdannelsesmateriale til alle studenter slik at industrien får kvalifisert arbeidskraft.

Utdannelse

Rådgiving om EDAsoftware

Seminarer og

workshops

Telefon support

Konsulent

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Gratis telefon support (for kunder med gyldig vedlikeholdsaftale)

Kontakt via telefon: +47 21 55 28 28hverdager 9 – 16 (fredag 9 – 15)

Eller mail: support@nordcad.no Vi svarer i juletider, nyttår og sommerferien!

En lett vei til hjelp og veiledning i bruken av verktøyene og teknologien

RASMUS SØGAARD JACOBSENIT Specialist, ansat siden 2016

o Programmering

o Integration

o Installation

OLE EJLERSENCTO, ansat siden 1995

o PCB Design

o Komponentstyring

o Design processer

o Programmering i Skill

SØREN JUL CHRISTIANSENSignal Integrity Manager, ansat siden 2008

o Design metodik for elektronik

o Verifikation af digital elektronik

o Constraint styret PCB design

ANDERS MEDELBYE PEDERSENSimulation manager, ansat siden 2015

o Simulering i PSpice

o Full board simulering i PSpice

o Programmering i C++

Vi bruker Teamviewer for å kunne gi deg den beste mulige fjern-support.

MARTIN LANGE NONBOESupport & uddannelse, ansat siden 2017

o Diagramtegning

o PCB Design

o Komponentstyring

Service og support team

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Verdens største leverandør

Nordcad Systems A/S Awarded January 2014: ”Technical Partner”

Nordcad Systems A/S Awarded January 2016: ”Business Partner”

16 GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

$750MR&D INVESTMENT

IN 2017

1500+ PATENTS

WORLDWIDE

3,300RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

ENGINEERS

1300FIELD APPLICATION

ENGINEERS

Hvem er Cadence

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©2018 Nordcad AS

OrCAD produkter

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Allegro & Sigrity produkter

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Allegro ® Package Designer

Allegro ® Sigrity SI (base)

SI/PI Analysis Point Tools

Cadence SiP

Allegro ® Sigrity PI (base)

Allegro ® PCB Designer

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Output for PCB Fabrication

• PCB Fabricator feedback no 1:

– Missing information about data delivered or missing data

• Solving this challenge is all about

• Specification

– Capabilities → Constraints, stackup etc.

• Output formats

– What data formats are available and provide most confidence

• Documentation

– Data are delivered → PCB output data specification

• Automation

– Provide PCB fabrication data with the least manual efforts and

highest reliability

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Specification / Design for production/manufacturing

• Building design intent doesn’t cover everything!

• Thinking manufacturing and assembly from the start

– Understanding capabilities and tolerance chains

– Mapping capabilities to design rules

– Designing for manufacturing and assembly yields lower cost and

higher quality

• Fixing manufacturability in the end of the design cycle is

time intensive and expensive

• Communicate, communicate and communicate

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Logic

Schematics

Placement

Routing

Mfg Prep

Internal check

FABRICATION

4 to 48

hours

©2018 Nordcad AS

Examples

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• These are independent of output format

• Always look at fab capabilities

– Hole sizes

– Line widths

– Spacing/gap

– Tolerances (impedance, dimensions, holes etc.)

– Aspect ratio

• Align your board constraints with these capabilities!

• Remember that cost and capabilities are related

• Using different fab for prototypes and production?

– Is that reliable? How can you be sure the results are the same

– Not the case for MACAOS according to Helge @Elprint!

• Examples

– Elprint: https://www.elprint.no/products/pcb/capabilities

– NCAB: https://www.ncabgroup.com/capability/

• Electrical constraints does not lead automaticaly lead to

manufacturing

– Might work at 0.02mm width but can’t be produced or is costly

• Not checking and setting up for fabrication can lead to lots

of rework

– Redesign

– Ripup

– Placement

Table from https://www.elprint.no/products/pcb/capabilities

©2018 Nordcad AS

Output formats

IPC2581

o Open, neutral, global vendor independent standard. Xml based data format. (www.ipc2581.com)

o Cover fabrication and assembly

ODB++

o Developed by Valor Computerized Systems Ltd in 1995, today owned by Mentor Graphics

MACAOS .MEI format

o Data format for fast production with Elprint (www.macaos.no / www.elprint.no)

o Single click output generation available from Nordcad and Elprint ☺

Gerber, Excellon drill/route/milling, pick and place, PDF, IPC356 etc.

o A ”large” collection of individual text based files

Others, why bother since the above are more or less industry standards?

All production interfaces are included with OrCAD/Allegro PCB solutions

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Gerber, Excellon, IPC356, etc.

We’ve all tried it, been there, done that! I guess we’ve all experienced issues!

• Supported to some extent by all ECAD tools

• Good old well known format (industry standard)

• Has a convenience factor, we all know the format. Can be somehow verified in any Gerber viewer

• Collection of files that designer has to create, collect, explain and ship to manufacturer

• Many pitfalls

– File formats (integer & decimal places, leading/trailing zeroes)

– Verification

– Creating a description (PCB Specification)

– Forgot to create file or send file

– Many files involved: gerber (copper, soldermask, pastemask, silkscreen), plated and non-plated drill files (slots, blind/buried, counter-bore/sink,

backdrilling etc.), contour files, milling files, pick and place etc.

• Enhanced to Gerber X2 but not widely supported or used. Yet another vendor dependent format being pushed by

Ucamco (format owner)

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©2018 Nordcad AS

ODB++

• Not an independent format, owned by Mentor Graphics

• More widely used than IPC-2581

• Some PCB fabricators still don’t support ODB++

– Typically either use old equipment or is a cost option for

fabrication/production equipment

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©2018 Nordcad AS

IPC2581

• IPC2581

– Vendor independent, supported by most ECAD tools, even Mentor Graphics ☺

– ”Newer” format

– Easy setup and usage

– Cadence is part of the IPC-2581 consortium

– Format is constantly updated and improved to support more functionality

– Supports functional modes of data (Design, Fabrication, Test, Assembly … )

– Not all stakeholders need the same data (or all data)

– Can be used for Stackup exchange with e.g. Polar

– Not all PCB fabricators support IPC2581

– Result is CAM software is used to translate to other formats

– Most used excuse: It is a cost option for fabrication/assembly equipment although

supported by most

– http://www.ipc2581.com/support/

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Output data formats

• It is still a battle without a winner

– Gerber

– ODB++

– IPC-2581

– Gerber X2

– ……

• Generally PCB Designers design according to IPC standards, will IPC-2581 win?

– Not sure there is an exact answer

• Work with your PCB Fab to find preferred format but keep in mind that Gerber data are flat and un-intelligent!

– → More risk for data issues!

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Documentation

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• The obvious

– Stackup

– Layer count

– PCB thickness

– Contact information

– Content of files supplied

– Format of files supplied

– Impedance controlled traces

• The less obvious

– Don’t overspecify, make it short and exact

– Don’t use fab that don’t write about their capabilities

– Materials

– Surface finish

– Soldermask

– Silkscreen

– Milling tool sizes

– Hole sizes and count

– Minimum gap

– Minimum trace width

– Minimum annular ring size

©2018 Nordcad AS

Examples

• Do specify

– Stackup (final thickness)

– Materials/colors for soldermask and silkscreen

– Surface finish

– Contour details

– Plated and non-plated holes separately

– Content of files supplied

– Require data vs. IPC-356 netlist verification when using non-

intelligent format

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Automation

1 button solution from OrCAD/Allegro → MACAOS

Eliminates manual work

Bruce McKibben @Elprint is presenting more on

this topic

Data ”archive” that loads directly into MACAOS

All data are automatically recognized

o Stackup order

o Drill/slots and types

o Outline/cutouts

Preferred defaults selected for

o Surface finish

o Silkscreen/Soldermask color

o Outline and cutout toolsizes

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OrCAD/Allegro → MACAOS / Elprint

©2018 Nordcad AS

MACAOS reads and understands data

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©2018 Nordcad AS 19

OrCAD/Allegro → MACAOS demo ☺

©2018 Nordcad AS

Automation for Gerber

o Generate all data

o Zip data

o Create readme file with specification (can be customized)

More reliable and robust data exchange if gerbers are used

o Ensure all data are generated

o Automatically create PCB specification

o More specification is needed (surface finish etc.) if not customized

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General purpose post processing utility with OrCAD/Allegro

©2018 Nordcad AS

The final comments/suggestions

• Reviewing production data before sending them into a CAM tool

– Sanity check in 3rd party tool

• Checking Gerbers / ODB++ or IPC2581

– Importing output manufacturing files and checking if they look ”alright”?

– Do they import OK and are they all present?

• IPC netlist check

– Do production files represent the correct connectivity?

– Open and shorts that aren’t expected?

• Making sure specification includes all important data

– Number one feedback from manufacturers is missing specification or lack of information

• New to PCB Design?

– Communicate with PCB Fabricator and EDA software vendor

– Visit PCB fab to walk over complete production process

• Getting to the next level

– There are PCB Designer courses CID and CID+ (http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=Designer-Certification )

– Requires 2 years working experience with PCB Design

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©2018 Nordcad AS

Never

• be to proud to

– ask PCB Fabricator for advice

– Stackup

– Capabilities

– Data format to be used

– Stackup / constraint suggestions (e.g. for highspeed board with impedance

constraints)

– ask EDA sw provider for help/advice

– Setting up stackup

– Setting up constraints

– Defining holes, masks, etc.

– Generating output data

– Automating post processing

• We’re here to help you be succesfull ☺

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