Elementary Mr. Watson: Running the Signal Gauntlet
The Shaughnessy Report: Winning the Signal Integrity Battle
Connect the Dots: How to Avoid Five Common Causes of Board Failure
ODB++: Transforming Ideas Into Products
October 9, 2019 | Max Clark, Mentor, a Siemens BusinessEstimated reading time: 1 minute
This year, I witnessed an impressive natural event that I had never experienced before in all my life as a native Californian. The painted lady butterfly migration starts from the southeastern deserts of California heading northwest to Oregon, Washington, and further north into Alaska. While that distance covered by a butterfly with a wingspan of 2–3 inches is amazing, what was so impressive was the sheer number of them. This year’s migration represented one billion butterflies, all striving to survive the long journey north. Throughout California, one could simply step outside to witness the most elegant stream of butterflies, one after the other, for days on end.
What does a butterfly migration have to do with transferring intelligent PCB data from design through the manufacturing process? The process of transforming from an earthbound caterpillar into a beautiful flying butterfly where each has a unique wing pattern is not much different than transforming an idea for a product into a schematic, and through hard work, into a unique PCB design. The difference is that nature has created a perfectly connected process, but we still are challenged doing our same process repeatedly with positive results. In the case of a PCB design, the transfer of the design intent and the manufacturing process needs are not yet connected in unison.
The ODB format originated with the objective of delivering on this need. The format was originally introduced for use by PCB fabricators, eliminating the need for a collection of CAM files in multiple formats—such as Gerber, Excellon, IPC-356, or even IPC-350, which was an early attempt to simplify this process. The key to the success of ODB was that it obtained industry acceptance. There was a friendly, informal group working together as early adopters put aside their previous thinking in the hopes of achieving a quick transformation from an effective product model into a deliverable PCB with the minimal amount of data manipulation possible, and in an effective, repeatable, and reliable manner.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the September 2019 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
U.S. CHIPS Act Funding Detailed on SIA Website
09/12/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007The U.S. CHIPS Act has moved well into the implementation stage in 2025. But where has that money gone? The Semiconductor Industry Association has been tracking these projects and provides details on its website. It was updated May. Among the five key programs being managed under CHIPS, two stand out as influencing advanced electronic packaging: the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP), and the CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute (MFG USA).
Zhen Ding Drives AI-Powered Digital Transformation
09/12/2025 | Zhen DingDriven by the surging demand for computing power fueled by AI, the semiconductor and PCB industries are forging closer integration, expanding their ecosystems, and pursuing shared growth. PCB has already become another NT$ trillion-dollar industry in Taiwan, growing in tandem with the semiconductor sector.
Flex Named to TIME's World's Best Companies List for Third Consecutive Year
09/12/2025 | FlexFlex announced its inclusion on the TIME World's Best Companies 2025 list. This marks the third consecutive year the company was included in this prestigious ranking, which recognizes top-performing companies across the globe.
Secure Semiconductor Manufacturing Acquires Full SMT Line from Manncorp
09/11/2025 | ManncorpSecure Semiconductor Manufacturing, LLC (SSM), an American-owned company dedicated to producing secure printed wiring boards and advanced assembly solutions in the MidWest USA, today announced the acquisition of a complete surface mount technology (SMT) line from Manncorp.
GlobalLogic, Ericsson Deploy Private 5G Network at Hitachi Rail’s State-of-the-Art Digital Factory
09/11/2025 | BUSINESS WIREGlobalLogic Inc., a Hitachi Group company and leader in digital engineering, has designed and deployed a state-of-the-art 5G private network at Hitachi Rail’s most digitally advanced facility in Hagerstown, Maryland, USA.