-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueRules of Thumb
This month, we delve into rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided. Rules of thumb are everywhere, but there may be hundreds of rules of thumb for PCB design. How do we separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?
Partial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
Easy-PC PCB Design Suite Includes Over 50 New Customer Requested Features
September 16, 2020 | Easy-PCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Number One Systems, a technology-leading PCB design solution company, announced the release of Easy-PC version 24, with over 50 new enhancements based on user requests from professional PCB designers.
“We are a very customer centric company and welcome our customers' input on how to help them achieve their design goals more quickly and efficiently,” said Fiona Colman, marketing manager at Number One Systems. “In addition to the many new product enhancements, we provide an online library resource of over 15 million parts to support our customers with their productivity.”
Easy-PC delivers performance in schematic capture and PCB layout normally associated with products at 10 or even 20 times the price, and was designed to be simple to learn so that board designers can be productive within a short amount of time. Frequently, new customers report they are producing their first board within hours of installing the software. This latest version with over 50 new features and enhancements was developed in direct response to feedback from the many thousands of customers that use Easy-PC on a daily basis. Number One Systems is committed to ensure that their customers' investment in the software design tools that they use are kept current and incorporate the latest changes in technology.
A few of the new enhancements found in version 24 of Easy-PC include:
- One of the Manufacturability Enhancements that has been added to enhance copper pour areas and thermal spokes on pads enables the control of thermal spokes on individual pads or pad styles. This means pads on the same net can be allocated to different thermal spokes depending on their size.
- A Dockable Nets Bar showing details of the nets in a PCB design can dynamically display Net Name, Net Class, Total Track Length, Min/Max Length Values and Rules, Via Count and Test Land Count.
- Intelligent Design Backups option has been enhanced to operate based on 'Work Time' rather than a hard, absolute time. This ensures that a meaningful amount of work is done between each backup regardless of how frequent the design is saved, meaning that saves can be done as often as desired without "filling up" the set of cyclic design backups with tiny incremental differences.
- Number One Systems has partnered with Ucamco enabling them to embed the New Online Gerber Viewer into the Number One website so that designers can now drop Gerber files or zip files onto this interface for free viewing.
Suggested Items
Unlocking Advanced Circuitry Through Liquid Metal Ink
10/31/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPCB UHDI technologist John Johnson of American Standard Circuits discusses the evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing and the critical role of innovation, specifically liquid metal ink technology, as an alternate process to traditional metallization in PCB fabrication to achieve ever finer features and tighter tolerances. The discussion highlights the benefits of reliability, efficiency, and yields as a tradeoff to any increased cost to run the process. As this technology becomes better understood and accepted, even sought out by customers and designers, John says there is a move toward mainstream incorporation.
Fresh PCB Concepts: The Critical Nature of Copper Thickness on PCBs
10/31/2024 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsPCBs are the backbone of modern electronics and the copper layers within these boards serve as the primary pathways for electrical signals. When designing and manufacturing PCBs, copper thickness is one of the most critical factors and significantly affects the board’s performance and durability. The IPC-6012F specification, the industry standard for the performance and qualification of rigid PCBs, sets clear guidelines on copper thickness to ensure reliability in different environments and applications.
Book Excerpt: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... DFM Essentials, Ch. 1
10/25/2024 | I-Connect007The guidelines offered in this book are based on both ASC recommendations and IPC standards with the understanding that some may require adjustment based on the material set, fabricator processes, and other design constraints. This chapter details high-frequency materials, copper foil types, metal core PCBs, and the benefits of embedded capacitance and resistor materials in multilayer PCBs.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Direct Metallization
10/21/2024 | Carmichael Gugliotti, MacDermid AlphaCarmichael Gugliotti of MacDermid Alpha discusses the innovative realm of direct metallization technology, its numerous applications, and significant advantages over traditional processes. Carmichael offers an in-depth look at how direct metallization, through developments such as Blackhole and Shadow, is revolutionizing PCB manufacturing by enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. From its origins in the 1980s to its application in cutting-edge, high-density interconnects and its pivotal role in sustainability, this discussion sheds light on how direct metallization shapes the future of PCB manufacturing across various industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, and beyond.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Pattern Plating
10/16/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsIn the previous episode of I-Connect007’s On the Line with… podcast, we painted the picture of the outer layer imaging process. Now we are ready for pattern plating, where fabrication can get tricky. The board is now ready to receive the copper traces, pads, and other elements specified in the original CAD design. This article will lay out the pattern plating process and discuss constraints in the chemistries that must be properly managed to meet the customer's exacting manufacturing tolerances.