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New Products for PCB Design and Device Programming
August 3, 2009 |Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
These new PCB design and device programming products are focused on design for manufacturing (DfM), collaboration with MCAD mechanical design elements, fast in-system programming, and cost/performance analysis on circuit designs. Products featured come from PCB Matrix, Numerical Innovations, Vishay, Corelis, BPM, Zuken, and Screaming Circuits.
Symbol Viewing ToolThe FREE Schematic Symbol Viewer is a cross platform correlation tool that allows users to import schematic symbols from multiple EDA formats and libraries, downloadable from the PCB Matrix Website. Using the Symbol Viewer, users can correlate schematic symbols from Cadence Concept, OrCAD Capture, and Mentor DxDesigner, and the PCB Matrix Symbol Wizard, and match them against the PCB Matrix Land Pattern Wizard (footprint). The Symbol Viewer also can import a FPGA Compiler report from Altera and Xilinx, matching the pin map to the schematic symbols and land pattern. It enables users to extract a complete spreadsheet across multi-section schematic symbol sets. The Schematic Symbol Viewer shows the actual signal names annotated to the Land Pattern, the pin types, the pin numbers and directions. The system can also cross probe between the spread sheet, schematic symbol, and PCB Land Pattern views. Errors or discrepancies can be highlighted, enabling engineers to find and isolate problems early in the engineering process. PCB Matrix, a Valor company, www.pcbmatrix.com/products/symbolwizard/symbolviewer.
Design for Manufacturability CheckFAB 3000 with Free DFM Checker is a comprehensive viewing & design for manufacturing (DFM) checker tool that runs directly on the user's desktop. Gerber & Drill data is pre-checked by the FAB 3000 DFM by importing the Gerber & Drill files into FAB 3000, assigning layer types, and clicking to begin; if manufacturing violations are detected a description and count will be displayed. Some PCB layout software packages are liberal in the interpretation of the Gerber format, and usually output CAM files (i.e. Gerber & Drill data) that are not to specifications because there's no certification process to verify that the outputs are proficient. Gerber files could be output incorrectly, and may be interpreted incorrectly by the PCB fabricator's CAM software. Besides the potential inaccuracies of Gerber files, FAB 3000 with Free DFM Checker will also check for acid traps, minimum spacing, thermal conflicts, power/ground shorts, starved thermals, solder bridges, mask slivers, silkscreen over mask, and more. It can create high-resolution Adobe PDF files (up to 'E' Size) for check plotting, provide Red-Line Markup to highlight errors to improve communication, and comes with a Gerber viewing environment. FAB 3000 is offered in three tiers: Free DFM Checker, Designer, and Professional. Designer & Professional licenses are sold on an annual or permanent basis and include 1 year free support & upgrades; network/floating licenses are also available. Numerical Innovations LLC, www.numericalinnovations.com.
Component LibraryA new library provides access to all Vishay's application and technical notes. Designed to provide in-depth information about Vishay products and technologies and help engineers maximize circuit performance and reliability, the documents in the Technical Library cover a wide range of topics on semiconductor products, passive products, and measurement products. Each of these is subdivided into product groups (diodes, MOSFETs, capacitors, resistors). The library has 21 product groups and approximately 400 topics, including fundamentals of rectifiers, physics of optoelectronic devices, current-sensing power MOSFETS, guidelines for tantalum capacitors, IHLP inductors for automotive applications, basics of linear fixed resistors, prediction of drift in resistors, strain gage soldering techniques, and others. Vishay Intertechnology Inc. (NYSE: VSH), www.vishay.com/how/onlineliterature/technical-library.
Programming EnvironmentsDesigned as bundles for stand-alone in-system programming environments, ISP-TAFP and ISP-JTAG are based on the existing ScanExpress family of products. ISP-TAFP is capable of performing CPU-assisted programming by taking control of a processor's JTAG port. The ISP-TAFP bundle includes all required hardware and software to program Flash and SEEPROM devices that share bus architecture with a JTAG-compatible processor. The bundle also includes a license for a single processor family, chosen by the user. Supported processor manufacturers include AMCC, ARM, Atmel, Broadcom, Freescale, IBM, Marvell, MIPS, PMC, RMI, Samsung, ST Microelectronics, TI as well as soft processors for Altera, Xilinx, and other FPGA vendors. ISP-JTAG allows programming of Flash and SEEPROM devices that interface directly with IEEE-1149.1 compliant devices. ISP-JTAG is also useful for programming CPLD and FPGA devices via their JTAG ports. In addition to required programming hardware and software, the ISP-JTAG bundle includes Flash vector generation services for the specific device to be programmed. ScanExpress Programmer is the main software tool used for in-system programming of non-volatile memory devices utilizing serial protocols such as SPI, I²C, and JTAG. The tool can program both NOR and NAND Flash memory devices on a board with a working JTAG scan-chain where the pins on the memory device are accessible through the boundary-scan component's I/O pins. The tool can access memory devices connected to a CPU using the CPU's JTAG emulation capabilities for programming at the highest theoretical speeds. Corelis, Inc., a subsidiary of Electronic Warfare Associates Inc., www.corelis.com/products/Test_Software.htm#InSystemProg.
Device Programmer UpdatesBPWin 5.0 offers improved efficiency, productivity, intellectual property protection and process management. Intellectual Property Protection features BPWin "Job Protection," allowing users to securely share data files and Jobmaster files. IP Protection also enables viewing and editing only with password, and control of programming parameters, as well as COM Serialization: External Serialization Server and a free serialization Software Development Kit. Process Monitoring and Control (API) features automation control and supports SPC, verification, auditing, and logging. Process Monitoring allows customer-defined functionality to manage the programming process independent of language and ERP. BPWin 5.0 features Software Version Control with the "BPWinLauncher" feature. This allows automatic BPWin revision loading, as well as multiple versions of BPWin on a single host. Device Programming now features a NAND Management Utility and Data Pattern Compression. The MS Windows account-based security management tools provide algorithm additions and critical updates. Other features include the JobMaster Integrity Check, enhanced buffer utilities, and an image format tool. Process and Job Reporting now has expanded BlackBox file archiving capabilities, Autosave JobSummary, performance metrics, checksum and type, and a socket card maintenance reminder. The Automated Programming System provides faster setup and changeover and comes with teach packages via alignment camera, as well as an expanded Cyberoptics utility. The system also allows the user to pause and modify jobs within the job, as well as to re-enable sites during job. Automated Programming has improved peripheral support for trays and tubes. The Updated Graphical User Interface features intuitive icons, quick access to common features and functions, and flexible output window. BPM, www.bpmicro.com.
MCAD-to-electrical InterfaceE3.3DRoutingBridge is an interface between commonly used MCAD systems and E3.series, Zuken's electrical design environment. The enhanced technology facilitates data exchange between E3.series designs and 3D Harness Design Systems with a new user interface, single installation, and added functionality. E3.3DRoutingBridge sends electrical data, such as device designation, component information and interconnection logic from E3.series to the mechanical CAD system and receives structural information such as wire length and take off locations. Overall functionality is dependent upon the MCAD system in use and typically includes bend radius checks, collision control, placement of fixings, and more. Standard file transfer formats include XML, ASCII, or CSV. Integrating the electrical components into the 3D model at the start of the design ensures a more effective process and addresses time-to-market issues. E3.3DRoutingBridge will be available for Siemens NX, CATIA V5 and SolidWorks design systems, as well as ProEngineer, Inventor, SolidEdge, NX I-deas, and LANDMARK. Zuken, www.zuken.com/e3.
Online PCB Design QuotesPCB Layout quoting is an online tool to help simplify prototype development and sourcing. Its online layout quote calculator asks for the number of components, nets and nodes, and then provides an immediate quote for circuit board layout. Users can send their order to Screaming Circuits. The quote and order form as well as standard terms & conditions for layout services and a detailed Q&A on layout services are located at layout.screamingcircuits.com. The service is designed to be fast and easy for typical layout jobs, and provides all the files needed to fabricate PCBs. To further streamline the prototype process, once the layout files are complete and customer-approved, Screaming Circuits can send the files directly to partner Sunstone Circuits for PCB fabrication and then receive boards back at Screaming Circuits for assembly. Screaming Circuits, www.screamingcircuits.com.
Bridging TechnologyCADSTAR BoardModeler Lite for the CADSTAR design suite provides an optimized environment for the verification of the PCB layout in its mechanical environment. BoardModeler Lite creates a bridge between the ECAD and MCAD world using the industrial formats common in the MCAD world, namely ACIS, STEP, and STL format. Through BoardModeler Lite the designer can access and import/export ACIS, STEP, STL during the design process. Visualization, measurement and online design rule checking capabilities allow the electrical design to be checked against the mechanical requirements. This allows the PCB layout to be checked in the earliest stages of the design process. Component placement changes, board outline and height limitation areas are automatically back annotated into the PCB design. BoardModeler Lite replaces CADSTAR 3D. It benefits products with complex case (housing) designs and limited height or space available for the electrical components. The designer can perform online collision checks as BoardModeler Lite indicates when the PCB design causes a problem with the imported housing, other PCB boards and other mechanical geometries (such as heatsinks). Using visual overview the designer monitors where problems are occurring. As each new constraint is added or altered the knock-on results are shown immediately. Zuken, www.zuken.com/boardmodelerlite.com.